FEWER Melton families were in need of food relief during June after receiving bonuses of $110 per child as carbon tax compensation.
But social workers fear recent moves to reduce parenting welfare payments by $120 a fortnight could mean vulnerable families will end up deeper in poverty.
Combined Churches Caring chief executive Denise Morris said the number of families seeking help from the Melton emergency food service dropped more than 20per cent in June, with 153 visits compared to 219 at the same time last year.
But Ms Morris said moves to force single, unemployed parents onto the Newstart unemployment scheme when their youngest child turns eight
could hurt those already struggling to make ends meet.
“Up until when children turn eight it’s probably a little easier,” she said, “but then as they get older schooling is dearer and they eat more. It’s certainly going to have an impact on them.”
Prime Minister and Lalor MP Julia Gillard defended the changes, saying they would encourage struggling parents to get back into the workforce.
She said the old rules, which provided parenting payments until a child turned 16, meant parents ended up “trapped on social security”. Ms Gillard said Melton was home to areas of social disadvantage and intergenerational unemployment.
Melton mother of two Jill Stevenson said it was difficult to get by on welfare payments, which went towards groceries, bills, rent and paying off a laptop her son needed for school.
“I don’t know where the money is going to keep coming from,” she said.
“All bills are going up, and the price of food … you just live week to week, and it’s a struggle. They’re making it so hard that we’ll be using candles.”
Ms Stevenson said she had a job until her youngest son was born.
But in having to juggle dropping her other child at school every morning and paying for after-school care, she doubted she ended up any better off than being on welfare.
