Australians on Centrelink payments either can’t afford the most basic living expenses or barely have enough left for medical care, clothing and other costs, according to a new report.
Anglicare Australia’s cost-of-living index, released today, says that a family of four with both parents on the highest levels of JobSeeker and Commonwealth Rent Assistance would fall $17 short of being able to afford the essentials of housing, food and groceries, and transport each week.
The situation is even bleaker for a single person aged under 35 living on their own, who would typically be facing a $135 shortfall every week – the equivalent of more than $7000 a year or $585 a month.
According to the report, single JobSeeker recipients living in a sharehouse would have $127 a week left over once essentials are paid for, while a single parent of one on the Parenting Payment Single would have $24 – little more than $3 a day.
“These numbers confirm what Australians already know. It has never been harder to live on JobSeeker and other Centrelink payments, with living costs spiralling and rent costing more than ever,” Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers said.
“That’s why Anglicare Australia has been calling for years on the government to raise the rate of Centrelink payments above the poverty line.
These payments have been too low for too long, trapping people in poverty instead of helping them escape it.
“Centrelink payments simply do not cover the costs of essentials, like food and rent. That means people are being forced to skip meals, avoid medical care, and cram their families into overcrowded homes.
