Poverty is a political choice – and the government is choosing to cut taxes for the ultra wealthy instead of raising the rate of income support.
Young people are barely scraping by on Youth Allowance, older people are increasingly becoming homeless, and it’s harder than ever to access the Disability Support Pension.
We have an income support system that should be universal, but harsh and punitive measures have made it inaccessible to those who need it most and existing payments aren’t enough to live on.
The system is deeply broken. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The Greens have a plan to end poverty in Australia and ensure support is there for everyone who needs it, no matter what.
This starts with raising the rate of all Centrelink income support payments above the poverty line.
The Greens have also committed to lowering the age of eligibility for Jobseeker from 22 to 18, and abolishing the Youth Allowance parental income test for those not living at home. This will give 200,000 young people increased access to support.
We saw during the height of the pandemic that governments can end poverty and ensure a strong social safety net for when people need it.
Poverty is a political choice – and the government is choosing to cut taxes for the ultra wealthy instead of making sure people aren’t forced to choose between groceries, rent and medical appointments.
Join the Greens in our call for the Government to increase income support.