ACOSS Reports & Submissions
Poverty & Social Inclusion
March 2012
This report presents findings from a new study conducted by Saunders and Wong from the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), that measured material deprivation in Australia by asking a random sample of Australian adults in 2010 what goods and services they regarded as essential (for example, a ‘decent and secure home’), whether they had those items, and if not whether this was because they could not afford them. For the purpose of this research, ‘multiple deprivation’ was defined as lacking three or more out of 24 items regarded by the majority of respondents as essential. Respondents were also asked whether they identified their household as ‘poor’.
The report is an analysis by ACOSS of data from the Poverty and Exclusion in Modern Australia (PEMA) survey, on material deprivation among households whose main source of income is an income support payment such as Age Pension or Newstart Allowance.
March 2012
Submission to Fair Work Australia on minimum wages for 2012. Within this submission, ACOSS' recommendations focus on how the needs of people on low pay can best be assessed and the respective roles of wages and social security in sustaining a decent standard of living. Our starting point is that the Federal Minimum Wage (FMW) should be designed to at least provide a decent living standard, well above poverty levels, for a single adult and that the tax-transfer system should meet the basic costs of raising children in a low income family.
January 2012
In this submission, ACOSS outlines policy recommendations for consideration by the Federal Government in its 2012-13 Budget. The submission aims to resolve the tension between the Govern-ment’s commitment to restore the Budget to surplus from 2012-13 and the urgency of social and economic needs not yet met, of key social and economic reforms not yet completed.
Our priority for the 2012-13 Federal Budget remains to ensure that no person is excluded from the benefits of economic growth and prosperity and from the opportunity to fully participate in society. Some of the policy building blocks to meet this goal have been laid, including the commitment to introduce a National Disability Insurance Scheme, the emerging policy focus on employment participation for people excluded from the labour market, and last year’s mental health reform package.
May 2011
This paper aims to move beyond the myths and stereotypes to take a closer look at who these two million people are and why it is that many have not found paid work, despite falling unemployment levels.
April 2011
Under proposed legislation, the compliance system will be amended to bring forward penalties for unemployed people who do attend appointments with Centrelink or employment service providers. If passed, this Bill will substantially increase the number of times that unemployed people are penalised or have their payments suspended for not attending appointments.
This submission gives our assessment of the proposed changes to the compliance system. ACOSS does not believe a strong enough case has been made for these changes, and recommends that the Bill be opposed.
October 2010
This factsheet has the most up-to-date statistics on poverty in Australia, including the on-going effects of the Global Financial Crisis. The five causes of poverty include inequalities in work and income, education, housing, health and services. There are recommendations on how poverty can be reduced.
August 2010
ACOSS' Election Platform outlines key priorities to build a fair Australia which ensures people on low incomes are not excluded because of social or economic disadvantage. We are calling for commitments from our political leaders on issues including: Work and income support; Affordable Housing; Oral health; Indigenous; Tax; Climate change; and measures to Strengthen the Community Sector.
July 2010
More than one in three Australians delay or avoid dental treatment because they can't afford it and increasing numbers of people are sitting on long waiting lists for public dental care.
In this statement, the National Oral Health Alliance calls for more affordable and timely dental services, particularly for low-income Australians who are mostly likely to suffer from poor oral health.
June 2009
ACOSS supports the enactment of a national human rights act to improve the level of human rights protection in Australia. A national act must include economic, social and cultural rights in addition to civil and political rights in recognition of the inter-dependence of rights and the vulnerability of low income Australians to human rights infringements.
December 2008
This report uses recent research, including previously unpublished data, to compare living standards and financial hardship among different groups of low income Australians, especially those receiving income support payments. It is a contribution to the public debate over the adequacy of these payments, and the design of a better social security system.
It compares the living standards and well being of low income households within each of these groups using three yardsticks: deprivation of essential items (such as a decent and secure home and access to dental treatment), income poverty, and budget standards.
