Centrelink recipients begging for ’real’ relief - see why living off this income is nearly impossible

The high cost of living is a harsh reality for those who live on a fixed fortnightly income.

In a previous report, the recent increase in Centrelink payments was discussed. While some pensioners welcomed this boost, many still find it challenging to make ends meet. The increase in payments has not kept up with the pace of inflation, leaving some pensioners in a tight financial situation.



This month, indexation will see the JobSeeker payment increase by $1.77 per day, but for many people – including 63-year-old Victorian Cliff Fraser – this won’t be enough.

Cliff, who lives north of Bridgewater, Victoria, has been receiving a fortnightly JobSeeker payment of around $560 since he lost his part-time job several weeks ago.

He has had an extensive work history, having held various roles such as a computer technician, pilot, cleaner, hospital orderly, and truck driver. However, his life took a turn in 2011 when he suffered a heart attack.


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Jobseeker recipients are calling on Centrelink to provide ‘real boosts’ on their payments. Credit: Shutterstock.



Despite his experience in juggling different roles, Cliff is now struggling to make ends meet. As someone with a fixed income, it's clear that the payment is a lifeline for him, but unfortunately, it's too flimsy to provide him with a comfortable life.

Living about 40km away from Bendigo also means Cliff has to keep tabs on how much he spends on fuel whenever he needs to drive into town.

With rent in Bendigo far too expensive to consider, Cliff and his wife Anne (who receives the pension) can't even afford small pleasures.

Cliff said: ‘It is survival rates and that is all.’

‘We can't afford to run into town just because we're short of milk.’



Calls for the ‘real’ increase

For those on JobSeeker, monthly payments averaging around $50 a day remain woefully inadequate to cover even the most basic cost of living expenses.

With recent cost-of-living expenses skyrocketing, JobSeeker recipients are pleading for a ‘real’ increase to income support.

The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is now calling for the JobSeeker payment to be raised from around $50 a day to $73, which would align with the pension.

According to the group, the current system, which calculates payments based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), needs to recognise the impact of deregulation and stagnant wage growth on income support payments.



Acting CEO Edwina MacDonald has spoken out about the harrowing stories of Jobseekers struggling to make ends meet - stories of regularly skipping mealtimes, going without essential medicines and struggling to pay the rent.

'It’s just not acceptable for us in a country like Australia to have a system that’s really forcing people further into poverty,' MacDonald said.

According to MacDonald, the situation has only worsened in the past year, with rent rising by 10 per cent and food and electricity bills increasing by 9 per cent.



More people are pleading for aid

Catherine Byrne, who works at Uniting Vic.Tas in Wodonga as the emergency relief coordinator, said that she had seen a startling 72 per cent increase in people demanding the organisation’s services this February.

These services include food, material aid, and financial counselling, all of which have become extremely important to the people she helps.

The people Byrne speaks to are understandably anxious and upset that the interest rates have been raised again, which unsurprisingly is being passed on from landlords to tenants and pushes people into housing stress.



'We try to stream them into financial counselling and those services to find any savings they may have,' Ms Byrne said.

And yet, no matter how talented people are at budgeting - it does not matter if there just is not enough money to go around.

According to Byrne, the current $2 per week increase to JobSeeker will not buy much.

'What is $2 going to buy you?' she questioned.

Key Takeaways
  • Many people who live on a fixed fortnightly income struggle to make ends meet, with the recent JobSeeker increase not enough to keep pace with inflation.
  • 63-year-old Victorian Cliff Fraser is one such person, receiving a fortnightly JobSeeker payment of $560.
  • The Australian Council of Social Services has called for the JobSeeker payment to be raised to $73 per day to bring it in line with the pension.
  • Emergency relief coordinator Catherine Byrne has seen a 72% increase in people seeking services, highlighting the need for more financial support for those on JobSeeker.



It’s an incredibly daunting reality, and one we shouldn’t be facing in a country like Australia. Proper support should be available for those who need it.

Members, if you’re struggling with a fixed income, please reach out for help. A financial counsellor can help you manage your money more effectively and take some of the burdens off your shoulders.

What are your thoughts on this? Better yet, can you relate to Cliff’s situation? Share your stories with us in the comments below.
 
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No you are the only who has commented. Meh
No that is not true. Read the comments and you will see clearly others have put you back in your box for your nastiness. Stop lying and deflecting.
Putting you "ignore" as there are so many wonderful people here it is sad to have such horrid and judgemental comments from you visible on the thread when you go to read it.
 
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No that is not true. Read the comments and you will see clearly others have put you back in your box for your nastiness. Stop lying and deflecting.
Putting you "ignore" as there are so many wonderful people here it is sad to have such horrid and judgemental comments from you visible on the thread when you go to read it.
I am the most honest person you would ever wish to meet, so I take great OFFENCE to that. I will help anyone, as long as they are worth helping, NO DEFLECTION I don't need to. Everyone who knows me knows they will get MY HONEST OPINION and that is what it is. There are other comments telling people to get up and get a job just because mine was a bit more colourful you decided to rant at me. ALL GOOD, I know who I am, DO YOU.
 
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I am the most honest person you would ever wish to meet, so I take great OFFENCE to that. I will help anyone, as long as they are worth helping, NO DEFLECTION I don't need to. Everyone who knows me knows they will get MY HONEST OPINION and that is what it is. There are other comments telling people to get up and get a job just because mine was a bit more colourful you decided to rant at me. ALL GOOD, I know who I am, DO YOU.
You may be the most honest person out there but you are certainly not the most forgiving or open minded or compassionate. You are also inflexible. I know you are allowed your own opinions and allowed to stand by them but who are you to decide who is worthy of your support and help? Maybe a case of if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing would work here.
 
You may be the most honest person out there but you are certainly not the most forgiving or open minded or compassionate. You are also inflexible. I know you are allowed your own opinions and allowed to stand by them but who are you to decide who is worthy of your support and help? Maybe a case of if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing would work here.
Everything you just wrote there is so WRONG about me, I am very flexible, compassionate and forgiving. Who am I to decide who gets my help, ME, the one who assesses a situation and acts according to ME and what I have decided to do, I have eyes I can look and make decisions all by my self, just because I don't fit into your box, makes no difference to ME, BUT it also does not give you the right to say things that simply are not TRUE about my character.
 
I was going to say nothing, but I do feel sorry for a person who feels that everyone is wrong and he or she is right.
Look back at history, millions of people have been killed as they were deemed sub human.
We are all human and all related, have compassion.
 
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Everything you just wrote there is so WRONG about me, I am very flexible, compassionate and forgiving. Who am I to decide who gets my help, ME, the one who assesses a situation and acts according to ME and what I have decided to do, I have eyes I can look and make decisions all by my self, just because I don't fit into your box, makes no difference to ME, BUT it also does not give you the right to say things that simply are not TRUE about my character.
Your reply is sounding like Me, Me and Me
 
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