The Federal Government must substantially lift deeply inadequate income support payments, with routine indexation leaving 1.5 million people unable to afford basic essentials.
Tomorrow’s routine indexation of JobSeeker will only lift the payment by $6.25 per week to $401 for a single person, which is just 42% of the minimum wage.
“This routine indexation simply maintains the existing value of payments - it does not deliver the real increase that people so urgently need,” said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.
“Around 1 million people will remain unable to afford essentials like food and medicine because Australia has one of the lowest unemployment payments among wealthy countries.
“Indexation is cold comfort for people skipping meals, going without essential medication and struggling to afford their energy bills.
“We urge the Federal Government to build on previous real increases, and lift JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment and related supports to at least $589 per week so people can cover the basics.”
Indexation occurs every March and September, making it a routine cost-of-living adjustment rather than meaningful reform that fails to fix the underlying problem.
Young people on Youth Allowance receive only $335 per week, and the payment is only indexed once a year in January.
The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee found JobSeeker and Youth Allowance fall far short of all measures of adequacy and must be lifted by more than $120 a week.
“No one should be put in a position where they have to choose between paying rent and buying food,” Dr Goldie said.
“Routine indexation barely scratches the surface and realistically does nothing to address the inadequacy of our income support payments.”
Contact details:
Lauren Ferri: 0422 581 506