overty in Australia   :(


What is poverty?
Everybody should have enough money or resources for the basic needs of life – enough food for oneself and for one’s family; a roof over one’s head; and resources to cover clothing, education and health expenses.

Poverty is a relative concept used to describe the people in a society that cannot participate in the activities that most people take for granted. While many Australians juggle payments of bills, people living in poverty have to make difficult choices – such as skipping a meal to pay for a child’s textbooks.

How is poverty defined?
Poverty can be defined in different ways. ACOSS and UNSW use two international poverty lines to measure poverty in Australia. These lines are set as a proportion of median income, and define a level of income, below which people are regarded as living in poverty. We use two poverty lines – 50% of median income and 60% of median income, whereby people living below these incomes are regarded as living in poverty.

We also take into account the costs of housing when calculating income – referring to income before or after housing costs are taken into account. We mostly use ‘after housing costs’, because housing is the largest fixed costs for most households. Those households with lower housing costs are able to afford a higher standard of living than those on the same income with higher housing costs. Find out more here.

Is there poverty in Australia? 

Australia is a signatory to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The first of these goals is “No poverty”. However, Australia has the 16th highest poverty rate out of the 34 wealthiest countries in the OECD – higher than the average for the OECD; higher than the UK, Germany and New Zealand. People living in poverty in Australia often miss out on essentials such as food or a roof over their heads. Children living in poverty often miss out on items such as school excursions.

Our 2020 report Poverty in Australia 2020: Part 1, Overview found that there are 3.24 million people (13.6%) living below the poverty line of 50% of median income – including 774,000 children (17.7%) and 424,800 young people (13.9%). In dollar figures, this poverty line works out to $457 a week for a single adult living alone; or $960 a week for a couple with 2 children.

The report further found that:   :(

More than one in eight adults and more than one in six children are living in poverty.
Many of those affected are living in deep poverty – the average ‘poverty gap’ (the difference between the incomes of people in poverty in various types of families and the poverty line) is $282pw.
Who is affected most by poverty?
Most people living below the poverty line in Australia rely on social security for their income. The type of housing in which people live – rental or owner-occupied – also impacts poverty rates. Our second 2020 report: Poverty in Australia 2020: Part 2 – Who is affected?  found that the majority (56%) of people below the poverty line are renting, while only 17% of people in poverty are home-owners who don’t have a mortgage. In fact, the main factor determining the poverty status of older people is their housing status: 41% of renters aged 65 and over are in poverty, compared with just 10% of all people aged 65 and over.

Among different family types, sole parent families have the highest poverty rates, at 35%. Children in sole parent families, with a poverty rate of 44%, are more than three time as likely to live in poverty as children in couple families, who have a poverty rate of 13%.

People with paid employment are also living in poverty in Australia. Among people in households where the main income is wages, 7% are in poverty. This 7% is made up of families with children, those reliant on only part-time earnings, and those with high housing costs. Since most people live in wage-earning households, this group is a substantial part (38%) of all people in poverty.

I know several ppl on DSP and a couple in sydney dont eat the second week because of rent

Spot

Well Sir Spot, it looks like you have have just proved it.  Is there poverty in Australia?.  Yes.   :(

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19^th, 2021 at 6:29am:

I know several ppl on DSP and a couple in sydney dont eat the second week because of rent Spot

And what are they doing about it?

Frank wrote on Nov 19^th, 2021 at 10:39am:

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 6:29am: I know several ppl on DSP and a couple in sydney dont eat the second week because of rent Spot And what are they doing about it?

What do you mean? Are you implying that they can work because they woudlnt be onthe DSP if they were capable of working

Spot

Lifting people out of poverty increases their carbon footprint. We can't have it both ways, we have to be happy with less, less will be best in the future

Do you know how many meals could be bought for poor people just from the airfares of all those politicians who attend those international climate change meetings, and every other international meeting?

If we bought just one less nuclear submarine, how many meals would that saving buy?

If the government cut the monthly interest payments to foreign banks down to half what it is now, how much poverty could be alleviated with that extra money? That would be 500mil a month saving

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19^th, 2021 at 11:40am:

Frank wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 10:39am: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 6:29am: I know several ppl on DSP and a couple in sydney dont eat the second week because of rent Spot And what are they doing about it? What do you mean? Are you implying that they can work because they woudlnt be onthe DSP if they were capable of working Spot

I mean about not eating for a week because of the rent.

Yes! Next question ..........................................

Bias_2012 wrote on Nov 19^th, 2021 at 12:47pm:

Lifting people out of poverty increases their carbon footprint. We can't have it both ways, we have to be happy with less, less will be best in the future Do you know how many meals could be bought for poor people just from the airfares of all those politicians who attend those international climate change meetings, and every other international meeting? If we bought just one less nuclear submarine, how many meals would that saving buy? If the government cut the monthly interest payments to foreign banks down to half what it is now, how much poverty could be alleviated with that extra money? That would be 500mil a month saving

Irrelevant when you consider the Chinese lifting of many out of poverty compared to their carbon footprint.

Turf the politicians.... easy...

The question regarding poverty in Australia has always fascinated me.

The notion of poverty even existing in Australia with all the generous safety nets provided by our respective Liberal and Labor Governments over so many decades does not need to be asked.

What needs to be resolved first and foremost is this : What is your definition of poverty?

Look around on OzPol for a clue.

The reason behind so much whinging and complaining is because people THINK they are hard done by. They expect a great life sitting around online day in day out ... week in week out ... year in year out ..... decades in fact ... spending hours online as forum cyber junkies. But they're struggling financially. Well duh!

Use your time productively. You're sitting there at home on a computer anyway posting across so many forums under so many ids....and wasting your life and not making any money. Why not use that time working from home on a computer AND getting paid!

So for me ...financial poverty in Australia is a perception. One which is often carelessly thrown around by lazy online cyber addicts to justify their online obsession with virtual existence.

The real poverty in Australia exists in the areas of initiative and using it to get up each morning and make that day count by achieving as many goals as possible so as to make you feel like you've accomplished something your family, children and friends will be proud to see and be encouraged by.

No the real poverty in Australia is in not realising the difference btwn a hand up vs a hand out. And this insidious type of poverty is driven by an entrenched lack of self respect and an attitude of no gratitude.

The decades of energy wasted by the cyber junkies who live on forums 24/7 sitting around online whinging could have been diverted into far more productive areas like setting goals and earning money, earning a living, earning respect. i

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Nov 20^th, 2021 at 12:09am:

Irrelevant when you consider the Chinese lifting of many out of poverty compared to their carbon footprint.

And all it took was the cartel's lowering of the official poverty line. Genius.

Lisa Jones wrote on Nov 20^th, 2021 at 7:30am:

The reason behind so much whinging and complaining is because people THINK they are hard done by. They expect a great life sitting around online day in day out ... week in week out ... year in year out ..... decades in fact ... spending hours online as forum cyber junkies. But they're struggling financially. Well duh!

Cyber junkies! She yelled. That's at the heart of it!

Sure, she'd pulled an all-nighter pounding the keyboard, but that was for the greater good of the Bulgarian people. Everyone else who wasted their lives sleeping at night, she reasoned, were bringing the country to its knees.

Outside, the kettle over the campfire whistled. A cup of gumleaf tea would soon be ready.

Frank wrote on Nov 19^th, 2021 at 1:58pm:

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 11:40am: Frank wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 10:39am: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 6:29am: I know several ppl on DSP and a couple in sydney dont eat the second week because of rent Spot And what are they doing about it? What do you mean? Are you implying that they can work because they woudlnt be onthe DSP if they were capable of working Spot I mean about not eating for a week because of the rent.

Grow their own vegetables?

Seriously though - if they're on the DSP what else are they supposed to do if the pension isn't enough to buy sufficent food after rent and other bills is deducted?

And, don't say move to a cheaper rental because I'm pretty sure most or all of them (the ones who don't own their own place or live with family, etc.) are already in the cheapest rentals they can find.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19^th, 2021 at 6:29am:

I know several ppl on DSP and a couple in sydney dont eat the second week because of rent Spot

Do they not qualify for rent assistance on top of their DS pension?

That's around $70 a week.

Lisa Jones wrote on Nov 20^th, 2021 at 7:30am:

No the real poverty in Australia is in not realising the difference btwn a hand up vs a hand out. And this insidious type of poverty is driven by an entrenched lack of self respect and an attitude of no gratitude. The decades of energy wasted by the cyber junkies who live on forums 24/7 sitting around online whinging could have been diverted into far more productive areas like setting goals and earning money, earning a living, earning respect. i

That's right Lisa

I collect and sell bits of scrap metal. I observed my Dad do it whenever there wasn't much money in the household - for me collecting it became a habit

I've been throwing bits of aluminium into the back of my van at the local bush rubbish tip, got $60 for some the other day, more than enough to fill my tank with diesel, or a weeks food for one, or more than half the cost of my quarterly Council rates, or a half year of water cost .... just from picking stuff up off the ground ... reducing our carbon footprint at the same time

We have no idea how much scrap metal is thrown away each year. For the sake of an angle grinder cutting a few bolts, tons of aluminium from old lawnmowers etc could be rescued and sold for extra money, and save the planet

    

Poverty is a perception to a degree.

My parents lived on one pay packet.
A labourers pay packet at that.
Some weeks we went without, and new stuff was rare.
But my parents got by, dad bought a house, raised two kids and we were happy.

When he went on the pension he got only a few dollars less than he earned as a labourer.
And as he owned his own home and never needed a car, he was actually better off than at any time in his life.

One could say, he lived a life of poverty.
But I like to think he was richer than most.
His family loved him
His friends respected him
He owed no one anything.
He served in the air force in the war and marched every Anzac day.

He was a proud man, and he deserved to be.
Better than most people, and equal to the best.

Carl D wrote on Nov 20^th, 2021 at 7:46am:

Frank wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 1:58pm: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 11:40am: Frank wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 10:39am: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 6:29am: I know several ppl on DSP and a couple in sydney dont eat the second week because of rent Spot And what are they doing about it? What do you mean? Are you implying that they can work because they woudlnt be onthe DSP if they were capable of working Spot I mean about not eating for a week because of the rent. Grow their own vegetables? Seriously though - if they're on the DSP what else are they supposed to do if the pension isn't enough to buy sufficent food after rent and other bills is deducted? And, don't say move to a cheaper rental because I'm pretty sure most or all of them (the ones who don't own their own place or live with family, etc.) are already in the cheapest rentals they can find.

The DSP is $1460 a fortnight per couple.
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/disability-support-pension/how-much-you-can-get/payment-rates

2 bd flat in the western suburbs, $700 a fortnight.  They can earn up to $480 a fortnight without losing any of the DSP.

People in wheelchairs have productive lives.

Frank wrote on Nov 20^th, 2021 at 11:03am:

Carl D wrote on Nov 20th, 2021 at 7:46am: Frank wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 1:58pm: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 11:40am: Frank wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 10:39am: Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Nov 19th, 2021 at 6:29am: I know several ppl on DSP and a couple in sydney dont eat the second week because of rent Spot And what are they doing about it? What do you mean? Are you implying that they can work because they woudlnt be onthe DSP if they were capable of working Spot I mean about not eating for a week because of the rent. Grow their own vegetables? Seriously though - if they're on the DSP what else are they supposed to do if the pension isn't enough to buy sufficent food after rent and other bills is deducted? And, don't say move to a cheaper rental because I'm pretty sure most or all of them (the ones who don't own their own place or live with family, etc.) are already in the cheapest rentals they can find. The DSP is $1460 a fortnight per couple. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/disability-support-pension/how-much-you-can-get/payment-rates 2 bd flat in the western suburbs, $700 a fortnight.  They can earn up to $480 a fortnight without losing any of the DSP. People in wheelchairs have productive lives.

The rent is the killer.
I thought it was subsidised? Or is that after subsidy?

We struggled in the early years of buying our own home.
Often went without.
But are stronger for it.
And now, we can live comfortably on my super and savings.
The biggest bill we have now is our medical insurance, way, way too much.
But you still need it just in case.

As long as Valkie exists poverty will never be eradicated from Australia.

Plenty of poverty of thought and personal moral values - see post below.