Welfare & Poverty

No Excuses

This is a rich country, yet 1 in 6 children and 1 in 8 adults live in poverty.

Why is there always money for tax cuts for the rich, but never money for pensioners, unemployed people, sole parents, carers, students, and others to have a liveable income?

No one should have their whole income dedicated to rent. No one should have to skip meals to afford medicine.

But this is a reality for millions of people, including those looking for paid work on JobSeeker, who receive an abysmal $54 a day, as well as those on Youth Allowance, and other Centrelink welfare payments.

All of Australia’s income support payments are below the poverty line. All of them.

How Are JobSeekers Punished?

JobSeekers, and others on welfare in Australia, have to deal with one of the strictest, most demanding welfare systems in the world.

They’re not only forced to live in poverty, but are treated like it is their fault for being out of work, even though Australia’s unemployment rate sits at 3.5%, underemployment is at 6%, and there are 15 job-seekers for every 1 entry-level job.

43% of those on JobSeeker have a diagnosed disability, but are unable to qualify for the Disability Support Pension.

Regardless, they’re forced to participate in the at best useless, at worst harmful, activities like ‘Work for the Dole’, and other so-called ‘Mutual Obligations’ requirements. They’re forced to engage with government-funded Job Agencies, who are not only a nuisance middleman for people on JobSeeker, but are able to cut or suspend people’s payments for unfair and arbitrary reasons.

Instead of providing any meaningful assistance, Job Agencies often harass those forced to use their services into signing-up for time wasting courses or “apprenticeships”, which grants them extra funding from the government. They are actively incentivised to not help people find paid work.

The unreasonable requirements set by ‘Mutual Obligations’ are already a huge stress for the unemployed. Health and personal reasons are often ignored as a factor in meeting these credentials, resulting in peoples’ already low incomes being cut or suspended for not fully complying, throwing them even further into poverty.

It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way

In early 2020, the COVID-19 Supplement and Relief Payments temporarily lifted millions of out poverty by doubling JobSeeker and other welfare payments, and showed how quickly poverty can be eliminated. This was life changing for so many people on welfare – people were able to meet their basic needs and look after their health in ways that were not previously possible.

But then, at the start of 2021, that was taken away – JobSeeker went from $80 a day, way back down to $43 a day.

And now, despite a change of government, years of people on welfare and community organisations speaking out, and active campaigning, we have to fight to force the Albanese Government to raise JobSeeker above the poverty line.

The May 2023 Federal Budget announced a pathetic $2.86 a day ($20 a week) raise to JobSeeker, which still keeps payments solidly below the poverty line by at least $35 a day ($250 a week). This year’s Federal Budget saw no raise to JobSeeker, but a $9 a week raise to the maximum rate of Rent Assistance, an insult, when people’s rents are rising by $40-$60 a week.

Budgets are about priorities, and the Albanese Government has chosen, again, to prioritise further tax cuts for the rich rather than ensuring that people can afford to eat.

Tax breaks for the rich, and subsidies for fossil fuel companies, and for property investors who are actively ruining the housing market, all get priority over those living in poverty. We spend tens of billions of dollars on public support for the big end of town, and for people in poverty, all we see are crumbs.

It does not need to be this way. We can choose differently.

Anti-Poverty Network SA is campaigning for:

A dignified, liveable income for all, above the Henderson poverty-line – at least $86 a day.
Not just for JobSeeker and Youth Allowance, but all people on Centrelink payments, including Pensioners and Carers, as well as those who currently don’t quality for welfare, like international students, migrant workers, and refugees.

The scrapping of all non-voluntary versions of Income Management, or Welfare Quarantining, including the Basics Card.
Compulsory Income Management is not only a fundamentally racist policy, and an attack on people’s basic rights. It has also caused huge stress, harm, and inconvenience to thousands of people living in poverty, who already feeling punished and judged, wasting billions of dollars of government funds, in the process.

A reduction in the unfair eligibility requirements for the Disability Support Pension.
To allow more people who deserve this support to be able to qualify, like those with complex, chronic health issues, and invisible disabilities.

Returning sole parents to the Parenting Payment (till their youngest child turns 16).
Sole parents should not be forced onto JobSeeker, and should have access to the Parenting Payment until their youngest child turns 16, not 8. Raising the age from 8 to 14, is a good move by the Albanese Government, that undoes the cruel actions of the Howard and Gillard Governments, but the job is not done till the age is raised till 16, as advocated by sole-parent groups across the country.

An end to all ‘Mutual Obligation’ requirements.
This includes compulsory Job Agency appointments and activities, ‘Work for the Dole’, and requirements that do nothing to help people find paid work. These pointless activities only add to the stress of being unemployed, the ‘Work for the Dole’ is an exploitation of labour. It is never acceptable to cut or suspend someone’s income for not meeting these excessive requirements.

There’s plenty of ways to help, and take action on Welfare and Poverty:

Contact your Federal MP – tell them why JobSeeker and other Centrelink payments need to be raised above the poverty line.
If you’re not sure who your federal MP is, you can find out here.

If you can, request a meeting with them.

Contact the following key decision making politicians:

Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese
Contact Form

Social Services Minister
Amanda Rishworth
e: amanda.rishworth.mp@aph.gov.au
p: (02) 6277 7560

We’ve got some resources to help you learn to lobby and pressure politicians, and a range of other useful resources for getting active, as well as our JobSeeker factsheet with some key points and data.

Become a member of Anti-Poverty Network SA, and join us in campaigning!