- Cook Government delivers $5 million cost-of-living relief package
- Approximately 5,600 families to benefit from one-off carer payment in January 2025
- $1.5 million to WA charities' Christmas appeals to support vulnerable Western Australians
The Cook Labor Government has announced a significant cost-of-living relief package totalling more than $5 million to support Western Australians over Christmas and into the New Year.
Eligible foster, family, grandcarer and special guardian carer households across Western Australia will receive a one-off payment in the New Year to ease cost-of-living pressures.
The payment will support more than approximately 5,600 households who are caring for around 8,000 children or young people in family-care arrangements.
Eligible carers will receive $500 for the first child in their care and $250 for each additional child.
The Cook Government is also donating $1.5 million to several charities for their support of Western Australia's most vulnerable people.
The following charity-run Christmas appeals will each receive $500,000 to support their activities and delivery of emergency relief:
- Vinnies WA Annual Christmas Appeal for Christmas food hampers, critical medicines, and bill and rent relief;
- The Smith Family's Annual Christmas Appeal to support children and young people with out-of-school learning and mentoring programs, and financially support families with the cost of education; and
- The Salvation Army Annual Appeal (WA) to help people experiencing homelessness find secure housing and to provide families with food hampers and groceries or Christmas presents for children.
The cost-of-living relief payment for eligible carers will come into effect from 14 January, in time to assist with back-to-school costs which can place financial strain on family and foster carers.
Carers must be registered with the Department of Communities, an Out of Home Care Provider agency or Wanslea for Grandcarers.
It is the second time the State Government has offered the cost-of-living relief payment to foster and family carer households, with the one-off payment first rolled out in January 2024.
For more information on the cost-of-living relief payment, visit www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/cost-of-living-payment-foster-carers .
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"We know that Christmas and the New Year period can be a particularly challenging time for families doing it tough.
"That's why my Government is investing more than $5 million to assist vulnerable Western Australians and the people who support them over the festive season.
"Today's announcement of more support for carers and charities is in addition to a range of targeted measures that we have announced to help families most in need, with a record investment in cost-of-living relief since 2019."
As stated by Community Services and Child Protection Minister Sabine Winton:
"Family carers and foster carers do an incredible job in supporting Western Australia's vulnerable children and young people.
"This cost-of-living relief payment will put more money in the pockets of family and foster carers, grandcarers and special guardian carers to ease financial strain into the New Year.
"I also want to acknowledge the important work of Vinnies WA, The Smith Family, and The Salvation Army in providing assistance to families and individuals in need.
"I am proud to be part of a State Government that prioritises the needs of vulnerable Western Australians."
