Rule Change Brings Relief to Seasonal Staff

Changes to stand-down rules for the unemployment benefit will bring a huge relief to thousands of seasonal workers, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today.From May 1, benefit applicants will be able to choose an income assessment period of 26 or 52 weeks for the assessment of the initial stand-down. Currently they have to have it assessed only over the last six months of work.

"This has meant that that some seasonal workers have faced a stand-down of two or three months because they had a high income for a short time," Carol Beaumont said. "The rules did not recognise that this was their income for the entire year."

Unions pressed for the change and it would be welcomed by seasonal workers, she said.

"Industries need these valuable workers and this rule change will help to ensure a skilled and reliable workforce is available," Carol Beaumont said.