The findings of this report highlight the urgent need to increase base rates of income support to at least $70 a day to ensure that people on the lowest incomes are not left behind. ACOSS urges the federal government to lift incomes in the October...

This paper summarises the major changes made to unemployment, student and parenting transfer payments over 2020 and early 2021 in Australia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This strategy document asserts that homelessness can be solved through providing more safe and affordable housing, ensuring people’s incomes allow them to afford housing and other essentials, and providing support where needed for people to get into and sustain a home.

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the Department of Social Services' administration of the Cashless Debit Card program, including implementation of the recommendations made in an earlier audit.

The Income Compliance Program impacted hundreds of thousands of people and, for many, resulted in devastating emotional and psychological harm. It has undermined many people's financial security, as well as their willingness to engage with and trust government services. This inquiry report recommends that the...

In this paper, the authors estimate the effect of the Australian JobKeeper payment COVID-19 wage subsidy on payroll jobs and wages at the employer-level using novel administrative datasets.

This report examines employment support services in the United Kingdom which help people find work. It recommends introducing a new system, the Universal Work Service, which would offer integrated employment support, skills and careers advice services.

Every year, Anglicare Australia surveys rental listings across Australia to see what it is like for people on low incomes to rent a home. In the midst of the 2022 federal election campaign, Anglicare Australia is calling on all parties and candidates to act on...

For the UK social security system to provide an effective social safety net, it must work for everyone. This paper examines the role of discretion as exercised by work coaches at Jobcentre Pluses in the experience of people claiming universal credit who are out of...

The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Taxation Office's administration of the JobKeeper scheme.

This research paper was commissioned by the St Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia Inc. as an initiative to help address the growing gap between ‘the haves’ and ‘the have nots’ in Australia. The paper proposes three simple policy proposals designed to improve...

The Australian Federal Budget is a major annual event. It’s an opportunity for the government of the day to set out its vision for Australia’s future. This paper outlines the Blueprint Institute's assessment of the fiscal position Australia finds itself in.

This report is the third in the ACOSS and UNSW Sydney Poverty and Inequality Partnership’s COVID-19 'Build Back Fairer Series'. It tells a tale of the differing impacts of the pandemic for different groups using evidence on income inequality and poverty in Australia.

The graphs, map and table in this resource show JobSeeker recipient (total JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance (Other)) numbers for NSW, and estimates for all 93 NSW electorates (2013 Redistribution).

At the heart of this inquiry is the inaccessibility of the Disability Support Pension (DSP). People have difficulty demonstrating that their disability, or chronic illness, is permanent and sufficiently severe, and that they have a continuing inability to work. For those unable to demonstrate that...

This paper explores the nature of poverty, how it is measured, why it matters, and what can be done to reduce it – ensuring a fairer future for all New Zealanders.

This report provides a baseline snapshot of how working-age Australians (15–64 years) with chronic conditions were faring prior to 2020, and describes how their life may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Australia reopens, it is easy to feel that the worst of the COVID-19 crisis is over. However, this analysis suggests recovery for many will be slow, with ongoing struggles making ends meet.

This report, looking at Centrelink debts and domestic violence, shows that survivors of domestic violence, usually women, are unfairly held solely responsible for social security debts in situations where the debt was the direct result of their partner’s or ex-partner’s threats, physical violence or coercion.

This report provides an analysis of the available evidence on how Australia’s social security system supports people who are unable to work (or unable to secure adequate income through work) due to their experience of mental ill-health, or caring for someone with mental ill-health.