New numbers reveal that around 13,538 workers across Ipswich, the Somerset Region and the Karana Downs area could be worse off if the Morrison Government goes ahead with its cuts to JobKeeper at the end of September.

Federal Labor for Blair, Shayne Neumann MP warned that Scott Morrison’s cuts to JobKeeper on 28 September would make the recession worse, hurting 3,563 businesses, with up to $12.1 million ripped out of the local economy every fortnight.

“Scott Morrison should reconsider his cuts to JobKeeper, which are coming at the worst possible time for many workers, businesses and communities who are relying on it,” Mr Neumann said.

“With nearly one million Australians unemployed and unemployment expected to increase, it makes no sense for the Morrison Government to be withdrawing support without a comprehensive jobs plan to replace it.”

From Monday 28 September, cuts and changes to the JobKeeper scheme will see local businesses and workers lose access completely, while others will have their payments slashed by between $300 and $750 per fortnight.

The premature withdrawal of JobKeeper support follows the Morrison Government’s decision to exclude millions of workers from the program, including over a million casual workers.  

In recent days, concerns around compliance with JobKeeper’s rules by some businesses have surfaced, with 8,000 tip-offs reported to the Australian Tax Office – many concerning deliberate underpayments of the wage subsidies.

“JobKeeper’s potential to do so much good and help protect Australians in the depths of this recession is being cruelled by Scott Morrison’s botched implantation, poor compliance enforcement, and premature cuts.

“The recession will be deeper and the unemployment queues longer because Scott Morrison is pulling support from the economy too soon and because he doesn’t have a plan for jobs.

“Our community needs and deserves a comprehensive jobs plan to set us up for the recovery and the future.”

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