St Vincent de Paul Society lists Federal Budget priorities

In its submission to The Treasury ahead of this year’s Federal Budget, the National Council of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia listed key policy issues which, if addressed, would significantly improve the lives of many people doing it tough, while stimulating economic growth.

National President Claire Victory said at the very least the full Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment must be reinstated, the base rate of JobSeeker must increase, there must be an urgent additional investment in social and community housing and there must be more humane help for people on temporary visas.

‘We know that over the last two years Australia’s 47 billionaires have doubled their collective wealth, while millions of others are struggling to make ends meet. This growing inequity must be addressed,’ Ms Victory said.

The National Council is calling on the Federal Government to:

JobSeeker and Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment

• Reinstate the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment to $750 a week (up from $450)

• Implement all 27 recommendations made by the Community Affairs References Committee in its

  final report on The Adequacy of Newstart and related payments, April 2020

• Establish an independent body to provide advice on the equity of income support system and rates

  of payments and pensions

• Increase the base rate of working age payments from $44 to $67 a day

• Index working age payments twice a year in line with wage growth and CPI

• Increase the earnings threshold for income support payments from $150 to $300 per fortnight.

  People on temporary visas

• Make status resolution support services (SRSS) available to visa holders based on need, including for people waiting for assessments or review of their claims for protection

• Review the existing SRSS eligibility criteria and reinstate funding to at least 2017-18 levels of $140 million a year (an additional $120 million a year)

• Make SRSS and special benefit payments available to full time students on temporary/bridging visas Social and Community housing

• Implement all 35 recommendations in the final Report, Parliamentary Inquiry into Homelessness in Australia (July 2021)

• Establish an independent advisory body to develop a cross-jurisdictional 10-year National Housing Strategy with key stakeholders, underpinned by a $10 billion Social and Affordable Housing Fund

• Review Commonwealth Rent Assistance and increase the maximum rate by 50 per cent

• Reinstate the National Rental Affordability Scheme or find a suitable replacement scheme

• Fund the National Low Income Energy Productivity Program ($2 billion in 2021-22)

  ‘The impact of poverty in Australia is largely borne by people on social security payments, people who rent, single parents and people who cannot find enough work to make ends meet’. Submission is available here.

  The St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia consists of 60,000 members who operate on the ground through over 1,000 groups located in local communities across the country.

  Media contact: 0408 824 306 / media@svdp.org.au