Parliamentarians, including many members of the crossbench, have joined community sector leaders in calling on the parliament to raise the rate of income support.
MPs Bridget Archer, Kate Chaney, Helen Haines, Monique Ryan, Zali Steggall, Kylea Tink and Andrew Wilkie, and Senators Penny Allman-Payne and David Pocock today called for the parliament to ease cost of living pressure for those struggling the most by raising the rate of JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment and related payments to a livable level.
Currently JobSeeker is just $56 a day and Youth Allowance just $47 a day. Both rates are less than half the minimum wage and leave people unable to afford basic necessities such as rent, food and medicine.
Left behind
Bridget Archer MP said, ‘There’s no doubt that many people in our community are being left behind by this government. My office is repeatedly contacted by constituents experiencing severe disadvantage and it has only continued to increase. It’s not acceptable in a country like Australia.
‘More urgently needs to be done to support the most vulnerable in our society.’
Monique Ryan MP said, ‘Australians on income support are being left behind. You can’t return to the workforce if you can’t afford to eat, keep yourself healthy, look after your kids, or get to job interviews. We have to lift vulnerable people out of poverty.’
Zali Steggall MP said, ‘I call on the government to raise income support payments so that the most vulnerable in our community, who are hit hardest by cost-of-living pressures, are able to afford essentials such as rent, food and healthcare.’
Kylea Tink MP said, ‘It’s hard not to see that both major parties have their priorities wrong. The Coalition wants taxpayers to shout long lunches for bosses, while Labor is still busy pandering to the interests of gambling and fossil fuel companies which leaves the crossbench as the only ones consistently standing up for the most vulnerable in our society.
‘Increasing the rates of JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and the Parenting Payment is a no-brainer – not only is it the right thing to do from a moral perspective, but raising the rate will also help boost the economy by ensuring single parents, young Australians and those searching for jobs can afford the basics required for a dignified life.’
Lift Centrelink
Andrew Wilkie MP said, ‘I support the Australian Council of Social Service’s call to lift Centrelink payments. It is a disgrace that in a country as wealthy as Australia we have poverty by design in government payments that force people to make decisions about whether they pay their rent, eat or purchase lifesaving medications.
‘Australians should be able to trust that government supports are there to help, not to punish them.’
Senator Penny Allman-Payne said, ‘We have talked and talked and talked about this for years. And while this parliament has talked people have gone hungry, they’ve lost their homes, they’ve fallen ill, they’ve died. A society is measured by its willingness to help those most in need. On that score, Australia fails miserably. The fact that we have the ability to do this and choose not to makes this failing morally indefensible.
‘The political class barely blinks at wasting hundreds of billions on theoretical submarines but when it comes to spending a mere fraction of that on ensuring our neighbours don’t live in insecurity and destitution they suddenly become “fiscally responsible”. Poverty is a policy choice. Raise the rate already.’
Senator David Pocock said, ‘The Prime Minister talks a lot about not leaving anyone behind yet every single Australian who relied on a safety net payment is being left behind, they are being left to live below the poverty line.
‘We can and should do better as the independent expert committee I negotiated has recommended and this needs to be a top priority for the next parliament.’
Community sector leaders speak
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said, ‘More than one million people in Australia are trapped in poverty by these woefully inadequate payments. It is unacceptable that in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, people are skipping meals, sleeping in cars, or going without medicine because JobSeeker and related payments are so far below the poverty line.
‘Australia has the lowest unemployment payment among wealthy nations. We can and must do better.’
ACOSS is calling for JobSeeker and related payments to be lifted to at least the pension rate of $82 a day without further delay.
SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis AM said, ‘Insufficient income support traps people in poverty, making it harder to find stable work, secure safe housing, and participate fully in society. This issue is exacerbated for people from migrant and refugee backgrounds due to the unique employment, linguistic and housing barriers they already experience.
‘Fixing Australia’s social security safety net is not just an economic issue – it’s about dignity, opportunity and equity. We know our government is committed to advancing the common good. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that commitment.’
Deeper into poverty
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) President Trinity Ford said, ‘Right now people with disability are being pushed deeper into poverty because income support payments like JobSeeker and the Disability Support Pension are too low to cover the basics.
‘Living with disability comes with extra costs like medication, treatment and accessible housing but our income support system doesn’t take this into account. People with Disability Australia joins the call to Raise the Rate so people with disability can afford the basics and the additional costs of disability.’
Consumers Health Forum of Australia CEO Dr Elizabeth Deveny said, ‘When we recently asked consumers if they were supportive of the Raise the Rate campaign the vast majority said yes, because financial insecurity directly impacts health. For many Australians on income support, the struggle is real to afford essentials like medication, healthcare, housing and food.
‘Often healthcare and medicines are seen as the nice to haves and people stretch out or delay getting the healthcare or medicine they need. The rise in cost-of-living has only made this worse. Raising income support to above the poverty line is crucial for better health outcomes for consumers.
‘CHF urges all parliamentarians to act on the evidence and commit to raising the rate.’
Evidence
Public Health Association of Australia CEO Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin said, ‘The evidence from the brief period of Jobkeeper during the pandemic was clear. Health benefited, at an individual and community level. More people could afford basics like healthy food, health, and dental care. They didn’t have to choose between eating or paying their bills.
‘A liveable income is fundamental to public health. It should be a priority of whoever forms the next Australian government. All parties should state, before the election, their policy on this fundamental issue.’
Catholic Social Services Australia Executive Director, Dr Jerry Nockles said ‘The stark reality of over 800,000 Australian children living in poverty is not just a statistic – it is a moral imperative that demands our immediate attention.
‘Catholic Social Teaching reminds us that every person has inherent dignity and worth, and the Common Good calls us to ensure no one is left behind.
‘While raising the rate of income support is not the entire solution, it is an essential step towards creating a more just and equitable society. It provides immediate relief to families struggling with the rising cost of living and unaffordable housing, while giving us the breathing space to address the myriad causes of poverty in Australia.
‘In our efforts to build a consensus around policies that benefit all Australians – or an accord for the Common Good – we must recognise that a stronger welfare safety net is both an economic necessity and a moral imperative. It is time we come together – government, business, and community – to forge long-term solutions that tackle the complex roots of disadvantage, uphold the dignity of all Australians, and offer genuine hope for a future where every child can thrive.’
Playgroup Australia CEO Patricia O’Donovan said, ‘Our playgroups are a lifeline for families facing financial pressures, providing safe and inclusive spaces for children to play and parents to connect at little to no cost. Increasingly, they are becoming places to share resources due to on-going financial pressures caused by cost of living.
‘We must take immediate action to lift income support rates and ease cost-of-living pressures for those who need it most.’
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