ACOSS Australian Council of Social Service

We are alarmed to hear the latest revelations that income support payments may have been illegally cancelled, affecting at least 1,000 people between April 2022 and July 2024 as part of the Targeted Compliance Framework. This is the third instance in recent years of preventable, foreseeable illegal activity against people relying on the systems that are supposed to help them.   Since 2018, ACOSS has consistently opposed the Targeted Compliance Framework and warned successive Ministers about the serious harm it causes. Countless reports, including our own, have been presented to the government showing how the inadequacy of income support and the challenges that come with navigating the income support system are harmful. The obstacles presented are exploitative and threaten people, leading to dangerous physical and mental health outcomes, increased risk of homelessness, and entrenchment in poverty.   The Government must immediately cease payment suspensions and cancellations until it can ensure people’s legal and human rights are guaranteed. The Targeted Compliance Framework must be suspended and the Government to refer itself to the Federal Ombudsman and initiate a full investigation into the Compliance system. #incomesupport Read more: https://lnkd.in/gHq9xC-e

Last night the government made a deal with the Greens to invest an additional $500 million to retrofit another 50,000 social housing properties with home energy upgrades. ACOSS would like to congratulate Greens and the Government for working together to deliver this critical investment. Combined with the 2022/23 federal and state investment, this funding will now see a quarter of all social housing properties upgraded to make them healthier to live in and cheaper to run. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the ACOSS Fair, Fast, and Inclusive Climate Change Action campaign and has taken action on this issue, particularly those people directly affected by financial disadvantage who have shared their experiences of being hospitalised due to heat stress, going without food or medical care to pay their energy bills, and living in homes that reach over 45 degrees indoors in the summer. We would also like to acknowledge the tireless advocacy of organisations and individuals across different sectors, including those with whom we collaborated in the Campaign for Healthy Homes for Renters and with our colleagues and partners in Renew Australia For All. Our alliance with EEC, AIG and Property Council of Australia has also been vital. These upgrades will drastically improve the lives of the thousands of residents who receive them, but more work needs to be done to ensure no one lives in unhealthy conditions. We urge states and territories to match this funding so that more people in social housing benefit, and, along with the federal government, commit to upgrading all social housing by 2030. If you haven't already signed up you can join our Fair, Fast, and Inclusive Climate Change Action campaign here: https://lnkd.in/gjPZmvRE Read our full response here: https://lnkd.in/gxa8s8X4

Earlier this week, ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie AO spoke to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)’s 7.30 Report to discuss and highlight the devastating findings from the latest Poverty and Inequality Partnership report by ACOSS & UNSW, ‘Material deprivation in Australia: the essentials of life’: "...for people on JobSeeker, they're 14 times more likely to go regularly without a substantial meal. Food has become a discretionary item. We know what needs to be done. JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, and other income support payments are just too low—$46 a day for young people on Youth Allowance. You can't study when you're hungry, and universities across the country report students regularly going without food." Watch the full interview to learn more about the urgent need for action: https://lnkd.in/g3nE-YFX Read the report: https://lnkd.in/gMiMnbxe #RaisetheRate

The NFP Sector is one of the most trusted national voices and networks in Australia. We employ millions of people. We contribute signifcantly to the country's social and economic wellbeing. We are amongst the first responders to crises and disasters. We are at the heart of civil society. So yesterday, ACOSS was incredibly proud to see The National NFP Blueprint published, after being officially handed to the Federal Government. This is an independent, non-partisan, ten-year reform roadmap that has been developed by, for and with the NFP Sector. Over two years, the Blueprint Expert Reference Group (BERG) convened to determine the best set of priorities to ensure we have a strong, thriving and sustainable Sector over the next decade. The Blueprint contains 18 key initiatives, organised across three strategic pillars: - Pillar One: An enabling operational and regulatory environment for the NFP sector to thrive; - Pillar Two: A people-led and purpose driven NFP Sector; and - Pillar Three: An adaptive and dynamic forward-focused NFP Sector. We now enter the next phase of this important work - securing wider parliamentary support for this roadmap, and co-designing implementation with government. You can read the Joint BERG Statement on next steps here: https://lnkd.in/gM5KHVzD Our sincere thanks and acknowledgement to our fellow BERG members - Anglicare Australia, Kasy Chambers, St Vincent de Paul Society Australia, 54 reasons, Volunteering Australia, Mark Pearce, FECCA (Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia), Mary Ann Baquero Geronimo, Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) Ltd, Jeff Smith, SNAICC - National Voice for our Children, Catherine Liddle and Ian Hamm. Special thanks to ACOSS board - Matt Gardiner, Hang Vo, Violet Roumeliotis AM. ACOSS will continue engaging with our members and philanthropic partners as well like Paul Ramsay Foundation, to bring the Blueprint to life. The Blueprint can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/gnvr7_kk Learn more about the Blueprint and have any questions answered by registering for our policy webinar on 10 December: https://lnkd.in/gvhF4QGc..

New research from the Poverty and Inequality Partnership led by ACOSS & UNSW Sydney focuses on material deprivation. People experiencing poverty are unable to access life’s essentials leading to poor health, isolation and vulnerability to future financial shocks. The fear of poverty, of being able to meet your basic needs, prevents women from leaving family and domestic violence. Lifting income support payments must be part of a national strategy on gender-based violence. #auspol #16days #NoExcuse #poverty #inequality #RaiseTheRate

This morning, ACOSS and UNSW released the latest Poverty and Inequality Partnership report at Parliament House, in an event hosted by the Parliamentary Friends for Ending Poverty. We were honoured to have the support and attendance of the Parliamentary Friends for Ending Poverty's co-convenors, Bridget Archer MP and Alicia Payne MP, alongside UNSW Vice Chancellor Attila Brungs, and report author Yuvisthi Naidoo. The launch also featured an engaging expert panel discussion with Sam Thomas (Lived experience advocate), Thelma Schwartz (Principal Legal Officer at Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service (QIFVLS)), and Paul Wright (National Manager for Policy, Advocacy & Government Relations at Mission Australia), who provided invaluable perspectives to the findings. The event brought the report to life, offering attendees a meaningful opportunity to explore its insights and implications. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for this important conversation. Read the ‘Material deprivation in Australia: the essentials of life’ report here: https://lnkd.in/gNWscdxs With thanks to the Poverty and Inequality Partnership partners: The Smith Family, Jesuit Social Services, ARACY, SSI, Save the Children International, Foodbank Australia, Mission Australia, Life Without Barriers, cohealth, Australian Communities Foundation

New research from the Poverty and Inequality Partnership led by ACOSS & UNSW shows that people receiving JobSeeker are 5 times more likely than the general population to experience multiple material deprivation.     Multiple material deprivation is when a person lacks two or more essential items because they can’t afford them – essential items such as medical or dental treatment, or a secure home.     “People receiving income support are experiencing multiple material deprivation at rates that far exceed the general population,” said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie. “This tells us that JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and related payments are so woefully low that people can’t afford the basic essentials of life.”    “In its upcoming Budget, the Federal Government must raise income support payments to liveable levels, fix employment services, boost social housing and enact a jobs, services and training plan to reduce long-term unemployment. These policies will go a long way to reducing poverty and material deprivation across Australia.” #PovertyinAustralia #AusPol #Raisetherateforgood    Read the report at: https://bit.ly/3V0R9R0  

November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the beginning of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.   We encourage everybody to amplify the voices of women. Stand with women. Share content. Unite to end violence against women. Help others to better understand there is #NoExcuse for violence against women and girls. To learn more about this year’s campaign, follow UN Women Australia and visit: https://lnkd.in/g2Wh_82G Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia - Australia called for an end to violence against women. The numbers got worse: https://lnkd.in/ghBwRUbt

SGS Economics and Planning and National Shelter have released their latest Rental Affordability Index highlights the deeply troubling reality that for many people on low and medium incomes, affordable housing is out of reach. Rental Affordability Index: https://lnkd.in/gRfQnKcr For people on income support payments or minimum wage, there is basically nowhere in all of Australia where they can afford a median rental without experiencing housing stress. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): https://lnkd.in/gpSuXWnf We must increase income support payments, wind back tax concessions for property investors, invest the revenue raised to boost social housing, and strengthen renter protections and minimum standards (including for energy performance). #housing #housingcrisis #homelessness #RaiseTheRate #auspol24

While a record number of First Nations children have been removed from their parents, a new report shows only 6% of child protection funding goes to First Nations organisations. For funding to be most effective, it must be distributed to areas where it will make the greatest impact. When First-Nations-led organisations are well resourced and empowered to do the work they set out to do for their communities, we know unequivocally that it leads to much better outcomes for those communities. SNAICC - National Voice for our Children Family Matters Report 2024: https://lnkd.in/gP3YBe-w https://lnkd.in/grBPB676