Electrical Trade Union calls for apprentices under 17 to get access to Covid-19 disaster payments

There’s a group of workers that isn’t eligible for Covid-19 disaster payments and a union has blasted the situation as unfair.

Apprentices younger than 17 are falling through the cracks when it comes to coronavirus disaster payments, a union has said.

The Electrical Trades Union has called for the federal government to change the rules for Covid-19 payments so that workers under 17 would be eligible.

The federal disaster payment scheme has a lower age limit set at 17.

ETU Assistant National Secretary Michael Wright argued that because many trainees and apprentices have the “typical cost of living expenses of being in the workforce”, it doesn't make sense to exclude them from the payments solely on account of their age.

“In the absence of Jobkeeper, the Covid-19 disaster payment is designed to help those who are unable to work as a result of government mandated restrictions on business, yet the current eligibility rules arbitrarily exclude apprentices under the age of 17” Mr Wright said.

“The carving out of apprentices and trainees under 17, many of whom will have the typical cost of living expenses of being in the workforce is grossly unfair and must be fixed urgently.”

Workers aged under 17 can’t get access to the Covid-19 disaster payment. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

There are other payments that are available to apprentices aged under 17, including youth allowance.

A spokeswoman for the federal government’s National Recovery and Resilience Agency pointed to that opportunity when asked to comment.

“The Covid-19 disaster payment is only available to people aged 17 years and above,” the spokeswoman said.

“Workers under 17 years of age who require assistance are encouraged to contact Services Australia to test their eligibility for a range of other payments including youth allowance, which is the working age payment for job seekers and apprentices aged 16-24.”

But the union argued those weren’t enough and pointed to limitations including waiting period and asset tests.

Mr Wright said he had written to the Prime Minister and the Treasurer to ask that they put the issue on the agenda for Friday’s national cabinet meeting.

Apprentices younger than 17 are falling through the cracks. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

But a statement issued by the national cabinet after the summit did not indicate it had been brought up.

The only mention of the disaster payments was the following line: “National cabinet noted the support package agreed between the Commonwealth and the Victorian government to progress Covid-19 disaster payments and business payments during the current outbreak.”

Sydney’s construction sector was almost completely shut down for a two-week period during the current lockdown.

Even after the ban was lifted, many tradespeople have been unable to work because they live in a hotspot, given they cannot leave their local government area.

With Australia’s three largest cities in lockdown, more than half of the country’s population is currently under stay-at-home orders.