[Greens-Media] Survey shows community service funding boost & increase to income support are urgently needed

[Redman, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

1st July 2013

Survey shows community service funding boost & increase to income support are urgently needed


The Australian Greens said today more funding for community services and an increase in income support is urgently needed, with the Australian Community Sector Survey, released by ACOSS today revealing that community organisations around the country are unable to meet demand for services and support.

"The strain under which community organisations are operating reflects the pressures being faced by vulnerable Australians," Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

"People who rely solely on income support are experiencing high, unmet need in areas like housing, mental health services and emergency relief. The consequences of low and inadequate payments like Newstart mean that people need to seek assistance from already stressed community organisations.

"The pressures faced by people raising a family on their own are enormous. In the survey, 37% of people seeking housing support and 42% of people seeking emergency relief were single parents. 

"The dumping of thousands more single parents onto Newstart at the beginning of the this year will have further stretched emergency relief organisations who were not provided with additional support. The impact of this cut was not even monitored by Government. Once again, this it is left up to the community sector to address.

"Governments cannot keep heaping the burden of caring for our most vulnerable people onto the community sector and just expect that things will be OK. Without a concerted effort to increase income support and more secure funding for the community sector, the situation will remain critical.

"The Greens plan, to increase Newstart and Youth Allowance by $50 per week and to provide a $40 per week supplement to all single parents on Newstart, reflects the widespread calls of the community sector.

"Increasing income support payments was ranked the equal third policy priority by the 500 organisations taking part in the community sector survey, along with increasing the availability of mental health services. 

"The old parties need to tell the community how they will help vulnerable people, and what they will do to alleviate the burden being places on our vital services. Only the Greens are offering responsible, costed solutions to immediately help those doing it tough," Senator Siewert concluded.