Latest news People on low incomes paying the price of global disruption and interest rate hikes With unemployment having risen by over 50,000 people in the year to September, the Australian Council of Social Service warns that the risks of a sharp and substantial rise in unemployment over the next year are real and growing. Click here to read more Government must listen to the Central Land Council and lift Remote Area Allowance Today, ACOSS stood in solidarity with the Central Land Council to again urge the Albanese government to substantially increase the Remote Area Allowance. This supplementary payment is paid to people receiving income support in remote areas and has sat frozen for about 26 years at a pitiful $9.10 a week for a single person, or just $1.30 a day. This is while the cost of living in remote communities continues to skyrocket.Click here to read more Private trusts are used to avoid tax and new reforms are essential for fairness ACOSS welcomes the introduction of a bill today to reform the taxation of discretionary trusts and private companies.High-income earners routinely exploit discretionary trusts to cut their tax rates well below those paid by average workers, depriving the government of billions in revenue.Click here to read more $630 million wages boost welcome recognition of community workers and the people they support The federal government’s $630 million funding announcement to support fairer pay for 460,000 health, disability and community workers is welcome news for a sector pushed to its limits.Click here to read more Correct course on gas reservation or risk capture A cross-sector alliance has warned the Albanese Government’s domestic gas reservation is on course to be captured by narrow vested interests. The group includes many of the biggest players in the reservation debate – Australia’s chief industry advocate, the union for gas workers and gas-intensive heavy industry, the country’s largest environmental group, and the peak body supporting energy-poor low-income households. Click here to read more