Australian mum sparks backlash over claimed Centrelink income

A Melbourne mother of three has responded to critics who claimed she receives more support than working families after revealing that her Centrelink payments totalled more than $4,000 in one month.

Jenn, a former copywriter, said she began receiving Centrelink assistance in recent months after being made redundant last year.

She said she shared details of her household income to illustrate what government support looks like for a single parent raising three children.

‘This is how much I make as a single stay-at-home mum on Centrelink,’ she said in a video posted online.

Jenn said her monthly payments included $2,075 in single-parent payments and $1,333 through Family Tax Benefit Part A.

She also received $432 in rent assistance, $384 through Family Tax Benefit Part B, a $60 pension supplement, a $24 energy supplement and a $14 pharmaceutical allowance.

‘That brought my total Centrelink income for the month to $4,124, which in this economy, with three children, is not a lot of money,’ Jenn said.

‘I would love to increase my income to at least a livable wage so I could afford clothes for my children and improve our standard of living.’

A Melbourne single mother has responded to criticism after revealing how much she receives from Centrelink

Many Australians criticised the ‘broken’ Centrelink system after learning Jenn received more than them (stock image)

Jenn said she was thankful for the assistance but recognised that many families, including those with full-time workers, were under financial pressure.

‘There is no shame in needing support,’ she said.

However, some viewers compared her payments with their own take-home salaries. Others objected to her description of the money as something she had ‘made’, including right-wing commentator Carla Efstratiou.

‘Did she really just say this is what I “made” from Centrelink this month and call it her income from Centrelink?

‘You didn’t make anything. You were given taxpayers’ money. You didn’t earn it and you didn’t work for it, so you didn’t make it; it was handed to you. And is this really what single parents receive from taxpayers?

‘Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I think I understand why the poorest people always have the most children: they have money thrown at them while everyone else has to go out and work.’

In a follow-up post, Jenn said much of the criticism focused on her use of the word ‘make’ and defended her decision to use it.

She explained that she had adopted the format from other creators who share monthly income breakdowns online, and wanted to show how government assistance supports a family in her circumstances.

Jenn said her monthly Centrelink income totalled $4,124

Right-wing commentator Carla Efstratiou criticised Jenn for saying she ‘made’ more than $4,000 in Centrelink payments in a month: ‘You didn’t make anything. You were given taxpayer dollars,’ she said.

‘I chose that word deliberately. You understood exactly what I meant,’ Jenn said.

‘But you wanted to make sure I knew I hadn’t “earned” the money. You wanted to establish that you are the hardworking Australian and I am a dole bludger.’

Jenn said she had started her first job at 14, worked 40 hours a week while studying and spent the first 10 years of her career in copywriting.

She said she was laid off last year amid a downturn in the industry, which she believed had been worsened by artificial intelligence, while also going through a divorce.

‘Anyone who has experienced redundancy or divorce will understand how destabilising those events can be, particularly when they happen at the same time,’ she said.

She posted a screenshot of a rejection email for a senior campaigns position and described a recent interview in which she was told the company now used AI to perform work she had spent years learning.

‘People tell me to apply for work, but this is what my inbox looks like week after week,’ she said while sharing images of rejection emails.

‘At a recent interview, I discussed my experience with AMPScript, HTML and SQL — skills that took years to develop — and was told, “Oh, we have ClaudeAI do that now.”

‘Five years of working at a computer to learn how to code, and now it feels like that work has been made irrelevant.’

‘Anyone looking for work knows how long these applications take and how demoralising repeated rejections can be.’

Jenn said she had received Centrelink payments for only a few months and that the assistance had given her family time to regain its footing.

‘Whether you believe I earned it or not, I did not rort the system,’ she said.

She said she had nearly applied for a nanny position but hesitated at the prospect of placing her own three children in childcare so she could care for someone else’s child.

She also claimed the government would provide $8,000 a month in childcare subsidies if all three of her children attended full-time care.

‘A childcare educator works, a teacher works, a cook works and a cleaner works — but when that work is unpaid, people act as though you are doing nothing.’

Even Jenn’s Frank Green water bottle became a target for critics.

She said she bought the bottle for $65 in 2024 and defended the purchase, explaining that she preferred buying products she could keep and repair.

Jenn urged people angry about welfare payments or the cost of living to direct their concerns to their local MP.

‘Vote for universal free childcare, vote to tax billion-dollar corporations and vote to defund Centrelink if that is what you want.

‘It is ironic that some of the loudest welfare critics also appear to forget that today’s children will become tomorrow’s workers, taxpayers and contributors to the economy.

‘There is a reason governments in every wealthy country are searching for incentives to lift birth rates.

‘Every child deserves a roof over their head, food on the table and a safe place to sleep.

‘I am grateful to live in a country that recognises that.

‘It is not up to you to decide how much support that should require.’

Our News Outlet contacted Jenn for further comment.