Report: “It’s not enough”: why more is needed to lift people out of poverty
04/09/2023
Almost three quarters of people receiving income support are eating less or skipping meals due to the low rate of payments and rising cost of living, according to a new report by ACOSS.
The research – which surveyed 270 people living on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and Parenting Payment in July and August 2023 – also found the upcoming increase to rates will not be enough to prevent “widespread distress”.
JobSeeker will be just $54 a day and Youth Allowance just $44 when the $20-a-week increase announced in the May Budget and 2.2 per cent indexation kick in on September 20.
Key findings:
➔ The rate of income support is not enough to cover rent, leaving many risking homelessness.
Almost half of all respondents (49 per cent) are privately renting. Of this group:
- More than 70 per cent reported experiencing at least one rent increase in the past year – of those, nearly half (48 per cent) are facing increases of more than $40 per week, with one-third facing increases of more than $50 a week.
- More than 94 per cent reported rental stress, that is spending more than 30 per cent of their income on rent, with more than half spending 50 per cent or more of their income.
