FED:Boost housing, welfare body says

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2010
FED:Boost housing, welfare body says

CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - Low-income Australians are battling to be heard as the election
campaign rolls on, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) says.

It is urging the major parties to offer more in their campaigns for those who are doing
it tough - those on welfare and other low-income earners struggling to meet the rising
costs of living.

The peak community sector body released its election wishlist on Wednesday, with housing
affordability and welfare increases at the very top.

The organisation would like to see a housing growth fund established to go towards
ongoing construction and easing the shortage of almost half a million affordable homes.

"Australia has some of the most expensive housing in the world," ACOSS chief executive
Cassandra Goldie said in a statement.

"With rents rising dramatically over the past five years in our capital cities, renters
on income support payments or low wages are struggling to make ends meet."

ACOSS also wants rent assistance to be boosted to 30 per cent, and a commitment to
halve homelessness by 2020.

Welfare assistance is also on ACOSS's radar.

Not only should payments be based on the minimum cost of living, but the entire social
security system should be overhauled to close the gap between different types of payments.

"The social security system pays more to people who are unable to work (pensioners)
and less to people who are searching for a job (unemployed people)," the ACOSS proposal
reads.

"This creates perverse disincentives. People on the Disability Support Pension are
scared to seek paid work in case they subsequently lose the pension and end up on the
Newstart Allowance, which is $120 per week less."

To address the gulf, ACOSS would like to see the Newstart Allowance upped by $45 per week.

More also needs to be done to encourage young people, mature workers and sole parents
to enter or stay in the workforce, with ACOSS advocating a paid work experience program.

"Australia invests less in employment assistance than most wealthy nations," Dr Goldie said.

Training programs should be tailored to suit the individual needs of a jobseeker, she said.

Health costs, tax reform and indigenous care are also areas of need.

ACOSS wants to see compulsory income management dumped - a system embraced by both
Labor and the Liberals.

AAP cj/rs

KEYWORD: POLL10 WELFARE (EMBARGOED)

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