Uni student forced to survive on $20 a week as Sydney’s Covid-19 situation worsens

A 19-year-old uni student living away from home feels abandoned by the government after being expected to live off just $20 a week.

A 19-year-old uni student living away from home feels abandoned by the government after being expected to live off just $20 a week.

Luke* moved out of his parents’ Hunter Valley house in February this year to strike out on his own, after landing a spot in Sydney University’s Bachelor of Health science course.

He moved into a share flat in the inner western Sydney suburb of Rozelle and got two jobs in the hospitality industry, as a waiter and a bartender.

Every week, he would work 28 hours to pay off his $225 in rent while also receiving $40 a fortnight in youth allowance from the government.

Due to Sydney’s lockdown, his hours have dwindled to nothing but a bizarre caveat in the $500 weekly Covid Disaster Payments means he can’t receive any additional help.

Up until a day ago, anyone already receiving government help was excluded from the Covid-19 supplement – meaning he was expected to get by on just 20 bucks.

“I can’t go back to my parents because of lockdown, I can’t get benefits,” Luke told news.com.au.

“Am I supposed to live on the streets?”

RELATED: Retail workers struggle to live off government payments amid lockdown

Luke preparing mince meals in bulk to save money.

Luke reckons he spends $75 a week on groceries.

RELATED: Silent pandemic sweeping through Australia

When lockdown was announced at the end of June, Luke was stood down immediately from both jobs.

“I got the bad end of the stick with that one,” he said.

“I did have quite a bit of savings, there’s not much left,” Luke said.

Luke’s distraught parents have been trying to send him money whenever they can.

“They’ve been sending $50 every week or two (since lockdown started). But they need that, I really don’t like taking handouts from them,” he said.

His mother originally reached out to news.com.au, saying: “My husband and I … have been sending money we can to help him but … we are not big earners and struggling ourselves let alone trying to help Luke.”

His mother works part-time while his father mows lawns for a living.

Normally a tourist hot spot, few people around a closed Sydney Opera Bar with the city deserted as lockdown continues. Picture. Phil Hillyard

On Wednesday, the NSW government announced changes to their financial aid policies in light of Sydneysiders being slugged with an extra four weeks of lockdown at the minimum, set to end in late August.

Similar to JobKeeper, eligible workers will now receive $750 per week if they lose 20 hours or more of work while those that normally work less than 20 hours will get $450 a week.

In a joint media statement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator Anne Ruston and Senator Linda Reynolds, they said: “This new level of payment recognises the significant impact that the new Covid-19 Delta strain is having on communities, businesses and workers.”

People already receiving government support and who meet the other criteria can now receive a $200 weekly lump sum through the Covid Disaster Payment.

That means Luke will receive his youth allowance plus $200.

That still barely covers rent for Luke.

Empty streets in the Rocks, which is one of the places where Luke worked as a bartender, as Sydney enters its fifth week of lockdown. Picture: Toby Zerna

Although Luke is disappointed, he isn’t surprised that he missed out on government support.

“The Australian government, every single turn they’ve stitched me up, I didn’t expect anything from them at all,” he said.

Luke had been working at fast food chain Oporto for three years when he quit in February 2020 to work at a bar.

Then Australia’s first wave of Covid-19 hit.

“I couldn’t get Jobkeeper because I’d only worked there (at the bar) for two months,” he said.

He also didn’t qualify for Jobseeker because he was below the age of 22.

He ended up having to return to Oporto to work.

*Name withheld over privacy concerns.

Have you got a similar story? Continue the conversation | [e-mail]