Pressure on Albanese government to increase Jobseeker mounts

More than 300 well-known advocates have begged the Prime Minister to raise the rate of income support in the upcoming budget.

The federal government is under increased pressure to raise the rate of welfare, with hundreds of politicians, advocates and prominent Australians signing a letter urging the Prime Minister to increase payments.

The open letter, sent by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) chief executive Dr Cassandra Goldie and co-signed by 335 others, urges the government to adopt the recommendation from the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee to raise the rate of income support in the upcoming budget.

The letter was signed by four Labor MPs – Alicia Payne, Louise Miller-Frost, Michelle Ananda-Raja and Kate Thwaites – and Liberal member Bridget Archer.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faces pressure within his own party, with four Labor MPs signing the letter. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Crossbench politicians including Jacqui Lambie, David Pocock, Monique Ryan and Lidia Thorpe also feature on the signatures list alongside the Greens.

Other prominent Australians include Craig Foster, John Hewson, Brian Howe, Sally McManus, Simon Holmes a Court and Georgie Dent.

Dr Goldie says it is “long past time that we addressed this structural injustice”.

“ … right now, the rate of income support is so low that people are being forced to choose between paying their rent or buying enough food and medicine,” the letter reads.

Dr Cassandra Goldie is the CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service, calling for the Jobseeker rate to increase to 90 per cent of the aged pension.

“As a result, people experience chronic mental and physical health issues, they’re forced into homelessness and insecure housing, are trapped with abusive partners and locked out of paid work because they don’t have the money they need to retrain and re-enter the workforce.”

In March 2023, research from ACOSS found seven in 10 people on income support were eating less or reporting difficulty getting medicine or care.

The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee urged the government to raise Jobseeker to 90 per cent of the aged pension – about $68 a day, or around $1000 a fortnight – however the government is set to ignore the recommendation.

Currently, the maximum rate of Jobseeker sits at $347 a week for a single person or just under $50 a day, with ACOSS urging the government to increase that figure to the committee’s recommendation.

The Reserve Bank is predicting the number of unemployed Australians will grow by 150,000 in the next year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

“ … at $50 a day, the current rate of Jobseeker isn’t even enough to cover the essentials like weekly food and medicines, let alone get a haircut, or buy a new shirt for a job interview,” the letter read.

“And with the Reserve Bank predicting that unemployment will rise by 150,000 next year, we must ensure income support payments cover basic costs.”

The government has said the $24bn cost to the budget associated with raising Jobseeker is something it can’t afford.

Originally published as Pressure on Albanese government to increase Jobseeker mounts