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Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On (Read 2960 times)
whiteknight
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Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Jul 31st, 2019 at 6:35am
 
July 30 2019
Newstart allowance not enough to live on: agencies   Sad
illawarra Mercury


Illawarra agencies have joined national calls for the government to increase the Newstart Allowance, saying it's "impossible" for many to survive on the benefit.

The unemployment benefit hasn't risen beyond inflation since the mid-1990s.

The payment is $555.70 a fortnight for a single person without children, or $40 a day. The fortnightly allowance for a single person with a dependent child or children is $601.10.

Mandy Booker is manager of Wollongong Emergency Family Housing and the Wollongong Homeless Hub.



Ms Booker said a high proportion of their clients were on Newstart payments, with over-50s the main age group that are struggling and falling between the Newstart gap.

She said it was "near impossible" for clients to survive on Newstart, which she said doesn't even cover basic needs in terms of housing and food.

"People are being left with $30 to actually be able to support themselves for looking for work, (and) getting into accommodation," she said.

"If they've got even what is a normal rent in the Illawarra, then they're left with $30 a week to live off, which is not sustainable.

"People are having to make the choice to purchase their medication or buy food for the day.

"It needs to be looked at being raised if we want to make an impact in supporting people getting into long-term housing, or also being able to go into employment."

Earlier this year, Berkeley single mother Brianna Muir told the Mercuryshe is left with about $160 per week to cover all other life expenses, after her rent is paid.

While grateful for receiving Newstart, the Family Tax Benefit and Rent Assistance, the reality is, the bulk of that is spent on rent.

"They haven't put it up since Kurt Cobain died, and the price of everything has gone up," Ms Muir said.

"Politicians have no idea what it's like."   Sad

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has said his own struggles to make ends meet on a $200,000-plus parliamentary salary inspired him to break ranks and call for a rise in welfare payments for job-seekers.

Ms Booker welcomed "anybody to come and work in a service like ours and walk in the shoes of our clients on a daily basis".

"There needs to be a bipartisan approach to actually looking at people's welfare payments, and the barriers that is creates from them getting into jobs and long-term housing, and the effects it has on their overall well-being," she said.

Narelle Clay, CEO of Southern Youth and Family Services said it was "impossible to live on that amount of money", especially as some Newstart recipients remained on the benefit for long periods.

Ms Clay said the casualisation of the workforce was a contributing factor to many of these issues.

"The people we see, the young people are already experiencing not being able to get a full-time, permanent, secure job anyway, and are surviving on just casual work or Newstart for quite long periods," she said.

"It's not remotely enough to be able to pay for the rent, and then also cover food, electricity and travel costs to go and look for work.

"It's really awful, and these people are experiencing extreme poverty. It's really quite unacceptable in this country."   Sad

The Australian Council of Social Service's 'Raise the Rate' campaign is calling on the federal government to lift the single rate of Newstart, Youth Allowance and other related payments by at least $75 per week, and index allowances to wages.


CALL FOR ASSISTANCE: Illawarra agencies have joined national calls for the government to increase the Newstart Allowance. The Newstart unemployment benefit hasn't risen beyond inflation since the mid-1990s.

The government has refused to consider an increase to Newstart beyond twice annual adjustments in line with inflation.   Sad

An ACOSS survey of 489 people on Newstart or Youth Allowance found more than four-out-of-five respondents skipped meals to save money, and about 44 per cent went without more than five meals a week.

Labor and the Greens have joined forces to initiate a Senate inquiry into the adequacy of Newstart and other welfare payments, which is due to report back next year.
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Bobby.
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #1 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 6:58am
 
I'd like to see all the pollys forced to live on Newstart
for 2 months.
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juliar
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #2 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 8:43am
 
There is always UBER.
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #3 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 10:14am
 
juliar wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 8:43am:
There is always UBER.

Spoken like a true Liberal - clueless and ignorant.

How the fkkk is anyone on Newstart able to buy a NEW CAR to meet UBER's requirements for late-model vehicles? Not everyone has RICH PARENTS.
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You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to hold opinions that you can defend through sound, reasoned argument.
 
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Bam
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #4 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 10:16am
 
Bobby. wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 6:58am:
I'd like to see all the pollys forced to live on Newstart
for 2 months.

Make it a year - with all the obligations.
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You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to hold opinions that you can defend through sound, reasoned argument.
 
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juliar
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #5 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 6:49pm
 
Don't worry I am sure ScoMo has something up his sleeve (his arm ?) and will pull a rabbit out of his hat once he scores a surplus with the Budget.

But where is the money coming from ?

Should ScoMo steal pensioners and retirees incomes like Labor planned to do ? And bring back a Carbon Tax and a Death Tax and... ?
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #6 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 6:52pm
 
New Start Allowance is not supposed to be enough to "live on", it is supposed to be a TEMPORARY allowance until you FIND A JOB!
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Bobby.
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #7 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 6:53pm
 
Bam wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 10:16am:
Bobby. wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 6:58am:
I'd like to see all the pollys forced to live on Newstart
for 2 months.

Make it a year - with all the obligations.


Yes and make Juliar live on it too.
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Bam
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #8 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:00pm
 
AaronCRescue wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 6:52pm:
New Start Allowance is not supposed to be enough to "live on", it is supposed to be a TEMPORARY allowance until you FIND A JOB!

Unemployment wasn't meant to be PERMANENTLY stuck at EXTREMELY HIGH levels either, yet here we are.

Get unemployment down to 1%, and then we can talk about "temporary" allowances.
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #9 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:01pm
 
Mrs Cash said on 2GB that people just have to move to where the jobs are.

Wonder what people on Newstart eat ?
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Bam
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #10 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:13pm
 
juliar wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:01pm:
Mrs Cash said on 2GB that people just have to move to where the jobs are.

Wonder what people on Newstart eat ?

Dear oh dear, whiny bogan Cash is another clueless Coalition muppet who has no clue about the ridiculous amount of red tape heaped onto Australian workers.

Repeal Sections 633 and 634 of the Social Security Act and then unemployed workers won't be bashed so hard by thuggish laws designed to discourage them from relocating to find work.
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #11 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:33pm
 
Bammy is really doing the Lefty deny and lie thing with hot sauce added.

It makes sense to move where the work is.
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #12 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:43pm
 
Bam wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 10:14am:
juliar wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 8:43am:
There is always UBER.

Spoken like a true Liberal - clueless and ignorant.

How the fkkk is anyone on Newstart able to buy a NEW CAR to meet UBER's requirements for late-model vehicles? Not everyone has RICH PARENTS.


Quote:
Spoken like a true Liberal - clueless and ignorant.


While this is typically true of all Liberals it isn't the case here.

With this it isn't that they don't know just that they don't care.

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Bobby.
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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #13 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:43pm
 
juliar wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:33pm:
Bammy is really doing the Lefty deny and lie thing with hot sauce added.

It makes sense to move where the work is.



But you've gotta clean that spot till it's shiny clean:

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Re: Newstart Allowance Not Enough To Live On
Reply #14 - Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:47pm
 
juliar wrote on Jul 31st, 2019 at 7:01pm:
Mrs Cash said on 2GB that people just have to move to where the jobs are.

Wonder what people on Newstart eat ?


Quote:
Wonder what people on Newstart eat ?


If they ate nasty things like Mrs Cash things would eventually improve.
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