Single mothers share what the coronavirus supplement has meant to them. For thousands of single mothers across the country, the coronavirus supplement has meant a brief window living above the poverty line.
Today is the last day the supplement will be included on a range of payments, including Parenting Payments. The supplement went from $550 a fortnight to $250, and then most recently to $150. The extra boost in women's wallets had a transformational impact — changes many say have already slipped away. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the National Council for Single Mothers and their Children collated a series of stories from women on the difference the payment made.
Many focused on the difference it made to their pantries: Back to eating five-minute noodles and Nutella sandwiches. I have again started missing dinner at night, the kids think that I eat dinner after they go to bed. For the first time in many, many months, I could actually buy food. The Canberra pantry feeding a community thanks to 'neighbours helping neighbours'
In the front yard of a home in Canberra's west sits a little community pantry, filled with everything from taco kits to tinned food to toiletries.
The pantry bears the words "neighbours helping neighbours" — and according to Alison and Erica Lubransky-Moy, there is no better way to describe their venture. Since starting the Percy Begg Pantry in the front yard of their Dunlop home in February, they have seen residents across West Belconnen rally to support those who are struggling. "We've been so overwhelmed by the generosity of the community," Erica said. Social housing tenant could be evicted today over $260 in arrears.
Social housing tenants say they have been getting a wave of strongly-worded termination notices in inner-city Sydney.
Key points: Local MP Jenny Leong says the NSW Department of Communities and Justice are currently sending 30 termination notices a week to social housing tenantsPeter Gawronski might be evicted over a $262.22 debt to the departmentThe epartment says it's working with tenants to recover the money Peter "Pierre" Gawronski, better known as "the bird man" around his Surry Hills neighbourhood, was told in a letter from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice that he was $262.22 in arrears.
The letter, which he received two weeks ago, informed him he could be evicted as soon as March 6 — today's date — if he doesn't pay the money. The West's leadership failure on coronavirus is only helping China usurp it. So, Xi Jinping has eradicated poverty.
The Chinese President has declared "complete victory" this week, in what the Communist Party mouthpiece Global Times has called "the great miracle". It is easy to scoff at this as a piece of propaganda, but it is not to be underestimated. Experts say this is what Australia needs to do to solve the housing crisis. What can we do with Australia's property market, with soaring prices and rental shortages in many regional areas of Australia, from WA's Pilbara to Hobart in Tasmania?
Key points: Experts warn housing inequality and intergenerational poverty is increasing in AustraliaThey say urgent action is needed to mitigate the COVID-led crisis in housingThere are calls for a national housing policy involving all levels of government While more than 60 per cent of Australians own their own home, Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows home-ownership rates for people aged under 40 are declining, part of a trend of intergenerational inequality and a growing gap between the haves and have nots. Building more houses is often given as the answer to easing housing stress in areas of high demand but it's not that simple, argue the four housing policy and economic experts the ABC spoke to. Here are three policy areas they suggest Australia needs to address if we want to solve the housing crisis. Key points: Oxfam report says rich getting richer and poor getter poorer amid coronavirus pandemic. In the initial months of the pandemic, a stock market collapse saw the world's billionaires experience massive reductions in their wealth.
Key points: Worldwide, the wealth of billionaires increased by $US3.9 trillion between March 18 and December 31But it could take more than a decade for the world's poorest people to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic, Oxfam saysThe organisation has called on governments to invest further in public services and the richest individuals and corporations to contribute their fair share of tax. WHO chief warns of 'moral failure' as coronavirus vaccine rollout favours wealthier nations. The head of the World Health Organization has criticised inequalities in the global coronavirus vaccine rollout, saying it was "not right" that younger adults in wealthy countries were getting vaccinated before older people or healthcare workers in poorer countries.
Key points: Dr Tedros said one poor country had received just 25 vaccine dosesOver 39 million doses have been administered in nearly 50 richer nationsHe accused drug makers of prioritising vaccine approvals in wealthy countries WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also hit out at the profiteering of drug companies, accusing vaccine makers of targeting locations where "profits are highest. " Dr Tedros kicked off the WHO's week-long executive board meeting — which is being held virtually from its headquarters in Geneva — by lamenting that one poor country received a mere 25 vaccine doses, while over 39 million doses have been administered in nearly 50 richer nations.
COVAX program targeting next month. Most of Melbourne's slum pockets were demolished, but a few survived - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Updated about 2 hours agoSun 17 Jan 2021, 9:57pm The only reason a photo of Ward's Lane exists is because the street was considered a good example of a terrible place to live.
COVID-19 has crushed Bali's tourism industry. These Australians are giving back. It's just on lunchtime as chef Dean Keddell looks out over his near empty restaurant in Bali's once thriving holiday district of Seminyak.
"Normally the restaurants would be full, buzzing … with people, fireworks, there would be a lot going on, but not this year," he says. COVID-19 has made the difference. Official figures claim there are just over 900 active cases in Bali, but Dean sees the impact of the virus in every empty table and every silent street. ACCC finds northern Australian insurance costs soaring, recommends industry regulation. Like many northern Australians, Sue Shearer has watched the cost of her home and contents insurance soar with dismay.
Key points: An ACCC inquiry has found more and more people in northern Australia are going without insuranceThe watchdog says average home insurance premiums in the region rose by 178 per cent over a decadeIts report has recommended a series of regulations to make the industry more consumer friendly "It just keeps going up and up. Strangers organise funeral for Arpad Kiss, 82, who died alone on the streets of Darwin. The 82-year-old man's funeral service was small and simple, attended by about a dozen people who were both strangers and the last people he encountered.
Key points: Arpad Kiss died during a medical episode in Darwin last NovemberCharity workers who helped him learned he had no next of kinStrangers gathered to farewell him at a funeral service last week Those who went said it was a strange but deeply moving experience: gathering to farewell someone they had never really met. JobKeeper subsidy drops today before it disappears entirely in March, and some workers are worried. Hundreds of thousands of Australians face a pay cut of up to $100 per week from today as employee wage subsidy JobKeeper is wound back.
Key points: The employer subsidy payment JobKeeper drops by as much as $100 per week from January 4, meaning many workers will face a reduction in payThe Government is sticking to its plan to scrap the subsidy altogether at the end of March despite the COVID outbreak in New South WalesThe total cost of JobKeeper is estimated to be $90 billion The payment was established at the start of the pandemic to encourage affected business to keep staff employed, but it enters its final phase today ahead of its scheduled conclusion at the end of March. From January 4, eligible businesses receive $500 per week for each staff member working at least 20 hours per week, down from $600. Basics Card outage leaves Northern Territory welfare recipients unable to buy food. Some welfare recipients in the Northern Territory have been unable to pay for essential goods and services after a widespread outage disrupted the Federal Government's income management system. Services Australia has apologised for the outage that users said lasted for several hours on Monday But it remains unclear how many welfare recipients were affectedA Darwin resident said she was unable to buy groceries because of the disruption The outage affected the Basics Card, which quarantines half the income of some welfare recipients for electronic spending at approved providers.
But Territorians on Monday had their transactions declined when they tried to use the card. "Instead of buying groceries today, I basically had to buy enough food for one day, for my dog and myself, in the hopes that, by tomorrow, the card will actually work again," Darwin resident Erin Brady said on Monday. Asylum seekers on temporary visas left behind in economic recovery from coronavirus. When Nadia* got a call from her boss in March, as COVID-19 shut down much of the hospitality industry, she knew she was about to face one of the biggest challenges of her life. Key points: A survey has found 70 per cent of asylum seekers in Australia who rely on charities for support are skipping mealsCharities say demand for services is increasingMelbourne doctor Gillian Singleton says she has seen asylum seeker families suffering nutritional issues while living in the community An asylum seeker, mother of three, and survivor of domestic violence, Nadia had been supporting her family by working as a kitchen aid in Sydney.
But the call from her boss confirmed she was now out of the job, depriving her overnight of the ability to pay for basics such as rent, phone credit and even food. Government should abandon stage-three tax cuts to prevent widening inequality, ACOSS says. The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) says Australia faces a crucial moment of choice — between delivering "eyewatering" tax cuts to the nation's top earners and maintaining financial support for those struggling during the pandemic.
Key points: ACOSS says higher welfare payments should be maintained rather than handing out tax cutsModelling shows 58 per cent of the tax savings will go to the top 20 per cent of income earnersTreasurer Josh Frydenberg says the Government will continue to drive economic recovery and provide support to those who need it "We've now got people in the top 20 per cent of income brackets earning six times those on lower incomes, and have 90 times the wealth of the bottom 20 per cent," said ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie.
"The last thing we should be doing is cutting the incomes of people who have the least, and encouraging people who are struggling to get into more debt," she said. "We virtually stopped a level of poverty overnight. How 'progressivity' can help balance the burden of the COVID recovery - ABC News. I used to attend church as a child, and one Sunday our minister told a story. It was one of the first moments in life that I can remember when a story, read from a book, made me feel a deep disgust at something I perceived to be morally wrong. Steering unemployed young people into caring careers might just pay off - ABC News. Beaches, barbecues, cricket and ... industrial relations. The parliamentary year ended with a heated and unresolved argument over workplace changes that will continue through the summer months for those who are bothered to put down their beer and pay any attention to it.
A trial of the controversial cashless welfare card will run for two more years. Here's what people think - ABC News. Despite fierce debate among politicians over the past week in determining whether or not the cashless welfare program would be made permanent, reactions from community leaders to an extension of the card's trial have been more nuanced.
Key points: Trials of a controversial cashless welfare program will be extended for another two yearsThere has been a mixed response from the community with views ranging from positivity to "betrayal"Many are waiting on the findings of a $2.5-milion University of Adelaide report into the card But questions have been raised about what difference, if any, the extension of the trial will make to final decisions on its permanency. New faces seeking charity help this Christmas as coronavirus pandemic sends families to the brink - ABC News. Hampers are being packed, gifts wrapped and beds prepared — the festive season is always a busy one for charities. Key points: Controversial cashless welfare program trial extended for two years after Government failed attempt to make it permanent - ABC News. Trials of a controversial cashless welfare program will be extended for another two years, after the Federal Government failed to win support to make the scheme permanent in some communities.
Robodebt 'forgotten' as tough targets revealed for Centrelink debt collectors - ABC News. Critics of the Federal Government's botched Robodebt system fear Centrelink's new debt collectors have failed to learn the mistakes of the unlawful recovery program. Canberrans usually give generously at Christmas but this year the Hands Across Canberra charity is desperately short - ABC News. By December, Christmas giving trees across Canberra are usually piled high with donated toys and plum puddings. Key points: Bank account shutdown hurting communities sending $10 billion a year to family overseas - ABC News. The multicultural miracle of Australia is also a $10 billion money machine, as residents support relatives abroad with payments called 'remittances'. Mentors behind the wheel helping drive change for unemployed in Launceston suburbs - ABC News. The neighbourhood house proving there's more to a suburb than its reputation - ABC News.
From the outside, Starting Point Neighbourhood House is unassuming; cream brick, a maroon roof, and a few chairs out the front. Top economists want JobSeeker boosted by at least $100 per week and tied to wages - ABC News. Super tax breaks not needed for wealthy, they should tap into their home equity, retirement income review - ABC News. Hobart cafe staff paying it forward to city's homeless with 400 free meals a week - ABC News. Former Labor MP Emma Husar calls out Barnaby Joyce, Alan Tudge, Christian Porter and Coalition leadership on Q+A - ABC News. Robodebt victims welcome the Federal Government's $1.2 billion settlement - ABC News. Federal Government settles $1.2b Robodebt class action over unlawful debt scheme - ABC News. Funding direct job creation is boosting people out of disadvantage and experts want a national policy on it - ABC News.
Substation 33 bridges digital divide in Logan by delivering electronics to people in need during pandemic - ABC News. Impoverished Australians are choosing to take their chances over 'punitive' JobSeeker - ABC News. JobSeeker lifted thousands of Australians out of poverty. Experts say the Government doesn't need to send them back - ABC News. Federal Government warned about rising risk of homelessness from COVID-19 - ABC News. JobSeeker made them 'feel human again', but now the payment is winding down - ABC News. Unemployed face rental time bomb ahead of JobSeeker and JobKeeper cuts, Anglicare says - ABC News.
Coronavirus vaccines are being fast-tracked and calming fears over safety is vital - ABC News. OzHarvest market meets rising food demand but fewer donations prompt unprecedented steps - ABC News. Mutual obligations return for JobSeeker recipients outside Victoria - ABC News. As debate rages over coronavirus supplements, almost 2.5 million people could find themselves in poverty - ABC News. Recessions punish our youth and the coronavirus downturn is no different - ABC News. Unemployment figures from the ABS are hard to interpret because of how they are defined - ABC News. Coronavirus has killed relatively few Australians. What else is killing us, and how can we stop it? - ABC News. JobSeeker payments start, bringing relief — and questions as to why it took the coronavirus pandemic to get a welfare boost. Coronavirus has forced many to rely on Centrelink — just like those who have been called 'bludgers' in the past.
Nationals MP Pat Conaghan joins other Coalition figures breaking ranks to lobby for Newstart raise - Politics. Flat wages and soaring house prices are condemning Australians to a lifetime of renting. Pope Francis arranges for 19th century Palazzo Migliori to be converted into a homeless shelter. Problem of poverty underestimated as back to school costs hit families under pressure. Homeless charity Agape Outreach ramps up protests over Gold Coast Council not allowing park services. NT's Cashless Debit Card program will still see recipients receive 50 per cent cash, says Social Services Minister Anne Ruston.
Jacqui Lambie finalises 'fact-finding mission' into cashless debit card in trial regions. More pensioners are taking up part-time work to avoid the threat of pension poverty. Australia has slightly fewer billionaires, but their wealth is still increasing says Oxfam. Animal surrenders spike following Christmas, as PAWS Darwin says financial pressure mounting on pet owners. Volunteers home deliver 700 meals a week to give Broome kids a good feed. Telecommunications Consumer Protection code doesn't go far enough to prevent phone horror stories. Centrelink robodebt raised against dead disability pensioner. Inflation may be very low but our cost of living is rising much faster.
Don't bank on a wage rise this year. Expect rate cuts instead. Underemployment rising in Australia, showing darker side to low unemployment rate. Australians like me are ending up in jail and your tax cut won't help. Is the NT kicking its cask wine addiction? Bottle shops lifting their restrictions say yes. Top End ratepayers millions in arrears amid tough economic climate. Beggar's abuse of shop staff prompts public plea to stop donations — but is that the right move? Rob's spent 10 years building a sustainable house, he says it cost him 'less than $1,000' Anti-jail campaigner Debbie Kilroy's push to stop women being imprisoned for unpaid fines.
Pantry inspired by street library concept helping people in need. Public toilet design disadvantaging women, elderly and most vulnerable, says author Lezlie Lowe. Regional Queensland worst in Australia for rental stress, report finds. Adam Bandt says that one in four people in poverty work full time. Is he correct? - Fact Check.
Australia's wealthiest have become 50 times richer in my lifetime. Not just high house prices: The reasons more young adults live with their parents. Is 8-year-old volunteer Taz Traill the Gold Coast's most generous kid? Lisa says she suffered financially for years. Now she's teaching her kids to be money savvy. Federal election 2019: Are major parties ignoring welfare issues that keep people in poverty? BlazeAid volunteers lend a hand in flood-affected north-west Queensland. The fear of climate change is transforming young identities.
The community food co-op feeding one of Tasmania's most disadvantaged suburbs. Australia's daily bread obsession sending loads of loaves to charity - Curious North Coast NSW. Protecting your relationship is one of the best financial investments you can make. From debt despair to life repair: How 'world first' fine repayment scheme offers hope for debtors. How a 'commitment to the mundane' turned around Perth's Gwynne Park Primary School. One woman's nightly scramble to feed hundreds of Darwin's long-grass homeless. Controversial remote work-for-the-dole scheme achieves 1pc improvement in job outcomes. How Lazy Does A Dole Bludger Have To Be For Us To Starv...
What this Aussie family learned from moving into Delhi's slums - RN. Australia's rich keep getting richer, with billionaires' wealth rising $160b in one year, says Oxfam. Shien had to wait two years to see a dentist — by the time she got in, it was too late. Antony Green on why independents won't matter so much at the next election. Vets Beyond Borders help to save lives one animal at a time. Public housing tenants achieving the Australian dream with help from the ACT Government. Street pantry 'social experiment' offering free groceries to Perth's inner suburbs. Toys in their thousands offer Christmas comfort as families face mounting financial pressures. This Christmas, RIP Medical Debt is freeing thousands of Americans from medical debt.
Mami thought her son was dead, then she found him on Facebook. How the ABC Investigations team finds stories and how the public is helping - Investigative journalism - ABC News. In Baton Rouge, the fight for a new school district shows segregation isn't in the past.