The surging cost of living is having a devastating impact for people on income support, according to this report by ACOSS. Researchers surveyed 365 people living on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and Parenting Payment over February and March 2023, finding income support payments are completely inadequate.

This report uses data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to identify the groups facing the highest risk of poverty and the groups of people most likely to be living in poverty.

QCOSS’ annual 'State of the sector' report highlights emerging issues, and challenges identified by the social services sector, based on recent feedback and engagement.

The research presented here builds on existing research to develop modern budget standards that reflect the needs of low paid Australians which can be used to assess adequacy and guide decision-making.

The focus in current anti-inflation policy on suppressing wage growth, enforcing a permanent reduction in real wages, while ignoring the role of record profits in driving post-pandemic inflation reflects an ahistorical and ideological approach to macroeconomic management, writes Jim Stanford.