Federal budget: What Australians think

How will the Federal Budget affect you? SBS spoke to a single mum, the mother of child with a disability, a retiree and a small-business owner.

The Federal Budget has received a generally mixed reaction from taxpayers.

Last week, SBS World News Australia spoke to people from four different demographics about their hopes for the Budget.

Today, we went back to gauge their reactions.

The government's commitment to Disability Care has been broadly welcomed.

But they feel there's been little change for small business or single mothers and few superannuation surprises.

Read below to see their hopes and expectations ahead of the budget announcement.

THE SINGLE MUM

Twentyfour-year-old Sarah Wilcox has a part-time job and also does a variety of volunteer work that she hopes may one day lead to full-time work. She receives the Single Mother's Allowance and lives in supported accommodation. Sarah says everything else is going up in life so she hopes there are no cuts to her income in the Federal Budget.

"Sometimes my son has to go without ... and it's hard for me to say no to him. Sometimes he has to give up some of the foods he likes."

PERSON WITH A DISABILITY

The Trabe-Templeton family count themselves financially lucky, especially compared to those living in Europe, and don't mind paying taxes to help those less fortunate. They're not expecting too many changes to their lives from the Federal Budget, but they are looking forward to the National Disability Insurance Scheme being locked in. They hope it will help their daughter, Lucy, who was born with a rare genetic condition.

"We are in a pretty lucky position because we have obviously made arrangements with regards to where we're living and the size of our mortage and everything," says mother, Marion.

THE RETIREE

Sixty-eight-year-old Robert Craven is semi-retired. The former financial planner now provides advice to families moving elderly relatives into aged care. He says there's uncertainty for all Australians about possible tax increases to superannuation, particularly for self-funded retirees like himself.

"The thing that really concerns me and that concerns people approaching retirement is the constant change that now seems to be part of every year's budget and superannuation is something that you plan years and years ahead," he says.

"When the governemnt of whatever political persuasion talks about raising revenue from changing the rules in superannuation, it's very disconcerting for people, but particularly people approaching retirement."

THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

Richard Lim is a small business owner and winner of the 2013 Pharmacy of the Year award. A refugee from Cambodia, Mr Lim escaped to Australia in 1980. He's concerned about the Federal Budget's impact on small businesses which he says are already struggling to survive.

"If the government can reduce tax at this very terrible climate it's going to be a very big help for small business," Mr Lim says. "The problem is the consumer doesn't want to spend at all."


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3 min read

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Updated

By Cassandra Hill, Shanthi Benjamin

Source: SBS


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