Media Release - Millions of Australians in poverty in this Anti-Poverty Week

MEDIA RELEASE
Sunday October 13, 2024

Millions of Australians in poverty including people on income support, children and homeless people this Anti-Poverty Week

 MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                                         Sunday October 13, 2024

Millions of Australians in poverty including people on income support, children and homeless people this Anti-Poverty Week

Children, people on income support, those experiencing homelessness, older women, domestic and family violence survivors and First Nations people are among more than three million Australians living in poverty this Anti-Poverty Week.

Today marks the start of the 22nd Anti-Poverty Week in Australia by encouraging people to get behind three national campaigns and take action to end poverty - Raise the Rate, Everybody's Home and End Child Poverty.

“Income support should be there to support people through tough times, not keep them in a struggle for survival," says ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie. "The shockingly low rate of Jobseeker, Youth Allowance, and related payments forces people to make heartbreaking decisions between paying their rent and buying enough food and medicine.

“The reality is that the government could lift 1.4 million people receiving these payments out of poverty overnight by addressing the deep inadequacy of income support. This Anti-Poverty Week we’re urging all members of our community to join our call for the government to Raise the Rate of JobSeeker and related payments to at least the pension level of $82 a day so that people can cover basic costs," says Cassandra.

Australians throughout the country continue to live in poverty while sleeping rough, in cars, tents, temporary accommodation and while experiencing many other forms of homelessness.

"Across Australia, millions of people are struggling to keep up with the biggest cost facing most Australians is the cost of keeping a roof over their head," says Maiy Aziz, Everybody's Home Chairperson. “It’s past time for federal leaders deliver action that matches the scale of the housing crisis. Polls show most voters back bold measures to tackle housing affordability, including a growing openness among Australians to wind back investor tax handouts,"

“This Anti-Poverty Week, we’re urging all Australians to back our call for more social housing to fix Australia’s housing crisis, and we’re asking all candidates and parliamentarians to sign on to our Roadmap to Reform ahead of the next election.

“To make housing fair and affordable for everyone we need the federal government to raise the rate of Centrelink payments, coordinate nationally consistent protections for renters, phase out tax breaks for property investors, and build 940,000 social homes within the next two decades. We're inviting people to join more than 43,000 individuals and over 500 organisations who support the Everybody’s Home campaign to fix the housing crisis.

More than one in six Australian children and young people live in poverty, according to the latest published data. 

"Australia’s children are silent witnesses to the nation’s worst cost of living crisis resulting an increasing number of children living in poverty," says End Child Poverty Campaign Manager Sarah Quinton. "The lifelong effects of poverty on a child’s mental health, relationships, job and economic outcomes are far more severe for children who grow up in poverty.

“Researchers have predicted the nation’s child poverty rate could surpass the current rate of 17% in 2024. The true nature isn’t known because Australia doesn’t define, measure or report child poverty rates. The latest analysis from the End Child Poverty campaign on 2021 data found the number of children living in poverty has increased by at least 102,000 since COVID.

“Our country needs to legislate an end to child poverty, by committing to a definition, measure and reporting framework to Parliament to target funding to where children need it. We're inviting everyone to sign our petition calling for legislation and to join with over 120 organisations and thousands of individuals to end child poverty," says Sarah.

Get the Facts on Poverty in Australia -  Fast Facts on how poverty impacts Children and Families, Women experiencing violence, Older People and First Nations People.

Find out about Anti-Poverty Week activities happening in capital cities and communities across Australia - What's On Calendar,  All Activities Briefing Paper

Media Contacts:

Mark Jeffery, Director, Anti-Poverty Week, 0419 732 583, 
Carolin Wenzel, Communications, Anti-Poverty Week, 0417 668 957
Cassandra Goldie, ACOSS CEO, ACOSS Media, 0419 626 155
Maiy Azize, Deputy Director, Anglicare Australia, 0434 200 794, 0403 920 301
Sarah Quinton, End Child Poverty Campaign, 0439 439 233