The Australian Greens said today it was clear the Government is working on a long term plan to reduce access to important income support payments, a move that would affect millions of Australians.

"The recent budget cruelty was just the start of the Government's plans, comments from the Treasurer today remind us of that," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on family and community services said.

The Australian Greens said today that the 2014 budget continues a tough and unfair campaign against single parents, started by John Howard.

"The Howard and Gillard governments both punished single parents, and as more modelling and analysis of Tony Abbott's budget emerges, it is clear that history is repeating itself," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on family and community services said today.

"Single parent families will be unfairly impacted by this budget, making a mockery of the government's claim that everyone will be doing the heavy lifting.

The Australian Greens said today that the Salvation Army's Economic and Social Impact Survey (ESIS) is a sharp wakeup call for the federal government over the serious impact their budget will have on disadvantaged people and families.

"The Salvos have highlighted the serious challenges facing many people across Australia, including homelessness and housing insecurity, a lack of food and heating, no access to money in emergencies and social isolation," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on family and community services said today.

The Australian Greens said today that a new Anglicare report into disadvantage paints a bleak picture of what we will see in the future as expected Federal budget cuts take effect.

"Locked Out, Anglicare's 2014 State of Sydney report makes it clear that disadvantage, including poverty and deprivation is a serious problem, for some of the most vulnerable people in the community. This is a situation that will be happening around the country," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said today.

The Australian Greens will introduce a bill into Parliament to move single parents back onto parenting payments.

An exposure draft of legislation that reverses the changes made by both the Gillard and Howard Governments, that dumps single parents onto Newstart, has been released today.

The Australian Greens have called on the Federal Government to prioritise assistance for single parents ahead of cruel cuts in the upcoming Federal Budget.

Speaking at the launch of the documentary ‘[10] Stories of Single Mothers' in Parliament House today, Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said that single parents should be returned to parenting payments, rather than being dumped onto Newstart when their youngest child turns eight.

The Australian Greens have reintroduced critical legislation in the Senate to deliver a $50 per week increase to the single rate of Newstart and Youth Allowance.

"Single people living on Newstart and Youth Allowance are significantly disadvantaged by Australia's current income support system," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said today.

The Australian Greens said today that the latest round of income support indexation could widen the gap even further between pensions and payments such as Newstart Allowance.

"People on Newstart have been falling further and further behind for years as a result of the flawed indexation systems used to determine payment increases," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said today.

The Australian Greens said today that a new survey of single parents shows families are continuing to struggle to cover even the most basic living costs.

"This is another in a long series of reports that shows families are struggling, and yet the Abbott Government looks set to make things even harder by cutting support like the school kids bonus," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said today.

The Australian Greens said today that any review of the income support system must first acknowledge that payments are too low and recognise the role this plays in condemning people to poverty.

"I am deeply concerned that the person behind Welfare to Work is being called in by the Abbott Government to do this review," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson for families and community services said today.