❓ Mrs. Stojkovski asks about the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS) and its support for Western Australians. Minister McGurk highlights increased funding, the role of financial counsellors in assessing applications, and criticises previous funding cuts by the Liberal-National government.
AnsweredQoN 951Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HARDSHIP UTILITY GRANT
SCHEME
951. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Minister for Community
Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's ongoing commitment to supporting those facing financial
hardship in our community, which was demonstrated by this government's
decision to restore funding for financial counsellors. Can the minister update
the house on the hardship utility grant scheme service and how it is supporting
Western Australians?
SCHEME
951. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Minister for Community
Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's ongoing commitment to supporting those facing financial
hardship in our community, which was demonstrated by this government's
decision to restore funding for financial counsellors. Can the minister update
the house on the hardship utility grant scheme service and how it is supporting
Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
This is a really positive story in Western
Australia, where we have now put extra money into the hardship utility grant
scheme—an extra $3.5 million—to make sure those who need
assistance will get it. What the Treasurer announced in the last budget was a program
to make sure that those who were non-concession card holders would go via an
assessment scheme, and that would essentially be financial counsellors who
would be set up to have a closer look at what their request was. Of course
under the previous government, we had a cutting of financial counselling and
the request for HUGS going directly to the utilities. So the announcement of
the HUGS service centre, which is a call centre that has been set up —
The SPEAKER : Members! Member
for Warren–Blackwood, if you want to have a meeting, go outside,
please.
Ms S.F. McGURK : The call
centre has been set up to evaluate applications by non-concession card holders.
The financial counselling network, which runs the service centre, is 15
organisations that have come together to provide financial counselling in the
metropolitan area. The call centre has 19 financial support workers. That was
launched in July. At the end of October, the centre had assessed over 1 400
applications across an average bill of $896. A total of 1 345 of those
applications were recommended to receive HUGS, and 69 were not accepted. What
is important is that 1 100 of those people who applied to the call centre were
also given referrals to other services. So this is a really good opportunity to
give people financial assistance and to assist them —
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
Ms S.F. McGURK : —unlike
the other side, unlike the Liberal–National government, which cut
funding for financial counselling.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : As I said, 1 100
referrals were made to other services, including mental health services, legal
services, employment services and health-related services.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you for the first time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : I did notice
that yesterday in question time, the Leader of the Opposition referred to
Anglicare's 2018 report on poverty and wanted to make a point about how
the McGowan government was faring. It was
pointed out to me that in 2015, when the Leader of the Opposition was the
Treasurer under the then Liberal–National government, Anglicare's
report, ''Who is Being Left Behind?'', specifically outlined the
damaging impact that his government had when it decided to cut financial
counselling.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Darling
Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : I just
thought I would remind people of what Anglicare's report said in 2015.
It told the story of a single mum, Jane, who had been in an abusive
relationship and had a mental illness. She relied on Anglicare's
financial counselling services. The report in 2015 said —
These kinds of specialist responses
take a long time to establish. Building the expertise, creating links within
the community and understanding individual needs only happens over time.
I am quoting Anglicare's 2015
report. It continues —
When funds are removed it can be
devastating because services cannot be reinstituted overnight.
This is why the Western Australian
State Government's decision —
That is the decision made when the Leader of the Opposition
was Treasurer —
to axe the funding to financial
counselling services is so puzzling.
It states also —
Anglicare WA is deeply concerned
about the consequences for people like Jane and her baby. In times of such
fiscal severity, a safety net to catch vulnerable families before they fall
into poverty is needed more than ever. This is not the time to unravel it.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : Of course the
McGowan government put the services back for financial counselling through the
financial counselling network.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you to order for the second time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : I was also
interested to hear that the Leader of the Opposition wants to go out and visit
the network. Now that they are in opposition, they want to go out and visit the
network to see how they are operating. Do members think they are concerned
about people who are in financial hardship?
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you to order for the third time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : Do members
think they are interested to learn how those services are offering advice and
assistance? I do not know. I think they might be more interested in their own
political misfortune rather than the misfortune of struggling Western Australians.
Australia, where we have now put extra money into the hardship utility grant
scheme—an extra $3.5 million—to make sure those who need
assistance will get it. What the Treasurer announced in the last budget was a program
to make sure that those who were non-concession card holders would go via an
assessment scheme, and that would essentially be financial counsellors who
would be set up to have a closer look at what their request was. Of course
under the previous government, we had a cutting of financial counselling and
the request for HUGS going directly to the utilities. So the announcement of
the HUGS service centre, which is a call centre that has been set up —
The SPEAKER : Members! Member
for Warren–Blackwood, if you want to have a meeting, go outside,
please.
Ms S.F. McGURK : The call
centre has been set up to evaluate applications by non-concession card holders.
The financial counselling network, which runs the service centre, is 15
organisations that have come together to provide financial counselling in the
metropolitan area. The call centre has 19 financial support workers. That was
launched in July. At the end of October, the centre had assessed over 1 400
applications across an average bill of $896. A total of 1 345 of those
applications were recommended to receive HUGS, and 69 were not accepted. What
is important is that 1 100 of those people who applied to the call centre were
also given referrals to other services. So this is a really good opportunity to
give people financial assistance and to assist them —
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
Ms S.F. McGURK : —unlike
the other side, unlike the Liberal–National government, which cut
funding for financial counselling.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : As I said, 1 100
referrals were made to other services, including mental health services, legal
services, employment services and health-related services.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you for the first time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : I did notice
that yesterday in question time, the Leader of the Opposition referred to
Anglicare's 2018 report on poverty and wanted to make a point about how
the McGowan government was faring. It was
pointed out to me that in 2015, when the Leader of the Opposition was the
Treasurer under the then Liberal–National government, Anglicare's
report, ''Who is Being Left Behind?'', specifically outlined the
damaging impact that his government had when it decided to cut financial
counselling.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Darling
Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : I just
thought I would remind people of what Anglicare's report said in 2015.
It told the story of a single mum, Jane, who had been in an abusive
relationship and had a mental illness. She relied on Anglicare's
financial counselling services. The report in 2015 said —
These kinds of specialist responses
take a long time to establish. Building the expertise, creating links within
the community and understanding individual needs only happens over time.
I am quoting Anglicare's 2015
report. It continues —
When funds are removed it can be
devastating because services cannot be reinstituted overnight.
This is why the Western Australian
State Government's decision —
That is the decision made when the Leader of the Opposition
was Treasurer —
to axe the funding to financial
counselling services is so puzzling.
It states also —
Anglicare WA is deeply concerned
about the consequences for people like Jane and her baby. In times of such
fiscal severity, a safety net to catch vulnerable families before they fall
into poverty is needed more than ever. This is not the time to unravel it.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : Of course the
McGowan government put the services back for financial counselling through the
financial counselling network.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you to order for the second time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : I was also
interested to hear that the Leader of the Opposition wants to go out and visit
the network. Now that they are in opposition, they want to go out and visit the
network to see how they are operating. Do members think they are concerned
about people who are in financial hardship?
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you to order for the third time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : Do members
think they are interested to learn how those services are offering advice and
assistance? I do not know. I think they might be more interested in their own
political misfortune rather than the misfortune of struggling Western Australians.
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