Norman McCoullough has a street in Wagga named after his family, yet the 53-year-old welfare recipient is struggling to afford basic items and get enough to eat.
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Mr McCoullough was one of many Australians at Centrelink on Monday in what was one of the service's busiest days in decades, after the government announced new payments designed to remedy job losses caused by coronavirus.
Until recently Mr McCoullough had work detailing coaches for a bus company that ran concert tours.
"Now all the buses are parked in the shed doing nothing," Mr McCoullough said.
"My boss is now truck driving for Woolworths and Coles filling up the supermarkets. He's looking at going bankrupt with his company."
Thousands of people will be in similar positions after the NSW government announced that non-essential businesses including bars, pubs and clubs would have to close from Monday, as a public safety measure against coronavirus.
On Sunday the federal government unveiled a suite of fiscal measures worth $66 billion for individuals and businesses affected by the virus.
People who are on the JobSeeker Payment, known until a few days ago as Newstart, should receive a $550 fortnightly boost over the next six months.
The MyGov website crashed early on Monday morning after thousands of people, including many who will be first-time welfare recipients, tried to access it.
"I've come to report [my earnings]. I can't report online because MyGov is down," Mr McCoullough said.
Mr McCoullough told The Daily Advertiser he had been on Newstart for "about four or five years" after being made redundant from his full-time job at a transport business after it was bought out by a company overseas.
He had been working for the coach company for the last year-and-a-half, while studying "computers and a bit more basic education ... Maths and English" at the Riverina Community College.
"I'm currently doing a course ... It's still open but it's about to be closed," Mr McCoullough said.
"I haven't been able to find full time work because of my age. It's very hard."
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