Lance and Trista Somervell with four of their five children before lockdown. Photo / Supplied
Lance and Trista Somervell with four of their five children before lockdown. Photo / Supplied
When Lance Somervell first glanced at the Government's Budget for 2020 he was a little underwhelmed.
He said he couldn't see a lot in the Covid-19 Budget that would directly benefit his family of seven.
He and his wife Trista have five children aged 4, 6, 12, 13, and15, andwith both of them working in the tourism industry - Trista as a travel agent and Lance running their business Bay Karts Outdoor Racing - they have been hit hard financially.
Covid-19 has been "devastating" to their livelihoods, he said.
And while he wasn't surprised by a big chunk of the Wellbeing Budget 2020 going towards Covid-19 response and recovery, he couldn't see how much better off his family would be because of it.
As a middle-class family, Lance described the Budget as "vague and underwhelming".
Lance Somervell back at work at Bay Karts Outdoor Racing in Level 2. Photo / George Novak
While there seemed to be quite a bit of support for those living in poverty, including increasing main benefits by $25 per week from April 2020, doubling the rate of the Winter Energy Payment for 2020 only from May 1, Lance said helping at a time where people were losing their jobs was a positive.
However, there were people like him struggling and working hard to stay on top of things.
Lance took over Bay Karts Outdoor Racing in October and was putting in 12-hour days at the site and was expecting a tough year, putting big hopes on the domestic tourism market to help.
However, he was surprised that there wasn't more support for the tourism industry. He would have liked more financial support announced in the Budget for middle-class families even in the way of Working for Families.
"On an average wage it does make a difference," Lance said.
