Unemployed have lost the most across all budgets since 2009

Some of the country’s most vulnerable jobless households fared worst in October’s budget and over all budgets from 2009, a leading think tank has found.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found the single unemployed household with no children and the unemployed couple lost out in Budget 2016, as well as in all eight annual budgets.

The Coalition had billed its Budget 2016 as a family-friendly budget that will bring an end to the crisis years.

The ESRI found that most of the 12 household types it examined will indeed benefit from the tax and welfare changes announced in Budget 2016 —with the biggest winner being the dual-earning couple with children.

Overall, Budget 2016 resulted in a small gain of around 0.7% in aggregate household disposable income, including welfare payments and take-home wages, said the ESRI.

However, it found the single unemployed household with no children and the unemployed couple will suffer further drops in their disposable income.

The biggest losers across all budgets from 2009 were the single unemployed and unemployed couples, whose incomes fell by up to 22%.

ESRI research professor Tim Callan said the analysis takes account of expected wages growth across the economy and increases in the minimum wage and free pre-school places.

It does not account in general for effects of most Government spending cuts or spending increases on household incomes. The research was based on a nationally representative sample of more than 4,500 households.

“Single unemployed people without children have experienced by far the largest losses,” the ESRI said. “This reflects the cuts to jobseeker payments for the young unemployed in particular. Most family types saw losses of between 8% and 11%.