The Australian government has appointed a group to review income support payments, including JobSeeker and Youth Allowance, as well as rent assistance and barriers preventing Australians from participating in the economy. The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee found that the current rates of these payments are “seriously inadequate” and recommended a substantial increase in the base rates of JobSeeker and related working-age payments, as well as the rate of Commonwealth rent assistance. The committee noted that people on these payments face the highest levels of financial stress in Australia and often have to choose between paying for medicine or electricity bills. The group also called for the abolition of the subsidy “activity test” for child care subsidies, which it found to be a barrier for economic inclusion, especially for women. The committee made 37 recommendations in total, including the establishment of a “poverty index” to provide a better picture of poverty in Australia.
Source: abc.net.au
