The two main income supports – the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) and wage subsidies – have been hugely important in supporting incomes for different households.13 In the second quarter of 2020 gross household incomes fell by -1.7% at the median.
Recent estimates suggest that without supports incomes would have fallen by 20 per cent [Slide 5].14 In addition the research nds that income supports have helped to reduce the potential for the pandemic to lead to greater income inequality during 2020.