$540 pandemic pay extended as Anthony Albanese imposes strict limits to stop fraudulent claims

Strict limits will be imposed on how many times you can claim the $540 pandemic leave payment amid reports some Aussies claimed to have caught Covid five times.

Strict limits will be imposed on how many times you can claim the $540 pandemic leave payment after it emerged that some workers claimed to have contracted Covid four times or more to secure the cash.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that pandemic pay will be extended beyond September 30 after talks at the national cabinet today.

Under the new rules you will only be able to claim pandemic pay three times before your entitlement runs out.

“The payment will remain available for as long as mandatory isolation periods are applied by all states and territories,’’ Mr Albanese said.

However, the Prime Minister left the door open to axing the payment - which is designed to offer support to workers who don’t have access to sick leave - at a future meeting.

“We remain of the view that if people are sick, whether from Covid or from other health issues, they should not be at work and that is important,’’ Mr Albanese said.

“We will have a discussion about future arrangements on September 30 when the national cabinet will meet in person.”

Mr Albanese also revealed that there was some evidence that Services Australia had identified fraudulent claims.

“Since the 20 July 2022, 2.6% of all claims received triggered real-time fraud checks in the system and of those, more than 50% were subsequently rejected and some 15% were subsequently withdrawn by the claimant,’’ he said.

“Services Australia data indicates also that over the six months to the 30 June 2000 -- 2022, claims made by individuals who claimed more than once, of these, about 13% were claimed four or more times, that is a claim every 6.5 weeks or more. “

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shut down a pandemic leave loophole amid revelations some Aussies had made up to five separate claims. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

On Tuesday, Mr Albanese gave his strongest signal to date that the $540 pandemic pay would remain in place until the national cabinet scraps mandatory isolation.

The Prime Minister shut down talk that the payments might be dumped before the iso rules are changed at a press conference in Canberra.

“My own view is that while governments place or impose restrictions, then governments therefore have responsibilities as a result of those decisions,’’ Mr Albanese said.

Aussies are entitled to claim $450 if they lose at least eight and fewer than 20 hours of work as a result of being forced into Covid isolation, and $540 if they lose 20 hours or more of work.

Both the Victorian Premier Dan Andrews and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet are united that pandemic leave payments should stay in place for as long as COVID-19 isolation is compulsory.

National cabinet met this week and agreed to extend the pandemic payment leave. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Last month, the national cabinet agreed that the mandated COVID-19 isolation period will be reduced from seven days to five days.

That meant the payment was slashed from $750 to $450 for the majority of eligible workers.

The decision, which came into force on September 9, does not apply to “vulnerable settings” which means, for example, that aged care workers may need to stay home for 7 days.

Those workers, if they do not have sick leave, are still eligible for up to $750.

“This would apply to people with no symptoms. Clearly, if you have symptoms, we want people to stay home,’’ Mr Albanese said.

“We want people to act responsibly. Seven days isolation will remain for workers in high-risk settings including aged care, disability care, home care is important as well.

Services Australia Minister Bill Shorten warned today that the pandemic leave scheme had cost taxpayers $320 million since July.

But asked if this was “too much” Mr Albanese replied, “No.”

“No. We agreed to it. The figures since July 20 is $320 million,’’ he said.

“And overall since the start of the pandemic more than $2.2 billion has been paid out for paid pandemic leave.”