Raise the Rate for Good: Campaign Resources

Abstract

The campaign to Raise the Rate for Good is key to reducing poverty and inequality in Australia.

The goal of the Raise the Rate for Good campaign is to fix our social security safety net for good so that it keeps people out of poverty, with an income of at least $65 a day.

The campaign tools and resources are fantastic and you could use them yourself with family, friends, colleagues and those who are living the humiliating and distressing experience of this inadequate support payment.

Before the COVID-19 crisis, the rate of Newstart had not been increased in real terms for 25 years, while the cost of living, especially housing, has gone through the roof.

There is broad support for a permanent increase to the JobSeeker Payment (formerly Newstart Allowance), including from community organisations, such as anti-poverty networks, unions, business groups, not-for-profit organisations, local governments, territory governments and several federal parliamentarians.

Polling shows the majority the community agrees that we cannot go back to the old Newstart rate of $40 a day (Essential Research 2020).

The key recommendations for the campaign are:
Increase the base rate of JobSeeker Payment by at least $25 a day, and ensure everyone receives at least $65 a day.
Ongoing indexation of payments in line with wage movements at least twice per year
Establishment of a Social Security Commission to advise the Parliament on the ongoing adequacy of income support payments