As the cost of living in Australia continues to rise, many people need help to make ends meet.

From increasing utility bills to rising food and housing costs, everything is getting more expensive by the day.

In the face of these challenges, many Australians are looking to the government for help in the form of relief programs and assistance.

With mounting pressure on the government to provide relief, the question on everyone's mind is whether these programs will be enough to make a real difference.

As prices continue to climb and wages fail to keep up, it's clear that something needs to be done.

The upcoming federal budget holds a lot of hope for many Australians, especially those struggling with cost-of-living pressures.

Advocacy groups are urging the government to consider their recommendations for the upcoming federal budget. Credit: Shutterstock.

Leading welfare organisation, the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), have released their budget submission, which calls on the government to provide more support for people on the lowest incomes.

ACOSS demanded that the government increase the number of unemployment benefits granted to recipients from the current $48 to at least $76. This would likely have flow-on effects for other payments such as the pension.

The social advocacy organisation also urged the government to take advantage of the budget to set the foundation for a more inclusive and prosperous future by investing in essential social services that will improve the esteem and quality of life of people from all walks of life, from the lowest income earners to the most privileged.

Cassandra Goldie, the head of ACOSS, described it as a disgrace that despite Australia being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, its unemployment benefits are among the lowest when compared to the rest of the OECD.

She pointed out that it was the right time for the government to step in and address the issues regarding the adequacy of the country's most essential social security systems to improve the quality of life and productivity of the citizens.

Ms Goldie remarked: ‘The government has the tools to build a more equal Australia ... every budget is about choice, and it does actually set up the values of the country.’

‘We very strongly think the budget should be about tackling inflation (and) we should be focusing on measures that are not harming those who are most at risk.’

Goldie also said that many Australians are taking measures that go beyond their standard level of living to make ends meet.

'This is not about the cost of a cup of coffee; this is about the essentials of life,' she said.

ACOSS also suggested that the government achieve higher levels of sufficient funding by halting the $18 billion per year stage three tax cuts, which they claimed only to benefit the wealthiest 20 per cent of Australian citizens.

The contentious tax cuts, which are set to take effect starting in 2024, have been a hot topic of debate in the country, with some believing that it would benefit the middle and working class while others saying that it would only help the rich.

The group also advocated for increased funding for community services via proper indexation and investments in solar and energy efficiency for low-income households.

Goldie emphasised the need for the budget to prioritise gender equality measures and dedicate more funding to social housing.

She said: 'This is a budget we want to see that actually speaks to the government’s commitment that nobody is going to be left behind.’

A summary of ACOSS’ recommendations for the upcoming federal budget. Credit: Seniors Discount Club.

In January, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he was aware of cost-of-living pressures and plans to provide 'responsible cost-of-living relief' in the upcoming budget.

'My job is to try and make it all add up in the context of a trillion dollars of debt and all of those other budget pressures,' he remarked.

'We will do what we can to provide responsible cost-of-living relief, electricity bills, cheaper early childhood education, a pay rise for aged care workers; these will all be in the Budget in May.'

‘If there are other steps that we can consider and that we can afford, then obviously, we’ll contemplate that as well.’

Key Takeaways

• The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) has released its budget submission, calling for people on the lowest incomes to be prioritised.
• ACOSS urges the government to use the upcoming budget to lay the foundations for a more inclusive future.
• ACOSS is calling for measures to be taken to increase community services funding, with specific investments in energy efficiency and solar retrofits for low-income households.
• Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said the government will do what it can to provide responsible cost-of-living relief in the upcoming budget.

Here at the Seniors Discount Club, we make it our mission to keep our members updated with all of the latest news and developments from the upcoming federal budget.

We also previously shared an article where we detail some of the government relief programs that you can take advantage of.

What are your thoughts on ACOSS' proposal? What measures would you like to see in the upcoming federal budget to make your life easier? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Bikkie mum]

I think all payments for the 'dole' should be stopped. Young adults are coming off year 12 straight onto the 'Dole' and not bothering to look for work. They say they earn more on the 'dole' than if they were working, so just spend their time at home. Businesses are crying out for staff everywhere yet there are so many young, able, people not working. Why????? This money could be better used elsewhere by the Government. Aged care for one.

When kids leave school they cannot apply for anything from Government ,unless they are not at home ,my grandaughter went to uni her parents paid for it ,her younger sister could not get work until this year she has casual work now has another 4 4 hour shifts that gives her a decent wage ,she lives at home with parents younger brother ,so kids leaving school DO NOT GO straight on the DOLE

 

[margiiazul]

When kids leave school they cannot apply for anything from Government ,unless they are not at home ,my grandaughter went to uni her parents paid for it ,her younger sister could not get work until this year she has casual work now has another 4 4 hour shifts that gives her a decent wage ,she lives at home with parents younger brother ,so kids leaving school DO NOT GO straight on the DOLE

Not all do, but I know of three that have.. In Victoria they can apply for a range of benefits - jobseeker for one.

 

[Catherines]

When kids leave school they cannot apply for anything from Government ,unless they are not at home ,my grandaughter went to uni her parents paid for it ,her younger sister could not get work until this year she has casual work now has another 4 4 hour shifts that gives her a decent wage ,she lives at home with parents younger brother ,so kids leaving school DO NOT GO straight on the DOLE

Agreed. When our 3 children finished school, they were still living at home, went to university - which we paid for - and all completed that study as well. They all were very fortunate to get part-time jobs while at university. One is a now speech therapist with a decent job in a government school, the middle one has an Arts degree but has never used it preferring to work in hospitality which doesn’t pay enough to live on as the work hours vary from one week to the next, and the youngest gained a Geology degree and now has a full-time job in a high school laboratory preparing experiments etc for the teachers. BUT they all have a substantial HECS fee on their heads which is now their financial burden.

While studying at school and university we bore the expenses of transport, books, food etc as there were no hand-outs then (mid 70’s onwards) from the government. One thing we got from the government from the day they were born was Child Endowment for each of them every month - at the grand sum of $2 each a month!! This generation of parents with younger children are very fortunate to get a rather generous and huge amount from the government when they are born. How they save it for their children or spend it will be their choice but there’s no point in complaining if it’s not used wisely.

So Margiiazul’s comments on the dole being stopped for school leavers now are not correct as kids cannot go straight onto the dole as soon as they leave school. Children (and parents of the 70s) had to provide for themselves and their children. It was not that easy to get government money then. I’m sure most school leavers now do try for part-time work after school hours and after grade 12 but jobs are scarce as well now. They don’t go straight on the dole - I believe most try to get work but the lack of some part-time jobs doesn’t always work because employers don’t always allow for erratic university hours that students have. They need to have staff available during their opening hours not coming and going.

 

[kevinwoodtufftyke52@gmail]

As the cost of living in Australia continues to rise, many people need help to make ends meet.

From increasing utility bills to rising food and housing costs, everything is getting more expensive by the day.

In the face of these challenges, many Australians are looking to the government for help in the form of relief programs and assistance.

With mounting pressure on the government to provide relief, the question on everyone's mind is whether these programs will be enough to make a real difference.

As prices continue to climb and wages fail to keep up, it's clear that something needs to be done.

The upcoming federal budget holds a lot of hope for many Australians, especially those struggling with cost-of-living pressures.

View attachment 15706

Advocacy groups are urging the government to consider their recommendations for the upcoming federal budget. Credit: Shutterstock.

Leading welfare organisation, the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), have released their budget submission, which calls on the government to provide more support for people on the lowest incomes.

ACOSS demanded that the government increase the number of unemployment benefits granted to recipients from the current $48 to at least $76. This would likely have flow-on effects for other payments such as the pension.

The social advocacy organisation also urged the government to take advantage of the budget to set the foundation for a more inclusive and prosperous future by investing in essential social services that will improve the esteem and quality of life of people from all walks of life, from the lowest income earners to the most privileged.

Cassandra Goldie, the head of ACOSS, described it as a disgrace that despite Australia being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, its unemployment benefits are among the lowest when compared to the rest of the OECD.

She pointed out that it was the right time for the government to step in and address the issues regarding the adequacy of the country's most essential social security systems to improve the quality of life and productivity of the citizens.

Ms Goldie remarked: ‘The government has the tools to build a more equal Australia ... every budget is about choice, and it does actually set up the values of the country.’

‘We very strongly think the budget should be about tackling inflation (and) we should be focusing on measures that are not harming those who are most at risk.’

Goldie also said that many Australians are taking measures that go beyond their standard level of living to make ends meet.

'This is not about the cost of a cup of coffee; this is about the essentials of life,' she said.

ACOSS also suggested that the government achieve higher levels of sufficient funding by halting the $18 billion per year stage three tax cuts, which they claimed only to benefit the wealthiest 20 per cent of Australian citizens.

The contentious tax cuts, which are set to take effect starting in 2024, have been a hot topic of debate in the country, with some believing that it would benefit the middle and working class while others saying that it would only help the rich.

The group also advocated for increased funding for community services via proper indexation and investments in solar and energy efficiency for low-income households.

Goldie emphasised the need for the budget to prioritise gender equality measures and dedicate more funding to social housing.

She said: 'This is a budget we want to see that actually speaks to the government’s commitment that nobody is going to be left behind.’

View attachment 15736

A summary of ACOSS’ recommendations for the upcoming federal budget. Credit: Seniors Discount Club.

In January, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he was aware of cost-of-living pressures and plans to provide 'responsible cost-of-living relief' in the upcoming budget.

'My job is to try and make it all add up in the context of a trillion dollars of debt and all of those other budget pressures,' he remarked.

'We will do what we can to provide responsible cost-of-living relief, electricity bills, cheaper early childhood education, a pay rise for aged care workers; these will all be in the Budget in May.'

‘If there are other steps that we can consider and that we can afford, then obviously, we’ll contemplate that as well.’

Key Takeaways

• The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) has released its budget submission, calling for people on the lowest incomes to be prioritised.
• ACOSS urges the government to use the upcoming budget to lay the foundations for a more inclusive future.
• ACOSS is calling for measures to be taken to increase community services funding, with specific investments in energy efficiency and solar retrofits for low-income households.
• Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said the government will do what it can to provide responsible cost-of-living relief in the upcoming budget.

Here at the Seniors Discount Club, we make it our mission to keep our members updated with all of the latest news and developments from the upcoming federal budget.

We also previously shared an article where we detail some of the government relief programs that you can take advantage of.

What are your thoughts on ACOSS' proposal? What measures would you like to see in the upcoming federal budget to make your life easier? Let us know in the comments below!

The government must remove all perks that individuals use to lower their taxes including family trusts etc. Also they must make sure every business operating in Australia pay taxes on income including churches and sects.

 

[margiiazul]

Agreed. When our 3 children finished school, they were still living at home, went to university - which we paid for - and all completed that study as well. They all were very fortunate to get part-time jobs while at university. One is a now speech therapist with a decent job in a government school, the middle one has an Arts degree but has never used it preferring to work in hospitality which doesn’t pay enough to live on as the work hours vary from one week to the next, and the youngest gained a Geology degree and now has a full-time job in a high school laboratory preparing experiments etc for the teachers. BUT they all have a substantial HECS fee on their heads which is now their financial burden.

While studying at school and university we bore the expenses of transport, books, food etc as there were no hand-outs then (mid 70’s onwards) from the government. One thing we got from the government from the day they were born was Child Endowment for each of them every month - at the grand sum of $2 each a month!! This generation of parents with younger children are very fortunate to get a rather generous and huge amount from the government when they are born. How they save it for their children or spend it will be their choice but there’s no point in complaining if it’s not used wisely.

So Margiiazul’s comments on the dole being stopped for school leavers now are not correct as kids cannot go straight onto the dole as soon as they leave school. Children (and parents of the 70s) had to provide for themselves and their children. It was not that easy to get government money then. I’m sure most school leavers now do try for part-time work after school hours and after grade 12 but jobs are scarce as well now. They don’t go straight on the dole - I believe most try to get work but the lack of some part-time jobs doesn’t always work because employers don’t always allow for erratic university hours that students have. They need to have staff available during their opening hours not coming and going.

I agree with your comments as have gone down that road myself and paid for EVERYTHING myself. To qualify my comments I did not mean EVERY school leaver goes straight onto the ‘dole’, but you must agree that there are payments like “jobseeker” etc. available. My daughter is at Uni doing an Aeronautical Engineering Degree so I fully understand your comment. Cheers.

 

[Catherines]

I agree with your comments as have gone down that road myself and paid for EVERYTHING myself. To qualify my comments I did not mean EVERY school leaver goes straight onto the ‘dole’, but you must agree that there are payments like “jobseeker” etc. available. My daughter is at Uni doing an Aeronautical Engineering Degree so I fully understand your comment. Cheers.

I’m sure there are some small payments available but now a grandmother I have no idea what they may be, so won’t comment further.