<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2022/dec/31/australias-income-support-increase-is-woefully-inadequate-and-barely-dents-the-spiralling-cost-of-living>
"On New Year’s Day various income support payments will rise by about 6% as
part of routine annual indexation.
The government may try to paint this as an increase but in reality the
adjustment simply holds payments at woefully inadequate levels.
Youth allowance, for example, will increase by $16.20 per week to $281.40 for a
single person living away from home. That’s just $40.20 a day.
This paltry figure is well below the $489 a week poverty line and not nearly
enough to live on when the median rent for a unit is $484.
In the past 12 months, rents have risen by about 18%, energy bills by about 20%
and food by about 9%. Rent assistance remains just $75.80 per week for a single
adult.
But it’s not just the raw numbers that tell us income supports are far too low.
Day after day we hear harrowing stories from people who simply can’t get by on
current welfare levels."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
