Gendered impacts of changing social security payments during COVID-19 lockdowns: an exploratory study

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Government dramatically changed its approach to social security by introducing a temporary $550 per fortnight Coronavirus Supplement and the temporary suspension of mutual obligations. In late October 2020, we launched an online survey that asked respondents about how these changes impacted on their everyday lives and time use. Our findings suggest that the suspension of mutual obligations was extremely positive for respondents especially because it reduced the psychological and time pressure which make it harder for respondents to undertake long-term planning and preparation for employment. There were also considerable gendered impacts including how the reduction in time and psychological pressure allowed respondents to engage in their unpaid work such as looking after children and community engagement. Furthermore, our findings suggest that people placed onto mutual obligations undertake a range of productive work which provides important inputs into the economy and society more broadly despite being considered to be unproductive members of society. Respondents indicated that this work is easier to do when they had the time and economic base to do so, suggesting that a rethink of contemporary social security policy is needed.