Government support needed to address hardship

The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW is calling on the Federal Government to deliver greater support for people most impacted by the continued cost of living crisis.

In the first half of the current financial year, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW members have assisted almost 70% of the total people supported in the entirety of the previous financial year.

The Society is calling on the government to increase income support payments, including raising the rate of JobSeeker in line with the Age Pension.

Close to one third of the people supported by the Society NSW relied upon inadequate JobSeeker payments as their primary source of income; research released by ACOSS and UNSW in 2023 found that 60% of people receiving JobSeeker were living in poverty.

“Everyone has been affected by the higher cost of living but the impact has not been felt equally. Many people were already at a breaking point leading into Christmas and there is no respite with back to school expenses on the horizon,” said Yolanda Saiz, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to raise the rate of income support payments to lift everyone’s standard of living. Organisations like the St Vincent de Paul Society are filling the gaps for people who are being hit first and hardest by the unsustainable cost of living.

“We are committed to working collaboratively with all levels of government to support people facing hardship and have hope that Thursday’s announcement by the Federal Government will deliver cost of living relief at a time when so many people are doing it tough,” said Ms Saiz.

More than 88,000 people were supported by members of the Society in the past financial year with over $13 million in financial and material assistance. The number of people assisted and the amount of assistance provided during this period increased respectively by 18% and 62%.

“The Society continues its commitment to effective presence in communities throughout the state by offering a hand up to our marginalised in times of need,” said Paul Burton, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW State President.

“Our capacity to assist people with the support they need is being severely strained by increasing demand. The ability of so many people to effectively cope with hardship is not sustainable unless meaningful action is taken to create a level of confidence that they can live beyond one day at a time with dignity,” said Mr Burton.

People who are experiencing hardship can access support from the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW by contacting 13 18 12 or www.vinnies.org.au/nsw/find-help.