Changes to the Family Tax Benefit from the 2009 federal budget will mean a loss of income for families who can least afford it, according to this factsheet, almost inevitably leading to an increase in child poverty. The effects of this reduction in income will be clearly felt by 2012, when the government estimates it...

Community services organisations provided assistance to over 3 million clients last financial year, according to this ACOSS report. Some services are at breaking point and were forced to turn away a quarter of people needing child welfare, youth or housing services. Demand for community services across Australia increased by 19% in 2007-2008 compared to the...

Following the release of the Federal Budget, community sector organisations are increasingly concerned that gaps between income support payments are widening and there is now a four-class system of income support. There is a $147 per week gap between the top and bottom income support payments. Research by ACOSS shows a stark contrast in the...

Oral health is fundamental to overall health, wellbeing and quality of life. A healthy mouth enables people to eat, speak and socialise without pain, discomfort or embarrassment. The impact of oral disease on people’s everyday lives is subtle and pervasive, influencing eating, sleeping, work and social roles. The prevalence and recurrences of these impacts constitute...

This report uses recent research, including previously unpublished data, to compare living standards and financial hardship among different groups of low income Australians, especially those receiving income support payments. Over the past decade, the average incomes of Australian households have grown strongly, but many people on low fixed incomes have been left behind. There is...