Australian Council of Social Service

Community sector welcomes Equal Pay case decision

1 February 2012

ACOSS has welcomed today's decision by Fair Work Australia in the landmark equal pay case for community sector workers.

"This is a milestone for equal pay and a crucial step towards ensuring viable, effective social services by requiring appropriate levels of pay for the staff we depend upon to deliver those services," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"This decision is the first step in addressing the historical undervaluing of community sector workers. However, we are looking at the longer implementation phase to ensure that it doesn't undermine service effectiveness over time.

"Importantly, to truly give effect to the decision, community organisations need to be funded for higher wages. The decision is fairly moderate in the context of projected salary rises over time, particularly in the public service. This makes it all the more vital that the funding required to cover higher wages is made available as soon as possible.

"We call on all governments, as well as non-government funders to engage directly and immediately with the community sector over implementation of higher wage costs based on full funding for community services," Dr Goldie said.

The decision on the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 found:
• FWA granted higher wage rates as agreed by the ASU and the Commonwealth Government (in November 2011 agreement) and in the order of the rates previously found by the Queensland precedent case.
• FWA ordered that the rates be implemented over a longer period of time than proposed in the application: 8 years in 9 equal instalments.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Community sector support for constitutional reform recognising rights of Australia’s First Peoples

19 January 2012

The Australian and State and Territory Councils of Social Service today warmly welcome the release of the Final report of the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and fully endorse its recommendations.

In the days and weeks ahead, we again urge all politicians and political parties in the country to show good faith and responsibility, welcoming the considered advice of experts on this important area of long overdue constitutional reform. We must engage in a sincere and mature debate on this important issue.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to include our first peoples in the single most important framing document of our nation.

The official apology to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Stolen Generations in 2008 showed deep community sentiment for a new relationship based on respect and equality.The community services sector knows all too well the enormous disparity that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in our frontline daily work providing crucial assistance to the most disadvantaged in society.

We know Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples still face gross inequities and are the single most disadvantaged group in our country on virtually every conceivable measure.

It is essential that any recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples includes the removal of racially discriminatory elements within the Constitution that can otherwise undermine a statement of recognition.

We look forward to working together with all those committed to social justice and human rights in ensuring that this process of constitutional reform is conducted with informed care, and considered deliberation.

For comment, please contact ACOSS on 0419 626 155

Signatories
Dr Cassandra Goldie - ACOSS Chief Executive Officer
Cath Smith - VCOSS Chief Executive Officer
Irina Cattalini - WACOSS Chief Executive Officer
Wendy Morton - NTCOSS Executive Director
Roslyn Dundas - ACTCOSS Director
Tony Reidy - TASCOSS Chief Executive Officer
Mark Henley - QCOSS Director
Alison Peters - NCOSS Director
Ross Womersley - SACOSS Executive Director

Federal Budget 2012: cut wasteful expenditure, not support for the most needy

11 January 2012

ACOSS has today released its priorities for the Federal Budget in 2012, calling on the Australian Government to tackle waste while giving priority to those who struggle the most.

‘There are glaring gaps in our national policy efforts to reduce poverty and exclusion, including the inadequacy of income support and employment assistance for unemployed people, sole parents, young people and people with disabilities who rely on payments such as Newstart and Youth Allowance,' said Acting CEO Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine. ‘There is no question that, through good economic stewardship, Australia has fared relatively well during the recent global economic downturn and our unemployment rate remains relatively low. However, it is also clear that, at the beginning of 2012, progress in reducing unemployment further has stalled, Australia's economic growth prospects are uncertain in the short term, and structural changes in the economy pose social challenges as well as economic ones.

‘The solution to the tension between resources and need is not to retreat from reform but to pursue it more comprehensively, with a sustained attack on wasteful expenditure and tax breaks, while continuing social and economic reforms to improve support for those who continue to struggle to make ends meet,' said Dr Boyd-Caine. ‘In addition to long overdue reforms to the lowest income support payments such as Newstart, the absence of a national scheme to guarantee affordable basic dental treatment for people on low incomes, and the growing crisis in the supply of affordable, secure housing are also key priorities.'|

The ACOSS Budget Priority Statement outlines policy recommendations for consideration by the Federal Government in its 2012-13 Budget. Modest additional expenditures of the order of $3.6 billion in 2012-13 in key priority areas should be funded by savings from tackling unfair, inefficient tax waste and tax breaks, and by implementing revenue strengthening reforms that would save an estimated $4.8 billion in 2012-13.

Dr Boyd-Caine stated, ‘This Budget strategy would lay the foundations for more sustainable Budget spending, and a more efficient tax system in future years, as well as promoting great social and economic fairness and an adequate standing of living for all.'

Key expenditure and revenue measures, ACOSS Budget Priority Statement 2012-13

Proposed new expenditure (costing an estimated $3.6 billion):

• Raise the level of payments for Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance and other Allowance payments for single adults and young people living independently of their parents by $50 per week as recommended by the Henry Report ($600 million);
• Double the number of places in the new wage subsidy scheme for long term unemployed people and substantially boost the resources available to Job Service Australia providers to work intensively with this group ($100 m);
• Develop a national population-based oral health program, in place of the Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme and Teen Dental Program ($500 m);
• Introduce national comprehensive community based primary health care ($500 m);
• Establish an Affordable Housing Growth Fund to expand the stock of affordable housing, and increase the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 30% (around $15 per week) to assist people on low incomes to meet rising rental costs ($1,000 m);
• Properly index community services funding to cover unavoidable increases in costs and to meet equal pay obligations as well as recruiting and retaining quality staff ($350 m).

Expenditure savings and revenue measures (raising $4.8 billion in 2012-13):

• Remove the private health insurance rebate from ancillary health cover ($500 million);
• Reform the tax treatment of private trusts to stem their use to avoid personal income tax obligations ($1,000 m);
• Fairer and more consistent tax treatment of lump sum termination payments such as ‘golden handshakes' ($300 m);
• Abolish poorly targeted tax rebates and deductions including the Senior Australians Tax Offset, the Mature Age Worker Tax Offset, the deduction for self-education expenses, recreational boating concessions, and the Medical Expenses Tax Offset ($2,000 m);
• Remove recently introduced Capital Gains Tax concessions for small business, which together enable individuals to permanently avoid tax on the capital gains from disposal of business assets ($1,000 m);
• Tighten the ‘thin capitalisation rules' to reduce opportunities for international companies to shift profits offshore ($500 m).

Replace the following poorly targeted tax concessions and direct expenditures with better-designed programs to improve assistance for those who need them most and to simplify them, at no cost to public revenue:

• Tax concessions for superannuation contributions should be restructured to make the system fairer and simpler, in conjunction with the proposed increase in Superannuation Guarantee contributions, roughly doubling the gains in retirement incomes for low income earners from higher compulsory contributions and capping poorly targeted tax breaks for the top 20% of taxpayers.
• The Child Care Rebate should be integrated within the better-targeted Child Care Benefit, so that benefits are based on child care needs, reasonable costs and capacity to pay, together with a minimum level of assistance for all. This would increase subsidies for low and middle income families facing the highest costs and reduce the regressivity of present subsidies for ‘gap fees'.

Further detail on ACOSS Budget Priority Statement can be found at www.acoss.org.au

Media Contact: ACOSS - 0419 626 155

New Year heralds good and bad news for low income Australians

30 December 2011

"2012 heralds some welcome and some not so welcome changes for disadvantaged and low income households. Most beneficial is the significant boost to Family Tax Benefit A for older students aged 16-19. A further, small but welcome bonus is the 10,000 six-month wage subsidies on offer to Australia's 230,000 unemployed people who have been out of work for over two years. Both of these are really important reforms and we congratulate the Government on these measures.

"But tougher, new impairment tables for Disability Support Pension and inadequate increases to Youth Allowance paid to young people could mean that it won't be a very happy new year for many people already doing it tough. New participation requirements for teen parents will also require close monitoring to ensure that the young people are protected and supported," said Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and Maree O'Halloran, President of the National Welfare Rights Network today.

"Stricter impairment tables are expected to dramatically reduce new successful claims for the Disability Support Pension (DSP). A recent government trial found that 38 per cent of those currently qualifying would not do so under the tougher rules. Existing disability support pensioners will be reviewed under the revised tables. Anyone not qualified will be moved onto the Newstart Allowance of $243, which is $131 per week less than the pension. In 2010-11, before the new rules, successful DSP claims fell by 11.5 per cent, to 58.2 per cent.

"The rate of Youth Allowance for a single person over 18 year old living away from home increases to $201 a week, a rise of just $7. Youth Allowance is $42 a week less than Newstart Allowance and $173 a week less than the pension. Payments for pensions and Newstart Allowance are indexed each March and September, but the rate for young people is adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index just once a year.

"Youth Allowance is paid to students and people under 21 looking for work. The same rates are paid to young Aboriginal people, students on ABSTUDY and to the Austudy Payment, a payment for mature age students. Many people are surviving on just $28 a day on these payments.

"The current rates of payments for young people barely meet rising living costs and are insufficient to cover the costs of study or job search. ACOSS and Welfare Rights urge the Government to increase Youth Allowance as well as Newstart Allowance by a minimum of $50 a week and to index both more fairly.

"Young parents in 10 locations could have their payments suspended for not attending Centrelink interviews and for not entering into or fulfilling a participation plan. It is extremely important that young parents are not left stranded without income support.

"Finally, we welcome the expanded options for young people considering undertaking higher education. From 1 January 2012 the age of independence for Youth Allowance (student) will be reduced from 23 to 22 and access to the workforce independence criteria for inner regional students will be expanded. Unfortunately, some scholarships will be reduced to pay for these benefits."

For comment: Cassandra Goldie, CEO ACOSS: 0419 626 155; Maree O'Halloran, President, National Welfare Rights Network ring Gerard Thomas, Media and Policy Officer: 0425 296 882.

 

MYEFO hits some targets and misses others: ACOSS

29 November 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service says that the Federal Government has hit some good targets, such as targeting the wasteful Living Away from Home Allowance and deferring the 50% interest discount on bank deposits, but badly misjudged others, especially cuts to the Baby Bonus, which will hit low income families hardest, and the rolling back of the co-contribution superannuation arrangements for lower income earners, in today's Mid-Year Economic and Financial Outlook (MYEFO).

"Whilst we are pleased that the government has not taken a slash and burn approach to essential community services and has made a provision of funding for the Equal Pay case, we don't support a further indiscriminate efficiency dividend across our vital public services," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Perhaps the most disappointing aspect is that the Government appears to have missed an opportunity to tackle wasteful tax breaks and poorly targeted spending that could have avoided unnecessary pain in its quest to balance the Budget.

"ACOSS has long argued that the area of most potential saving is at the top end where sharp avoidance practises are the norm. Unfortunately many of these have been left untouched.
"The Living Away from Home Allowance is a classic example of a wasteful tax break, and we are pleased this has been tightened. However it's only the tip of the iceberg.

"For instance, the use of private trusts to avoid individual income tax and profit shifting within international companies to avoid corporate income tax; the privileged tax treatment of private trusts; and the concessional tax treatment of termination payments.

"In our submission to the recent National Tax Forum, ACOSS estimated that these most common loopholes and tax concessions equates to at least $20 billion foregone every year.

"This is crucial revenue that could be used to lower overall tax rates and improve the services we need, whilst making our tax system fairer, based on ability to pay.

"Instead the government has opted to slash the Baby Bonus, which will not only hurt all families, but especially those at the bottom, low income earners and the most disadvantaged in our community.

"The $86 million dollars allocated over the next decade to extend the SEAM program that withdraws income support payments from parents whose children aren't attending school in the Northern Territory, is not only punitive, unproven and unnecessary, but also a waste of money.

"There was also a missed opportunity to address the inequities in the tax concessions on super contributions, with an annual capped rebate as recommended by the Henry Tax Review. ACOSS is concerned that the benefits of the proposed increase in the superannuation guarantee from 9-12 % will not be fairly shared.

"We have argued that if this increase is to occur, we must ensure that low and middle income earners are guaranteed an equitable share of the estimated $500 billion boost to super savings by 2035 from this reform. This won't happen if things stay as they are because currently tax breaks for superannuation contributions mainly benefit those in the top two tax brackets as employer contributions are taxed at the flat tax rate of 15% regardless of how much you earn.

"ACOSS estimates that of the $15 billion in tax breaks on superannuation contributions in 2008, almost 20% went to the top 2% of income earners (those over $150,000) and almost 50% went to the top 12%. This is wasteful as well as unfair since higher income earners are likely to save for retirement without tax breaks, and are unlikely to rely on the age pension in any event.

"We must fix the glaring inequities in superannuation and target the high level tax breaks in the tax system to allow room for essential spending such as the long overdue increase in the unemployment Newstart Allowance and more investment in social and affordable housing. It would also free up much needed funds than the $10 million that has been allocated for the crucial National Disability Scheme, which is simply not enough," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS National Tax Forum Submission Paper: A fairer, more efficient tax and social security system

See ACOSS Budget Priority Statement 2011-12

Opportunity to cut wasteful tax breaks and poorly targeted spending to balance the Budget: ACOSS

28 November 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service is urging the Federal Government to focus on cutting wasteful and poorly targeted spending and tax breaks in the forthcoming Budget to strengthen the budget bottom line while at the same time making room for essential spending such as the long overdue increase in the unemployment Newstart Allowance and more investment in social and affordable housing.

"A balanced approach should be taken to removing waste from both the tax and expenditure sides of the Federal Budget, rather than any attempt to cut important community programs. Indeed, most of the waste lies hidden from view in tax concessions, which mainly benefit high income earners and are not scrutinised as carefully as direct expenditures.

"If this is done, the Government can achieve its twin goal of balancing the Budget, and meeting pressing social needs in the Budget," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"ACOSS has long argued for changes to ensure that tax is based on ability to pay rather than sharp avoidance practices, such as the use of private trusts to avoid individual income tax and profit shifting within international companies to avoid corporate income tax. We also consistently advocated removal of poorly targeted tax breaks and expenditures.

"The Living Away from Home Allowance is a classic example of a wasteful tax break: people can be paid an allowance by their employer's tax free simply because they work away from their usual home. There is no limit on the amount that can be paid and we heard at the Tax Forum that some executives were paid tax free allowances worth over $100,000 a year, saving them over $40,000 a year in income tax. This allowance should be urgently reviewed and either pruned back or abolished.

"Other wasteful tax breaks include the privileged tax treatment of private trusts, the health insurance rebate, and the concessional tax treatment of termination payments. These and other tax breaks should be closely scrutinised in the Budget.

"It is unacceptable that some high income earners get a tax break of over $40,000 a year to live in subsidised housing while unemployed people on Newstart Allowance have to live on just $35 per day, often having to pay half of this in rent, leaving them with $17 a day for all other expenses," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS Submission Paper: A fairer, more efficient tax and social security system 

Opinion piece by ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie in the AFR titled: 'Tax system needs a dose of equality'

See ACOSS Budget Priority Statement 2011-12

Cooperation not intervention: a call for a new direction in the Northern Territory

23 November 2011

Aboriginal peak bodies, community welfare and public health groups from around the country are calling for a new direction in policies affecting Aboriginal Australians based on cooperation, not ‘intervention'.

The groups support new investment in secure jobs for Indigenous Territorians but raise concerns about the proposed extension of a program that withdraws social security payments from parents whose children don't attend school regularly.

"While some aspects of the Government's announcement that it will maintain investment in the Northern Territory are encouraging, particularly strategies to generate local jobs, the proposed expansion of the SEAM program that withdraws income support payments from parents whose children aren't attending school suggests that a punitive, top-down approach to social problems is still being pursued," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The Governments focus should be on positive approaches to engage families and that take into account the barriers to participation in school in remote communities. An important part of this is ensuring that there are qualified, culturally competent social workers on the ground in remote communities, able to assist parents to address causal factors as to why kids are not going to school," said Priscilla Collins, CEO, North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency.

The strong message from recent consultations with Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory is that people want reliable services, schools and jobs in their own communities, not that they think simplistic ‘get tough' policies are the answer.

The Government's evaluation of the NTER, released this month, says that:
‘blanket imposition of Income Management -in combination with other changes, such as local government reform, shire amalgamation and loss of local councils; changes to the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program; the loss of the permit system; and changes in land tenure, contributed to people's feeling of a loss of freedom, empowerment and community control.'

Our organisations share the widely held concerns in the community that too many children are missing out on a good education either because they do not attend every school day or because schools are not resourced to teach well. Policies should be based on what communities and governments know actually works on the ground.

In the ‘Stronger Futures' consultations, community members suggested introducing Aboriginal culture into the curriculum, involving elders and parents more in school activities, developing mentoring programs for parents, and doing more to attract and retain good teachers. This fits with what the research shows works. Aboriginal communities and peak organisations have also been calling for the reinstatement of bilingual learning for the same reason, because it works.

The Improving School Enrolment and Attendance through Welfare Reform Measure (SEAM) trials in the NT and Queensland are yet to be evaluated. There is no evidence they have been effective yet the scheme is costing over $200,000 per school per year to administer. A similar trial in Halls Creek in Western Australia was evaluated, and failed largely due to lack of engagement between the school and the local community.

The evaluation report into the NTER concludes that:
‘There has been no observable improvement in school attendance between 2006, before the NTER was introduced, and 2010, the last year for which data are available.'

"It is deeply disappointing to see the Federal Government aligning itself with policies such as compulsory income management and SEAM. These are costly distractions from the real task of reducing inequality and exclusion. You don't build people and communities up by attacking their dignity and their right to self-determination," said John Falzon, CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia.

Although the announcement of new jobs in the Northern Territory is welcome, it should be noted that more than 2000 waged positions within Community Development Employment Projects still operating in NT communities are set to be abolished from April next year.

The Public Health Association of Australia Vice-President Vanessa Lee added, "It is time for governments to recognise the diversity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia and to work with each of the communities in a co-operative way to get better health outcomes."

The suspension of income support payments, like the blanket scheme of compulsory Income Management for long-term recipients of Newstart and Parenting payments in the Territory, discriminate against the poorest and indirectly against Indigenous Australians who form the majority of people affected.

Truanting is not confined to families on social security payments and Aboriginal parents are not the only ones with responsibilities to get their children to school. Under a new Northern Territory anti-truanting law, parents can already be fined almost $2,000 for a first offence. Together with suspension of income support, this risks depriving children of the essentials of life - too much pain for too little gain.

The groups concluded that instead of extending the punitive approach the Government should take a new road. It should withdraw the current legislation and engage with communities and their community organisations and peak bodies on whether they want to replace policies such as SEAM and income management that were imposed on them compulsorily, with voluntary or ‘opt in' income support arrangements and support services tailored to the needs of each community.

Supported by:
ACOSS - Australian Council of Social Service
APO NT - Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the Northern Territory
An alliance comprising the Central Land Council (CLC), Northern Land Council (NLC), Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the NT (AMSANT), North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) and Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service (CAALAS).
NTCOSS - Northern Territory Council of Social Service
Tangentyere Council
The Fred Hollows Foundation
AEU NT - Australian Education Union Northern Territory
NT COGSO - Northern Territory Council of Government School Organisations
PHAA - Public Health Association of Australia
St Vincent de Paul Society National Council of Australia
UnitingCare Australia
Catholic Social Services Australia
National Welfare Rights Network
Family Relationship Services Australia
Professor Jon Altman, The Australian National University
Larissa Behrendt, Jumbunna IHL Research Unit
Michele Harris OAM, Concerned Australians
ANTaR - Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation
COSS Network - Councils of Social Service in Victoria (VCOSS) South Australia (SACOSS), Western Australia (WACOSS), NSW (NCOSS), ACT (ACTCOSS) and Tasmania (TasCOSS).
The Aboriginal Medical Service Cooperative Limited, Redfern
Arab Council Australia
Western Sydney Community Forum
TRI Community Exchange
Granville Multicultural Community Centre

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

PDF version of media release for Print >>

ACOSS calls for fairer tax breaks to be linked to rise in super contributions

22 November 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today repeated its call for the Australian Government to address the inequities in the tax concessions on super contributions, with an annual capped rebate as recommended by the Henry Tax Review.

"We are concerned that the benefits of the proposed increase in the superannuation guarantee from 9-12 % will not be fairly shared," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"If this increase is to occur, we must ensure that low and middle income earners are guaranteed an equitable share of the estimated $500 billion boost to super savings by 2035 from this reform.
"Presently tax breaks for superannuation contributions mainly benefit those in the top two tax brackets because employer contributions are taxed at the flat tax rate of 15% regardless of how much you earn.

"Compared with the marginal tax rate an employee pays on their wages, this means that high income earners receive a tax saving of over 30 cents per dollar contributed by their employer. Middle income earners save 15-20 cents per dollar. But low income earners below the tax free threshold (currently $16,000 taking account of the Low Income Tax Offset) are hit with a tax penalty of 15 cents per dollar contributed. This is because super contributions are taxed at 15% compared with the zero tax rate on their wages.

"The Government's proposed super contribution for low income earners at least removes this tax penalty from their superannuation. But even if the Government super contribution is introduced, the tax break for the employer contributions for low income earners will be zero, compared with a tax saving of over 30% for a high income earner.
"ACOSS estimates that of the $15 billion in tax breaks on superannuation contributions in 2008, almost 20% went to the top 2% of income earners (those over $150,000) and almost 50% went to the top 12%.

"This is wasteful as well as unfair since higher income earners are likely to save for retirement without tax breaks, and are unlikely to rely on the age pension in any event.

"The time to fix the glaring inequities in superannuation is now - if compulsory superannuation is to be boosted from 9-12%, this should be built on a fair and sustainable foundation.

"ACOSS supports the introduction of a Minerals Resource Rent Tax as a way to strengthen public revenue to meet future economic development and social needs.

"However, there is no need to use the proceeds from the mining tax to boost tax breaks for those who can afford to contribute more than $25,000 in a single year, as the Government proposes. This would worsen the inequities in the system.

"Replacing the unfair, convoluted and opaque system of tax breaks for super contributions is the best way to ensure everyone benefits from the proposed lift in superannuation from 9 to 12%, and secure the savings we will all need for a dignified retirement," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

ACOSS Submission Paper: A fairer, more efficient tax and social security system

85% women but are they equally represented at the top? New Gender Audit

18 November 2011

We know that the community sector employs around 85% women, yet there is little knowledge about the gendered nature of senior management and board positions within Australia's vital community and social services sector.

The Australian Council of Social Service, YWCA Australia and Women on Boards, today launched the Gender Audit of Charities and Community Services at the annual ACOSS Policy Forum, which should shed some light on the issue.

"We know that female representation at senior levels in organisations in general is a major issue. And yet, as we celebrate 100 years of International Women's Day this year, there is a significant gap in our understanding of the extent of female leadership in the female dominated community not-for-profit sector. This audit is an extremely important step to address that knowledge gap," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women recognises the importance of women, on equal terms with men, participating in ‘non-governmental organisations and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country'. But in Australia we have no data to enable us to measure whether the community sector is achieving this," Executive Director of YWCA, Dr Caroline Lambert said.

"This isn't only a fundamental issue of equality but it actually makes good business sense for organisations to have gender balance at all levels," Ruth Medd, Chair, Women on Boards, said.

"For instance the 2011 Reibey Institute report on ASX500 Women Leaders notes that ASX500 companies with women directors delivered an average return on investment over three years 6.7% higher than those without women directors. Companies with women directors delivered an average ROE over 5 years 8.7% higher than those without women directors. In 8 out of 10 sectors, companies with women directors demonstrate higher returns on investment than those without women directors.

"Other evidence examining the strength and scope of women's leadership in companies across the world points to the importance of organisations' identifying gender diversity as a key priority. The McKinsey and Company ‘Women Matters' report notes that CEO commitment and women's individual development programs plays a particularly important part of successful strategies.

"From the YWCA experience we know this to be the case. YWCA globally and nationally have quotas in place to ensure that young women are represented in the governance bodies of the organisation. Our experience demonstrates the importance of backing up quotas with culture-changing development programs, such as the Board Traineeships offered by the YWCA of Canberra and their Women out Front leadership program which provides women with a short-course on Director's duties and a forum to explore women's leadership style," Dr Lambert said.

"I encourage the whole community services sector to take part in this crucial audit, which promises to shape our vision for the future of gender diversity not only in our sector but also in Australian workplaces more generally," Dr Goldie concluded.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

The Gender Audit opens today and runs until 12 December with results to be released to coincide with International Women's Day on March 8, 2012.

For further information visit the ACOSS website

CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY >>

      

Carbon price smaller than predicted as households reach for new online calculator

13 November 2011

With the carbon price now law, households will finally be able to weigh up their own costs, financial support and potential savings with an independent online calculator and website - www.yourcarbonprice.com.au - launched today by consumer advocate CHOICE, the Australian Council of Social Service (representing low income households) and policy research organisation The Climate Institute.

"After such a ferocious political debate, Australians can be forgiven for feeling confused about what the carbon price will really mean for everyday items such as food and electricity. This confusion also increases the risk of businesses passing on unrelated costs to consumers. That's why this research is so important, allowing households to work out costs and savings for themselves, with figures and information independently and rigorously researched by the CSIRO and AECOM," said CHOICE spokesperson Matt Levey.

The CSIRO-AECOM research shows impacts on households are likely to be smaller than anticipated. It calculates Australia's carbon pollution price will add 0.6% to inflation in 2012-13. This is less of an impact on the economy than estimated by Treasury modelling, and may be even smaller as the modelling assumes a 100% pass-through of costs by businesses to consumers.

The CSIRO-AECOM research underpins the figures used in the new online savings calculator at yourcarbonprice.com.au, as well as a national information program available to councils, schools, faith groups, business groups and other organisations.

"Communities are looking for real information about their day-to-day costs and savings. For example, the carbon pollution price initially translates into 2 cents extra for bread and a litre of milk, 11 cents for a leg of lamb and 14 cents for a weekly spend on fruit and vegetables but once you factor in ongoing government assistance, those weekly costs are largely covered and most people end up with money in their pocket," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.#

"Energy efficiency can put households even further ahead. The latest estimates* show many families could be another $12.75 better off per week ($663 per year) by making just 4 small changes in the home," said Climate Institute CEO John Connor.

The CSIRO-AECOM study also compares the effect of the carbon pollution price with other inflationary events such as the introduction of the GST, Cyclone Yasi and the mining boom.

It finds that the impact on prices of the 2001 GST was more than 4 times bigger (2.5%) than the carbon price, while fruit prices, led by bananas, spiked by a massive 70% after the damage of Cyclone Yasi.

The study reports that without domestic and global action to slow down climate change, the impact on basic food prices is likely be 20 times greater than the carbon price impact by 2050 because of extreme weather events.

"Potentially, Australia can cut up to 1 billion tonnes of pollution by 2020 with a carbon price and limits on pollution. This report demonstrates that the nation will continue to prosper while achieving an environmentally strong outcome to help manage the risks of climate change," said Mr Connor.

*(energy efficiency figures supplied by Sustainability Advice Team p/l; Pitt&Sherry)
#(These figures have been calculated based on the CSIRO-AECOM results.)

Download Full Report (CSIRO/AECOM) here >>

Download Summary (CSIRO/AECOM) here >> 

Download Spotlight Report:
Spotlight Report
Reality Check:
An assessment of how the carbon price will affect the cost of living 
Based on independent analysis by CSIRO and AECO 

For further information
Giulia Baggio, Communications Director, The Climate Institute - 0402 588 384
Matt Levey, Head of Campaigns, Choice - 0488 214 066
Fernando de Freitas, Media and Communications Coordinator, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

NOTE: The Climate Institute commissioned CSIRO and AECOM to undertake independent research into the impacts of a carbon price on costs of living for Australian households, using a research grant from the Federal Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. CHOICE and ACOSS provided advice through the development of the report and partnered with the Climate Institute in the launch of the www.yourcarbonprice.com.au website.

PDF of Media Release >>  

Carbon price impact likely to be 7% smaller in regional Australia, says new CSIRO-AECOM research 

About the CSIRO-AECOM analysis >>

Snapshot Summary >>

  

The online tool and above materials are based primarily on independent analysis undertaken by CSIRO and AECOM. This research was commissioned by The Climate Institute, with advice and input from CHOICE and ACOSS.

Equal Pay agreement an historic next step towards fair pay for community sector

10 November 2011

Australia's peak community and social services body has welcomed the agreement between the ASU and the Australian Government in the Equal Pay Case as an historic moment for people who work with some of the most vulnerable members in the community.

The Australian Council of Social Service has hailed the announcement that the Federal Government and unions have agreed to make a joint submission in the case which would see community sector workers get pay rises of between 19 and 42 per cent, a key part of ensuring the long-term sustainability of this historically underpaid sector.

"We congratulate the Prime Minister and Government on this important announcement as a welcome step towards securing equal pay for the workforce that is so vital to providing effective community services across Australia," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of ACOSS.

"Millions of people in this country living with mental illness, drug and alcohol problems, insecure housing or homelessness and domestic violence seek the support of community services every day. ACOSS has long advocated for adequate funding to ensure effective, sustainable services with experienced workers to meet these needs.

"The announcement of a joint commitment on pay rates and that the Commonwealth will fully fund its fair share of higher wage costs is a significant breakthrough, as is the Commonwealth's commitment to work with states and territories towards their share of funding.

"We also understand that there will be support for industry assistance to transition to new arrangements. This will need to include funding for those services that do not rely on government funding but which provide vital services to the community. This is another welcome element of the announcement as there is much work to be done to support services through implementation, both in the resolution of the equal pay case and it's flow on effects for areas like the modern award.

"There is much work to be done in the months and years ahead, including on how to ensure that adequate funding is delivered in a way which develops and supports quality services for the people and their communities that so rely on them.

"ACOSS has been a strong supporter of the Equal Pay case throughout its life but has always said that the funding must be made available to ensure that an increase in wages - long overdue in this highly feminised workforce - do not lead to job losses or reductions in services. We will continue to work closely with governments, employers and workers to ensure effective sustainable social services in Australia well into the future," said Dr Goldie.

To arrange an interview call Fernando De Freitas at ACOSS: 0419 626 155

See more on Equal Pay Campaign: http://www.acoss.org.au/equalpay

Community sector welcomes passage of Clean Energy Future Package

8 November 2011

Australia's peak welfare and community sector bodies have welcomed the passage of the Clean Energy Future Package through the Federal Parliament today as an historic opportunity to build a low-carbon future for all Australians.

"We congratulate the Parliament for passing this important legislation and we can now begin the crucial task of transforming our economy," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service.

"As the peak body for welfare groups and community organisations we know that people who live in vulnerable situations and on low incomes will be affected first and worst by climate change.

"Effective and equitable action is vital to reduce carbon pollution and we are keen to work with all parties to help build a community consensus around the solutions. That is why we support the bill and have campaigned hard for the householder assistance package it contains which we believe will help vulnerable people meet any price rises that flow on to consumers.

"The passage of the federal legislation now gives an opportunity for the states and territories to ensure that they are prepared for the economic changes that are going to happen," Dr Goldie said.

"Our changing climate is having real impacts on real people and acting now provides the best chance for protecting our food production and the regional communities that are most at risk," said Cath Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS).

"A market mechanism which delivers fairness and protects Australians and their families is the best way forward and is an historic opportunity to act in the nation's best interest."

"Households most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change tend to be those already experiencing the most disadvantage, especially in regional WA," said Irina Cattalini, Chief Executive Officer of the West Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS).

"That's why it's important we act now, and that we assist families through the transition to a cleaner economy."

Signatories
Dr Cassandra Goldie - ACOSS Chief Executive Officer
Cath Smith - VCOSS Chief Executive Officer
Irina Cattalini - WACOSS Chief Executive Officer
Wendy Morton - NTCOSS Executive Director
Roslyn Dundas - ACTCOSS Director
Tony Reidy - TasCOSS Chief Executive Officer
Mark Henley - QCOSS Director
Alison Peters - NCOSS Director
Ross Womersley - SACOSS Executive Director

To arrange an interview call Fernando De Freitas at ACOSS: 0419 626 155

Read our publications on Climate policy here. 

See all releases on Climate policy here >> 

See ACOSS energy policy forums >> 

Positive pathway to asylum seeker policy

31 October 2011

A community delegation will converge on Canberra today to support the Federal Government's positive pathway towards community-based alternatives to immigration detention.

Chaired by the Refugee Council of Australia and involving 17 organisations representing millions of Australians the delegation will brief parliamentarians on best-practice community-based models to process asylum seekers.

RCOA chief executive officer Paul Power said the delegation strongly supported the Government's decision to pursue onshore processing of all asylum applications and alternatives to detention to people arriving by boat without a visa.

Mr Power said the delegation was reaching out to the Government to help develop successful long-term community models.

"Our message to the Government is clear - we are ready to work with Government to build community support for successful community processing models."

The delegation is also calling for a greater focus on regional development, which Mr Power said "will do more than any other set of measures to address the insecurity that forces refugees and asylum seekers to engage people-smugglers in their efforts to find greater safety."

In addition to those participating in this delegation, "hundreds of organisations support a more compassionate approach", according to ACOSS Chief Executive, Cassandra Goldie. In September ACOSS gathered support for community based arrangements from over 260 leading organisations and leading charities.

"It is misguided to be looking at off-shore solutions when the most effective, economical and humane method for processing asylum seekers is right here on our doorstep" she said.

Organisations who are part of this delegation includes: Amnesty International Australia, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Australian Council of Social Service, Australian Council of Trade Unions, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Catalyst Australia Inc, ChilOut, Edmund Rice Centre, Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Federation of Ethnic Communities' Council of Australia, John Menadue, National Council of Churches in Australia, Oxfam Australia, Refugee Advice and Casework Service, Refugee Council of Australia, Uniting Church in Australia Assembly, Welcome to Australia.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew Williams 0488 035 535

In early September 2011 ACOSS coordinated a community sector statement urging a commitment to onshore processing and community-based arrangements for people seeking asylum. The response was overwhelming; 264 community organisations (listed over page) and 359 individuals lent their support.

The statement was published in The Australian on 8 September 2011.

ACOSS also wrote to all parliamentarians to draw their attention to the community sector statement about asylum seekers and refugees. In the letter emailed to members, ACOSS stated that onshore processing and community-based arrangements for people seeking asylum are not only far better, but also cheaper and keep expenditure in Australia, and urged the Australian Government to do the right thing in the coming days on this important issue. Read the letter >>. And find out more about the campaign here >>.

It’s time to raise Newstart to tackle growing inequality in Australia: ACOSS Poverty Report

21 October 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service is calling on the Commonwealth Government to commit to increase income support allowances like Newstart as recommended by the Henry Review, in order to tackle the growing gap between the rich and poor in Australia.

To mark Anti-Poverty Week, ACOSS today released an update of its Poverty Report bringing together all the latest measurements of poverty and inequality. "The evidence is mounting of a growing divide with more people hitting hard times and falling into poverty," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"There is widespread consensus that the paltry payment levels for allowances such as Newstart, Parenting Payment Single, and Youth Allowance is one of the principle reasons for increasing hardship and poverty in our rich country. This was highlighted at the recent Tax Forum in Canberra where participants almost unanimously agreed that the Newstart Allowance of $35 a day is simply not enough to live on.

"Economists Judith Sloan from National Seniors Australia, and Professor Ian Harper, who chaired the Fair Pay Commission set up under the Howard Coalition Government, have come out to say that it is too low. Professor Harper warned that giving people so little to survive on is causing desperation and depression.

"They confirm the earlier findings by the Henry Review Panel and the OECD, both of whom recommended that the level of income support for people who are out of paid work be increased.

"It is everyone's right to have access to paid work, and, when looking for paid work, to have income support to live with dignity. Our social security system is failing to provide people with this basic guarantee, plunging people into poverty.

"And there is now an irrefutable volume of evidence pointing to a growing gap emerging between the haves and the have-nots in Australia. Perhaps the most stark is recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing that the wealthiest 20% of households in Australia increased their average net worth by 15% in the past 5 years compared to just 4% by the poorest 20%.

"The bottom 20% had an average net worth of only $32,000, just 1% of total household wealth. The richest 20% by contrast accounted for 62% of the whole country's wealth, or an average of $2.2 million per household.

"We know that approximately 2.2 million people or 11% of Australians lived in poverty in 2006 - the latest date for which statistics are available. This was up from 10% in 2004 and 8% in 1994. However community groups working on the ground with the most disadvantaged and people struggling on low incomes have been consistently reporting a worsening situation.

"Only in August the annual Australian Community Sector Survey reported that more people are turning to community groups for help, leaving services unable to meet demand. The survey provides the most comprehensive picture of how the non-government community services sector is travelling, and this year showed a 12% increase in assistance provided by agencies. It revealed that 1 in 20 people were being turned away, a 19% increase on the previous year.

"Our Poverty Report shows that one of the main causes of this growing inequality is the shutting out of a disadvantaged subset of people from the jobs market, despite declining unemployment rates. There are large numbers of people who are out of paid work or only have a few hours of work per week and have to rely mainly on social security payments such as Newstart for their income.

"ACOSS maintains that the growing disparity between people on Newstart Allowance and those on pensions like the DSP, which now stands at $131 a week, must be addressed as a matter of urgency. This is especially imperative given the real likelihood of a substantial increase in the number of people going onto Newstart Allowance as a result of the Government's planned changes to the eligibility criteria for DSP. There are already over 100,000 people with disabilities on the Newstart payment.

"We urge the Federal Government to listen to the overwhelming consensus emerging - not only among the entire community sector - but also unions, academics, economists, the Henry Review and the OECD. We call for a commitment to a $50 increase in single payment allowances and to index allowances the same way as pensions.

"ACOSS understands the current political reality and budgetary constraints, however, we believe the time has come to address this pressing issue. We feel the $1b cost is modest and not significant enough to blow the budget bottom line. It could be funded almost immediately by Government action to close business loopholes and shelters that we estimate cost at least $20 billion in forgone revenue every year.

"This important step would almost overnight lift around one million Australians out of the worst forms of deprivation. It would also go some way to address the growing divide between the rich and poor which is greater than ever before. The price of not acting is to condemn many more people to poverty and the margins of our society," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

ACOSS Poverty Report 2011 >>
ACOSS media releases on income support payments reform >>
ACOSS Paper - Beyond stereotypes: Myths and facts about people of working age who receive social security

Clean Energy Future bill an historic opportunity

12 October 2011

Australia's peak welfare and community sector bodies have welcomed the passage of the Clean Energy Future bill through the House of Representatives in Federal Parliament today as an historic opportunity to build a low-carbon future for all Australians.

"We congratulate the Parliament for passing this important legislation and we can now begin the crucial task of transforming our economy," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service.

"As the peak body for welfare groups and community organisations we know that people who live in vulnerable situations and on low incomes will be affected first and worst by climate change.

"Effective and equitable action is vital to reduce carbon pollution and we are keen to work with all parties to help build a community consensus around the solutions. That is why we support the bill and have campaigned hard for the householder assistance package it contains which we believe will help vulnerable people meet any price rises that flow on to consumers.

"The passage of the federal legislation now gives an opportunity for the states and territories to ensure that they are prepared for the economic changes that are going to happen," Dr Goldie said.

"Our changing climate is having real impacts on real people and acting now provides the best chance for protecting our food production and the regional communities that are most at risk," said Cath Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS).

"A market mechanism which delivers fairness and protects Australians and their families is the best way forward and is an historic opportunity to act in the nation's best interest."

"Households most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change tend to be those already experiencing the most disadvantage, especially in regional WA," said Irina Cattalini, Chief Executive Officer of the West Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS).

"That's why it's important we act now, and that we assist families through the transition to a cleaner economy."

Signatories
Dr Cassandra Goldie - ACOSS Chief Executive Officer
Cath Smith - VCOSS Chief Executive Officer
Irina Cattalini - WACOSS Chief Executive Officer
Wendy Morton - NTCOSS Executive Director
Roslyn Dundas - ACTCOSS Director
Tony Reidy - TasCOSS Chief Executive Officer
Mark Henley - QCOSS Director
Alison Peters - NCOSS Director
Ross Womersley - SACOSS Executive Director

To arrange an interview with Dr Cassandra Goldie call Fernando De Freitas at ACOSS: 0419 626 155
To arrange an interview with Cath Smith call John Kelly at VCOSS: 0425 701 080

Read our publications on Climate policy here. 

See all releases on Climate policy here >> 

See ACOSS energy policy forums >> 

ACOSS calls for clear agenda on tax and transfer reform

6 October 2011

In the wake of two days of tax and transfer discussions, ACOSS is calling for the Federal Government to set out a clear agenda for reform of the tax and transfer system in the national interest.

"We congratulate the Government for staging the National Tax Forum, which despite some cynicism, was extremely worthwhile. But the Commonwealth needs to outline a clear path for the next phase of tax reform in the areas of vital importance to the Australian community," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"There was widespread agreement - from community to business, trade unions, researchers, environment groups, and others - on the need to secure our future revenue base, tackle income tax shelters, and make superannuation fairer.

"ACOSS was particularly heartened by the broad acknowledgement that income support allowances, notably Newstart Allowance, is simply not enough for people to live on and should be increased as recommended by the Henry Review.

"This was widely agreed on, not just by community groups but also unions, academics, and economists like Judith Sloan from National Seniors Australia. Researcher Peter Whiteford told the forum the Newstart benefit has shrunk so much relative to living costs that the cheapest capital city accommodation leaves a person with just $16.50 a day to live on.

"ACOSS does not support the Treasurer's view that every single expenditure, especially Newstart Allowance, has to be linked to savings. Government's prioritise spending in every budget and we think policies to ease the worst poverty should have a high priority.

" ACOSS believes that an increase in Newstart can be funded almost immediately by Government action to close business loopholes and shelters that we estimate cost at least $20 billion in forgone revenue every year. This compares to around $1 billion to fund an increase in Newstart by $50 a week - which would help lift scores of struggling people out of the worst forms of poverty.

"ACOSS rejects any talk of a supposed welfare payments blowout as completely overblown. Commonwealth figures show that the proportion of people of working age relying on income support has declined in the past decade, and as Professor Whiteford explained, Australia spends less in social security than the average of the rich nations in the OECD.

"We were disappointed the Treasurer did not make any reference to securing more affordable housing through the tax and transfer system, which was another area of wide consensus. We simply must tackle the biases in the tax system that favour speculative investment in housing and other assets, which inflate home prices and add to cost of living pressures.

"Whilst ACOSS welcomes the announcement by the Treasurer of the independent tax advisory board, we believe it is essential that both the board and the new business tax working group include representation from the community and unions as well as business.

"Tax reform isn't just about business interests. This was well demonstrated by the Tax Forum itself where the diverse interests represented helped to sharpen the debate. The government must ensure that diverse representation continues.

"The tax and transfer system is the engine room of the country. It must be used to guarantee the things we all want - namely, adequate income for all, including post working life, affordable housing, and a greater sense of fairness and equality for all Australians," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155


ACOSS Submission Paper to the Tax Forum: A fairer, more efficient tax and social security system.

Opinion piece by ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie in the AFR titled: 'Tax system needs a dose of equality'.

Tax Forum must unite the community around common problems, not divide it over old debates

3 October 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service is urging participants of this weeks' National Tax Forum to avoid divisive and fruitless arguments over whether we should tax consumption or income, and to focus instead on practical solutions to the challenges of population ageing, housing affordability, poverty, and workforce participation.

"The Forum is an important step to build the case for reform and bring the community into the discussion. There is broad agreement among business, unions, community organisations and experts that the tax system should be reformed to tackle the costs of an ageing population, high housing prices, low productivity, and the challenges of workforce participation and poverty. The Henry Report offered practical solutions to these problems and that should be the starting point for discussion.

"Whilst participants are free to raise all issues related to tax reform, there is little point in a stoush over raising the GST or flattening the tax scales. Those who argue the GST is the 'elephant in the room we can't ignore' should be careful it doesn't stampede debate on practical, viable options for reform. If the tax debate becomes an argument of 'fairness against efficiency' we will all lose the debate.

"Increasing the GST would indiscriminately cut the living standards of pensioners, unemployed people and low paid workers. Australia already has close to a flat tax system when both income and consumption taxes are taken into account. Relying on the GST to pay for the services needed by an ageing population would undermine the fairness of the tax system. A fairer way to pay for future health and aged care services is to remove income tax loopholes for people on higher incomes such as aged based tax breaks and the churning of wages through superannuation accounts.

"Inefficient state taxes such as Stamp Duties could be reduced as the Henry Report proposes, by strengthening the taxes the States already have including Land tax and Payroll taxes.

"We need to tackle the biases in the tax system that favour speculative investment in housing and other assets which inflate home prices and adding to the squeeze on household budgets. The low rate of tax on capital gains and the ability of taxpayers to deduct their investment losses against their wages were rightly targeted by the Henry Report and it's time to act on this front.

"The community wants a fairer personal income tax system based on ability to pay rather than sharp avoidance practices. ACOSS is pleased the Treasurer has signalled the need to close business loopholes and we will insist the Government adopt the Henry proposals for removing shelters like breaks on 'golden handshakes' and the use of private trusts, companies and super funds to shelter personal income. We estimate that commonly used personal tax shelters cost at least $20 billion foregone every year - crucial revenue that could be used to lower overall tax rates and improve services.

"Tax breaks for superannuation should benefit all, not only those in the top two tax brackets.

"The community also wants a simpler social safety net system that prevents poverty through decent minimum payments and help for people to transition to paid work.

"Henry makes clear practical proposals in all of these areas and this is the opportunity for us to progress tax and transfer reform in line with community demands, whilst at the same time mapping out the clear path of longer-term reforms we must take,' Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155


Key priorities for reform based on AFTS Report proposals

1. Personal income tax fairness and simplicity
• Remove poorly targeted tax offsets (e.g. ‘golden handshakes', medical expenses)
• Tighten tax treatment of private trusts, companies and personal service businesses
• Introduce a standard deduction and tighten substantiation for large work related expenses claims
• Use the savings to reduce personal income tax rates and/or improve services

2. Efficient investment and affordable housing
• Tax capital gains, interest and rents at a 40% discount from personal tax rates
• The 40% discount to apply also to deductions for investment expenses and losses
• Broaden Land Tax, reduce it for investment in low cost housing, and reduce Stamp Duties
• Introduce a new means test for pensions based on ‘deemed income' from investments
• Earmark part of the revenue from these measures to investment, and incentives to invest, in affordable housing and urban development

3. Fair and sustainable support for retirement incomes and services
• Tax employer super contributions at marginal rates before they are transferred to fund and replace existing tax breaks with a simpler and more equitable capped annual rebate
• Prevent erosion of public revenue as the population ages by removing anomalies in the taxation of people of mature age, and earmark the savings for expenditures on health and aged care services. This could include applying a consistent tax rate to super fund earnings in the contributions and benefits phases, limiting tax concessions for contributions to net increases in retirement savings, and abolition of the Senior Australians Tax Offset.

4. Poverty reduction and workforce participation
• Single allowance recipients to receive the increases paid to pensioners in 2009 (currently approximately $50 per week) to narrow the gap between payments
• Introduce consistent indexation of working age payments to wage movements to prevent the gap from widening
• Integrate Child Care Rebate and Fringe Benefits Tax concessions for child care into a strengthened Child Care Benefit
• More flexible transition arrangements for social security recipients entering employment including ease the ‘allowance' income test for people required to seek part time employment and strengthening the working credit to encourage casual employment
• Over time, remove the pension/allowance divide between different working‐age payments and replace with a core payment based on essential living costs and supplements for additional costs including rent, disability, caring and raising children alone. This to be done so that no group is financially worse off and the poorest households are better off.

ACOSS Submission Paper: A fairer, more efficient tax and social security system

Opinion piece by ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie in the AFR titled: 'Tax system needs a dose of equality'

Forum a chance for tax reform the community can support

30 September 2011

Proposals to increase the GST or flatten the income tax scale will divide the community and are unlikely to succeed. Instead, the Tax Forum should focus on problems that concern the community, and how tax and social security reform can help solve them, according to ACOSS.

Releasing its submission ‘A fairer, more efficient tax and social security system', the peak community and social services body urged stakeholders to find common ground on key practical reforms identified in the Henry Review, rather than ‘reinventing the tax policy wheel'.

"Tax reform is about more than tax. It is also a key part of the solution to problems that concern the community such as the high cost of housing and how we pay for services for an ageing population, said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service. The community would also like to see a fairer personal income tax system where tax rates are based on ability to pay rather than sharp avoidance practices and a social security system that prevents poverty and helps people transition to paid work.

"These are the main areas of reform that must be tackled if we are to prevent growing inequality and poverty in our rich country, and secure the important long term revenue stream needed to provide the community services we all want for our aging population.

"Australia's taxes aren't high by OECD standards, however they are unfair and inefficient. ACOSS has long argued for changes to make our tax and transfer system fairer, based on people's capacity to pay. We want to see the Government adopt the Henry proposals for removing shelters and loopholes from personal income tax like breaks on 'golden handshakes' and the use of private trusts and companies. We estimate this equates to at least $20 billion foregone every year - crucial revenue that could be used to lower overall tax rates and improve the services we need.

"We want a fairer, simpler and more sustainable system of support for retirement incomes, including reform of tax breaks for superannuation so that low and middle income earners obtain the same benefits per dollar saved as high income earners receive.

"We need to tackle the biases in the tax system that favour speculative investment in housing and other assets which inflate home prices and leads to cost of living pressures. The low rate of tax on capital gains and the ability of taxpayers to deduct their investment losses against their wages were rightly targeted by the Henry Report. We support reforms in these areas that are linked to well-targeted incentives to invest in new affordable housing.

"ACOSS is pleased to see employment participation and social security included in the tax forum agenda as we have been calling for a fairer social security system for people of working age that encourages employment and is based on living costs. We will be insisting that the Government implement the Henry Review's proposal to reduce the gap between pensions and unemployment payments, now $131 per week and growing every year. The Newstart payment of just $35 per day is simply not enough to live on, and it is one of the biggest disincentives for people living on the disability pension to seek employment - the fear of being transferred to the lower paying allowance.

"We are well aware that tax reform is complex. It doesn't happen overnight and we're not expecting one big package of reform. However the Tax Forum is an important step to build the case for reform and bring the community into the discussion. More than anything we want to see the forum harness the goodwill and expertise of those who will gather in Canberra and focus on the things that unite rather than divides us," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS Submission Paper: A fairer, more efficient tax and social security system

ACOSS welcomes expert panel on social housing

28 September 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today welcomed the establishment of an expert panel to advise the Federal Government on improving Australia's troubled social housing system as more than 173,000 households remain on waiting lists around the country.

"Hopefully this will be the impetus for a leap forward on how best to provide housing assistance for the most disadvantaged people in Australia, said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"It is simply unacceptable that so many people are currently going without access to basic affordable housing in our rich country, and ACOSS has been arguing for coordinated action across all levels of Governments.

"We are particularly pleased to see three members of the National Affordable Housing Summit Group, of which ACOSS is a member, on the panel. Professor Julian Disney, Chair of The Summit Group; Adrian Pisarski, from National Shelter; and Carol Croce from the Community Housing Federation of Australia, have a wealth of knowledge and accumulated experience in this field.

"We congratulate the Government for bringing such a diverse collective of experts together, spanning the community housing sector, private financial institutions, and tenants' organisations.

"What's also needed is for serious action to minimize inefficient investments encouraged under Australia's tax system, which is contributing to our stratospheric housing costs and leading to more people seeking public housing.

"The tax system encourages people to borrow and invest too much in property, especially at the top end of the market. The low rate of tax on capital gains and the ability of taxpayers to deduct their investment losses against their wages were rightly targeted by the Henry Report. Reforms in these areas could be linked to well-targeted incentives to invest in new affordable housing. These are some of the proposals ACOSS will take to next week's National Tax Forum.

"We need to find innovative ways to boost the supply of social housing for people in need if we are to prevent more people becoming homeless, and to have any chance of meeting the shortfall of around 150,000 social housing homes by 2020.

"For far too long the social housing system has been inadequate and we urge state governments of all political persuasion to work together with the Commonwealth on this crucial reform," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

People on lowest payments in the worst financial stress

19 September 2011

New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows people trying to survive on the lowest income support payments are in the worst financial stress. This underscores the need for allowances such as Newstart and Single Parenting payments to be increased as proposed by both the Henry Review and the OECD, according to the Australian Council of Social Service.

"It is simply unacceptable for a rich nation like ours to allow those at the bottom, who are clearly the most disadvantaged, to fall further into poverty. Yet this is precisely what we are witnessing in Australia," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The latest ABS Household Expenditure Survey shows that for a person living in households where the main source of income is government pensions and allowances, those on the lower paying allowances such as Newstart and Family Support Payments, are experiencing the highest level of financial stress.

"People on Newstart Allowance, who are forced to live on just $34 a day, are particularly at breaking point, with 79% reporting three or more indicators of financial stress. They are closely followed by people on Parenting Payments (77%).

"One third to one half of these groups reported not being able to afford a special meal once a week or to have friends or family over for a meal once a month, something the rest of us take for granted. The majority reported being unable to raise $2000 for something important if it should arise.

"Sadly this picture is not surprising when you consider the fact that the gap between people on the lowest income payments (Newstart and sole parents) compared to those on pensions has been increasing for a long time.

"Because the Government indexes allowance such as Newstart and sole parenting payments differently, these groups receive lower increases when payments are indexed two times each year, as is about to happen on Tuesday (20 September).

"The maximum rate of age, disability and carer pensions, as well as veterans' income support recipients, will increase by an extra $10 a week, compared to a $6 a week increase for people on Newstart and Parenting Payments Single.

"Whilst ACOSS obviously welcomes the indexation increases as crucial in helping Australia's 3.4 million people on pensions meet cost of living increases, it is distressing that people on Newstart and sole parenting payments have been left to fall behind.

"Effectively this means that the gap between allowances and pensions continues to go up and up. From Tuesday the difference between Newstart Allowance and pensions for a single adult will be $131 and the difference for a sole parent will be $111.

"At this rate the OECD predicts that Newstart Allowance will be worth just half the value of the pension by 2040, and this is the reason why the international body has repeatedly called on the Australian Government to raise allowance payments.

"This growing disparity simply must be addressed as a matter of urgency, especially with the real likelihood of a substantial increase in the number of people going onto Newstart Allowance as a result of the Government's planned changes to the eligibility criteria for DSP. There are already over 100,000 people with disabilities on the Newstart payment.

"Unless the base rate of allowances is increased and indexed at the same level to meet the growing costs of essentials like rent, utilities and food, the accelerating difference in payment levels will lead to greater hardship and more people falling into poverty," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results, 2009-10
(see table 11: Financial stress indicators 2009-10 ) Australian Bureau of Statistics Click here >> 

             ACOSS graph showing the widening gap between pensions and allowances (September 19, 2011)

Payment rates (per week)	July 2009	September 2011	Increase (2009-2011)	Increase (Jul-Sep 2011)
Single pension	$299	$374	$75	$10
Single Newstart Allowance	$227	$243	$16	$6
Gap between pension and Newstart Allowance	$72	$131	$59	$4
Sole parent on Newstart Allowance	$245	$263	$18	$6
Gap between pension and sole parent on Newstart Allowance	$54	$111	$57	$6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community sector welcomes Clean Energy Future package

13 September 2011

Australia's peak community welfare body, ACOSS has welcomed the introduction of the Clean Energy Future legislation into parliament as a historic opportunity to tackle the problem of climate change and build a cleaner future whilst ensuring low income households are adequately looked after.

"We congratulate the Federal Government, the Greens, and Independents for reaching agreement in the drafting of this legislation and we urge all parties to ensure its passage through parliament so we can move on with the necessary task of transforming our economy," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"ACOSS has long accepted the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change will affect us all, and are motivated by the stark reality that people who live in vulnerable situations and on low incomes will be affected first and worst.

"This is the reason we have argued that effective and equitable action is vital to reduce carbon pollution and we are keen to work with all parties to help build a community consensus around the solutions.

"ACOSS is satisfied that the householder assistance package will provide people on low incomes with sufficient compensation to cover the anticipated modest increases in costs flowing to consumers. The Government has committed to maintain the value of payments through regular indexation and a review.

"We do have some concerns about the equity of assistance for those on the lowest income support payments (sole parents, Newstart Allowance and students) initially and over time, and will closely monitor the detail of legislation and implementation. ACOSS is also concerned that the package does not explicitly recognise or address the likely impacts of a carbon price on the capacity of community sector organisations to deliver essential services. These cost impacts must be properly quantified and recognised in funding arrangements.

"The community sector looks forward to working with Government and all political parties in ensuring the implementation of this important package is done in a timely, fair, equitable manner," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

ACOSS Position paper:
The Clean Energy Future package, households on low incomes and the community services sector - August 2011 

Read our publications on Climate policy here >> 
See all releases on Climate policy here >>

Time for more light and less heat on energy bills

13 September 2011

  ACOSS and CHOICE call for regulatory reform to benefit consumers

The peak national community services body, ACOSS has joined with people's watchdog CHOICE, to call for reforms to the energy sector to break the trend of sharply rising costs.

Co-hosting a one-day conference in Canberra's Parliament House today, aimed squarely at Australia's decision-makers, the two groups have identified the urgent need for fairer energy prices, better products, and more action to assist low-income energy consumers.

"While recent data shows the average amount Australians are spending on energy has remained fairly constant over the long-term, this doesn't tell the full story, with low-income households spending a higher proportion of their weekly income on home energy bills", says Tony Westmore, ACOSS Senior Policy Advisor.

"With prices increasing by about one-third in the last three years, some of our most vulnerable energy consumers are struggling to afford an essential service."

CHOICE Head of Campaigns Matt Levey says the energy sector is geared towards increasing costs for consumers, while it is hard to meaningfully choose between energy products.

"Currently the whole energy sector, from generation through to the power point, has incentives to increase bills for consumers, which is perverse at a time when governments are talking about easing household budgets," Mr Levey says.

"At the same time, consumers find it difficult to compare energy products and make meaningful choices to save money. We need reforms that give consumers access to better information and more control without making an already complex area more difficult."

CHOICE and ACOSS are co-hosting today's ‘Energy at Home' conference at the Theatrette, Parliament House Canberra, which includes a program of speakers from 9:30am to 4:30pm (see program listed below).

Tony Westmore [ACOSSS - 0419 256 339] and Matt Levey [CHOICE - 0488 214 066] are available in Canberra today for comment.

‘Energy at Home' conference program details:
Date: Tuesday 13 September, 2011
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Where: Theatrette, Parliament House, Canberra

Session 1: What's happening and why?
• Paul Simshauser, Chief Economist and Group Head of Corporate Affairs, AGL Energy
• Matt Levey, Head of Campaigns, CHOICE
• Clare Petre, Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW

Session 2: What can be done in the short term?
• Tony Westmore, Senior Policy Advisor, ACOSS
• Lauren Solomon, Policy Manager, Clean Energy Council
• Rod Sims, Chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Session 3: What can be done in the longer term?
• Chris Dunstan, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney
• Iain MacGill, Joint Director, Centre for Environment & Energy Markets, University of New South Wales
• John Pierce, Chairman, Australian Energy Market Commission
• Tony Wood, Program Director Energy, Grattan Institute

Further media enquiries:
• Ingrid Just, CHOICE, Head of Media: 0430 172 669 (www.choice.com.au)
• Fernando de Freitas, ACOSS, Media and Communications: 0419 626 155(www.acoss.org.au)

This conference is supported by

Onshore processing: affordable and effective solution for asylum seekers

12 September 2011

Processing asylum seekers onshore using community-based placements would slash costs to taxpayers and provide good jobs for Australians say two key organisations in the community services sector.

The Australian Services Union (NSW and ACT) and the Australian Council of Social Service today join together in calling for a bipartisan approach that backs onshore processing and community-based placements as a humane solution which would provide good employment for workers who are ready to take on the task.

Sally McManus, the NSW and ACT Branch Secretary of the Australian Services Union representing community workers, says onshore processing and community placements are by far the cheapest option for processing asylum seekers.

"Between 70-90 % of people who arrive by boat are found to be genuine refugees who eventually live in our community.

"There is overwelming evidence that long-term mandatory detention also causes mental health issues.

"Community-based placement would instead put a stop to the suffering associated with prolonged detention and ensure people were ready to move into the community with support from our members.

"Processing asylum seekers on shore and then having them live in the community is the approach nearly every other country in the world takes."

Chief Executive Officer of ACOSS Cassandra Goldie said that Australian community organisations are more than willing to do the work associated with community detention and are well-equipped to do so.

"The community sector has the skills and expertise to provide the support required for community detention and they can provide it for a fraction of the cost.

"On average, we estimate that the annual cost to fund one adult asylum seeker in community detention is about $40 000.

"To keep an asylum seeker on Christmas Island currently costs over four times that amount and under the Pacific Solution the cost per asylum seeker was more than 12 times that figure, at about $0.5 million per person per year.

"It is misguided to be looking at off-shore solutions when the most effective, economical and humane method for processing asylum seekers is right here on our doorstep."

Media Contacts: ACOSS Media Fernando De Freitas 0419 626 155
ASU Spokesperson: Sally McManus 0419 433 419 Media: Laura Maclean 0423 377 567

     

Latest report on Indigenous disadvantage mirrors ACOSS findings

25 August 2011

The peak national community services body, ACOSS, says the latest report on Indigenous disadvantage mirrors its own findings showing that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are grossly overrepresented in the numbers turning to the community sector for help and being turned away.

The latest trend data assembled in a report titled Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage; Key Indicators 2011 released today shows improvement in only 13 of the 45 indicators monitored by the government - including in employment, educational attainment and home ownership. For 10 there has been no real improvement, while for another seven, including social indicators such as criminal justice, outcomes have actually deteriorated.

As chairman Gary Banks says in the forward of the report, "Nine years after this series was commissioned, there is still a considerable way to go if we are to fulfil COAG's commitment to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage."

"Our own latest snapshot of the number of people accessing community services shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accounted for 16% of all clients, which is more than six times their actual representation in the Australian population," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The Australian Community Sector Survey of 745 community organisations found a 34% increase in the number of people turned away from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support services. This represented a total of 20,516 people turned away or 56 people a day. And it was despite the fact that groups provided 22% more services for people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background in the same period.

"This increase was most pronounced in Indigenous support services (84%), alcohol & other drugs support (44%), domestic violence & sexual assault (28%), housing & homelessness (19%), employment/training (19%), and youth services (19%). Two-thirds (66%) of organisations said there was a high or medium level of unmet need for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support services.

"Clearly this paints a bleak picture that as a society we are simply not doing enough. The Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report released today shows things have gone backwards in important areas like imprisonment rates, child abuse and chronic disease. Sadly the indigenous imprisonment rate for men rose 35 per cent in the decade to 2010; the rate for women jumped 59 per cent. And last year, the Aboriginal imprisonment rate was 14 times that of other Australians.

"This is simply unacceptable. We must do better. ACOSS does not believe that many aspects of the current Northern Territory Emergency Response is the way to achieve better outcomes for the lives of Indigenous Australians. In particular we consider the policy of compulsory income quarantining to be wasteful, costing about $4,400 per person to administer and does little to reduce child abuse, its stated original aim.

"The Federal Government is rolling out compulsory income management to five other areas around the country from July 2012. ACOSS believes that instead they should sit down and talk with communities about local social problems and work with them on mutually agreed solutions, including voluntary income management where the community believes this would help.

"The current top down approach of policy formulation does not work. This is highlighted in today's Productivity Commission report which stresses that programs that include, involve, and better still are developed by local communities have a better chance of succeeding.

"Recently ACOSS supported calls by the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the Northern Territory for an immediate overhaul of the Commonwealth Government's intervention in Indigenous communities. ACOSS strongly supports a range of recommendations made by these representative groups, including:

* Replacing the current income management system with a voluntary system of trigger-based and case-by-case income management.
* Empowering and resourcing prescribed communities to drive solutions to alcohol misuse that are appropriate to the needs of individual communities.
* Delivering a non-discriminatory approach to law enforcement.
* Immediately cancelling the compulsory five-year leases acquired over Aboriginal land
* Commissioning independent research which considers qualitative and quantitative data in relation to each of the NTER measures, and to make this research freely available to the public.

"ACOSS remains deeply concerned by the Commonwealth move to extend this unproven scheme Australia-wide. It is a costly mistake that should not be repeated by extending the compulsory scheme to other communities.

"Now is the time to listen and try and get this policy right if we are to build on the continuing determination of community leaders to develop solutions that will work and reverse the worsening situation in these critical areas," Dr Goldie said.

About the Australian Community Sector Survey
The Australian Community Sector Survey 2011 (ACSS) presents the findings of ACOSS' annual survey of community services across Australia. The survey was conducted throughout November-December 2010 and covers the period from 1 July 2009 - 30 June 2010. A total of 745 agencies completed the survey, responding on issues relating to service provision, income and expenditure, operational, policy, and workforce issues for the community services sector. The ACSS is the only annual national survey collecting data about the non-government, non-profit community services and welfare sector. This sector is a major provider of the community services that most of us rely on at some point in our lives, but which are particularly important to people on low incomes.

Community sector unable to keep up with demand for services: New ACOSS Report
2011 Australian Community Sector Survey - Released 15 August 2011

ACOSS on compulsory income management
Invest in case management for long-term unemployed, not ‘wasteful' income quarantining: ACOSS - 10 March 2011
Peak community body supports calls for overhaul of NT intervention - 17 November 2010

Also see ACOSS Policy Analysis
Compulsory Income Management : A flawed answer to a complex issue - June 2010

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Community sector unable to keep up with demand for services:  ACOSS Report

15 August 2011

More people have been turning to community and social services groups for help, leaving services unable to meet the growing demand, according to the ACOSS Australian Community Sector Survey 2011 released today.

The survey provides the most comprehensive picture of how the non-government community services and welfare sector is travelling, and this year shows a 12% increase in assistance provided by agencies. Respondent organisations (745) provided services on 6,180,282 occasions in 2009-10 compared to 5,513,780 instances in 2008-09.

Despite the overall increase in services delivered, the majority of organisations (55%) indicated that they were still unable to meet the demand for their services. People were denied services on approximately 345,000 occasions, equating to more than 1 in 20 eligible people seeking social services being turned away. This represents a 19% increase on the 298,000 people turned away in 2008-09.

"These findings highlight the disconnect between the perception that Australia has fully recovered from the Global Financial Crisis and that most people are doing fine, with the stark reality that a growing group of people in Australia are simply not doing well," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The increasing number of people turning to the community welfare sector reflects the steep lag effects of the GFC, suggesting that the benefits of economic recovery have been unevenly distributed. It also reflects the gross inadequacy of basic social security payments, particularly for those who are not in paid work and the growing cost of living pressures more people are under, especially to keep an affordable roof over their head.

"This is borne out in the survey with nearly 50,000 instances in which people were turned away from homelessness and housing services, which equates to a total of 135 people turned away from these services on any given day in 2009-10 (22% increase on 2008-09).

"This is a worrying picture. It highlights the urgent need for sustained action to ensure people can have at least adequate income support and assistance to tackle the roots of disadvantage, as well as support for the vital sector that is crucial to supporting people and preventing further disadvantage.

"Our survey shows this growing need for help is placing enormous strain on community services with almost all services experiencing heightened demand stating that funding levels have not kept pace with the increase in demand.

"ACOSS welcomed the Federal Government's stimulus package following the GFC which went some way to alleviate the extra strain on people on the lowest incomes. We have also praised Commonwealth moves to remove red tape for the non-profit sector and its support for the continual viability of this crucial sector. However this latest survey is an urgent reminder of the reforms that are needed to achieve greater equality and fairness for us all." Dr Goldie said.

Key Findings - Australian Community Sector Survey

Services experiencing the greatest increase in demand:
• Residential aged care - 128% increase
• Financial Support Services - 50% increase
• Emergency Relief - 22% increase
• Support Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people- 22%
• Housing/homelessness services - 21%

"This rapid growth in the volume of services delivered has significant implications in terms of organisational and overall sector capacity. Without a commensurate increase in the level of funds available and the number of staff required to deliver services, organisations may be subject to significant pressures, stretching the existing workforce and organisational resources to levels that are unsustainable." (page 28. ACSS).

Services that people were turned away from in the highest numbers were:
(Total no. of times eligible people were turned away from specific areas of service)
• Housing/homelessness services (50,000 instances of clients turned away, which represented a 22% increase on previous year)
• Mental health services (33,444) -11% (37,571 turnaways in 2008-09)
• Emergency relief (30,333) 49% increase
• Youth services (21,862) 32% increase
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support services (20,516) 34% increase

Areas of unmet Need
(Organisations were asked to indicate the level of unmet need among their service users for supports and services that they as an organisation did not provide)
• Mental health - 89% of organisations identified as an area of high or medium need
• Homelessness and housing - 87% identified as an area of high or medium need
• Family and relationship services - 82% identified as an area of high or medium need
• General health - 82% identified as an area of high or medium need
• Emergency relief - 78% identified as an area of high or medium need
• Employment and training - 78% identified as an area of high or medium need

Profile of Service Users
Age - People aged 15-24 were overrepresented in service usage
• Homelessness & housing services - 34% of all clients were aged 15-24
• Family & relationship services - 21% of all clients were aged 15-24
• Domestic violence & sexual assault - 21% of all clients were aged 15-24
• Emergency relief - 21% of all clients were aged 15-24

Sole Parents - disproportionately high users of social services
• Represent 28% of service users despite making up only 4% of the general population
• Most pronounced in domestic violence & sexual assault - 59%
• Family % relationship services - 43%;
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support services - 40%
• Emergency relief - 39%; Housing & homelessness - 35%

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people - Across all services they accounted for 16% of clients, more than six times their actual representation in the Australian population
• Most pronounced in Indigenous support services - 85%
• Alcohol & other drugs support - 44%
• Domestic violence & sexual assault - 28% & Housing & homelessness - 19%
People looking for paid work - almost half of all people seeking help were not in paid work - 48%
(note: most services did not record clients undertaking some amount of paid work as ‘out of work'.)
• These people were mostly long-term unemployed
• 71% of people seeking housing & homeless assistance were not in paid work
• 67% seeking domestic violence % sexual assault services were not in paid work
• 56% of those seeking youth services were not in paid work
• 61% of people seeking mental health services were not in paid work
• 51% seeking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support services were not in paid work
• 28% of those not in paid work were on Disability Support Pension
• 23% of those not in paid work were on Parenting Payments
• 19% of those not in paid work were on Newstart Allowance.

Factors contributing to financial stress
(Financial stresses experienced by emergency relief & financial support service clients)
• Inadequate income support payments - 56%
• Lack of affordable housing - 42%
• Long-term unemployed - 34%
• Disability and/or mental illness - 32%
• Rising cost of household utilities - 25%

About the survey
The Australian Community Sector Survey 2011 (ACSS) presents the findings of ACOSS' annual survey of community services across Australia. The survey was conducted throughout November-December 2010 and covers the period from 1 July 2009 - 30 June 2010. A total of 745 agencies completed the survey, responding on issues relating to service provision, income and expenditure, operational, policy, and workforce issues for the community services sector. The ACSS is the only annual national survey collecting data about the non-government, non-profit community services and welfare sector. This sector is a major provider of the community services that most of us rely on at some point in our lives, but which are particularly important to people on low incomes.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155
(For interviews with authors of the ACSS report, agencies and case studies)

Pricing carbon pollution will deliver benefits for Queensland

10 August 2011

An alliance of Australia's leading social, union, environment and independent research organisations predicts significant economic and environmentally effective benefits for Queensland if the Federal Parliament backs legislation to price carbon pollution.

In Brisbane today, the Southern Cross Climate Coalition released its analysis of the Government's Clean Energy Future Plan, highlighting how it will help Queensland householders, workers and the environment.

The plan is a critical first step and has the potential to stop up to 1.1 billion tonnes of pollution going into our skies between now and 2020, while delivering more than $4.5 billion a year to households a combination of increased payments and tax cuts.

Australian Council of Social Service CEO, Cassandra Goldie, said: "The householder assistance package will provide people on low incomes with assistance to cover the anticipated modest increases in costs flowing to consumers. The Government has committed to maintain the value of payments through regular indexation and a review. We have some concerns about the adequacy of assistance for those on the lowest incomes, initially and over time, and will closely monitor the detail of legislation and implementation. Investments in energy efficiency are a useful start to helping low income households minimise their bill. We'll be working to maximise the employment opportunities in a cleaner economy".

"The pollution tax is targeted at the boardroom table, not the kitchen table. It provides our 500 biggest polluters with an incentive to cut emissions, while allowing tax breaks and cash payments to households," The Climate Institute CEO, John Connor, said.

Australian Conservation Foundation CEO, Don Henry, said Queenslanders must not lose sight of why climate action is needed. "This plan provides the foundation for Australia to start doing our bit in the global effort to tackle climate change and protecting national icons like the Great Barrier Reef," he said.

If well designed, the proposed $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation, to be funded with revenue from the carbon price, has the potential to help unlock Queensland's abundant solar energy resources, providing new job opportunities in regional areas.

The plan includes more than $13.3 billion over four years to help Australian industry and workers adjust to the carbon price.

"The Clean Energy Future Plan will help all Australian workers, including those in Queensland, be part of a clean energy, low pollution economy. Existing jobs will be protected and new ones created," Australian Council of Trade Unions President, Ged Kearney, said.

See new paper: Building the Foundations for a Low Pollution, Clean Energy Economy 

Media Contacts:
The Climate Institute - John Connor - 0413 968 475
ACOSS - Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155 
ACTU - Amanda Nguyen - 0418 479 455
ACF - Josh Meadows - 0439 342 992

DSP changes must include increase in unemployment benefit

30 July 2011

Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie today said that ACOSS is broadly supportive of the Government's attempt to give more people living on the Disability Support Pension an opportunity to be involved in paid work.

"However hand in hand with this the Government will need to provide more incentives for employers to provide real job opportunities to people with various degrees of disabilities. And crucially the Government will need to increase unemployment allowances, especially Newstart and Sole Parenting allowances.

"People on Newstart receive $128 per week less than those on DSP or Aged Pension, that's just $34 a day for all their living expenses like rent, food, transport and bills, which simply is not enough to live on.

"Unless there is a dramatic improvement in the job prospects of people with disabilities, all the tightening of access to DSP will achieve is to leave people with disabilities $128 per week poorer.

"There are already 100,000 people with disabilities languishing on Newstart Allowance, which is $238pw for a single adult because they cannot find a job. Employers, including the Government, will need to ensure they do their part, tackling discrimination and providing the right supports.

"People with disabilities usually face extra costs, whether it be medications or higher transport costs. It is impossible for anyone to live with dignity on Newstart let alone people with disability.

"We call on the government to finally and urgently increase this payment and reduce the gap between DSP and Newstart (as proposed by the Henry Review) that discourages many people with disabilities from trying their hand at employment.

"We must ensure that any changes to the rules do not just result in pushing more people onto these lower paying allowances - and unless they are increased we face the very real prospect of more people falling into poverty," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Tax forum an opportunity for long overdue reform of Australia’s tax and transfer system

28 July 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today welcomed the Federal Government release of a discussion paper for the national tax forum to be held in October, and urged the forum to be the turning point for securing a simpler, fairer and more efficient tax and transfer system.

"ACOSS is pleased the Commonwealth is taking the next step towards reform in this complex but crucial area of policy. Our taxes aren't high by OECD standards, however they are unfair and inefficient. We need to secure the revenue stream to meet the social and economic needs of the future especially with our ageing population," CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said.

"ACOSS has long argued for changes to make our tax and transfer system fairer, based on people's capacity to pay. In particular, we have led the call for Government to reduce waste in our tax system through tax minimisation practices of those with the ability to pay.

"We have consistently called for the removal of shelters and loopholes from personal income tax so that income from different sources is taxed consistently and there is less scope for those on higher incomes to avoid paying tax at their marginal tax rate. The revenue raised could be used to lower tax rates and/or improve services.

"We want a fairer, simpler and more sustainable system of support for retirement incomes, including reform of tax breaks for superannuation so that low and middle income earners obtain the same benefits per dollar saved as high income earners receive.

"ACOSS would also like to see a reduction in biases in the tax system that favour speculative investment in housing and other assets and inflate home prices, which leads to cost of living pressures.

"We are pleased to see employment participation and social security included in the agenda and look forward to being part of this all important process. For many years ACOSS has been calling for a fairer social security system for people of working age that encourages employment, in which levels of payment are based on living costs and need rather than judgements about whether people are unemployed or ‘unable to work'. Our top priority must be to implement the Henry Review's proposal to reduce the gap between pensions and unemployment payments, now $128 per week and growing every year.

"This is one of the biggest disincentive for people living on the disability pension to seek employment - the fear of being transferred to the lower Newstart Allowance. Newstart for a single adult is just $34p day which is simply inadequate to cover people's minimum 'decent' living costs. We will continue to insist that the Newstart, Youth, and Sole Parenting allowances are increased to a liveable level, as recommended by the Henry Review.

"In previous submissions to government we have called for changes to raise revenue efficiently, that is tax different activities in a more consistent way to remove economically harmful biases in the tax treatment of different investments and work disincentives.

"We are well aware that this will be a process and won't happen overnight. The Commonwealth will need to bring the community with them and this inclusive tax forum should be an important stage in building consensus on real reform," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS Papers on tax reform:
See ACOSS Budget Priority Statement 2011-12
Out of the Maze: a better social security system for people of working age
Australia's Future Tax System - ACOSS Evaluation

ACOSS welcomes agreement on carbon price mechanism

10 July 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today welcomed the Government's announcement to establish a mechanism for pricing carbon pollution.

"Effective and equitable action is vital to mitigate against the genuine threats posed by climate change and the potentially devastating impact on the poor who will be the worst affected," said Acting CEO Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine.

"ACOSS supports the introduction of a carbon pricing mechanism provided it really does have the effect, over time, of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging the transition to a clean energy economy. Today's announcement comes on the back of the hard work by the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee and we congratulate all involved in that crucial process.

"ACOSS has long argued that people on the lowest income levels will be impacted first and worst by the effects of climate change. This includes people reliant on income support such as pensioners, people with disabilities, sole parents, and the unemployed, who have less ability to adapt and spend a greater proportion of their disposable income on necessities like food, energy and shelter.

"We are therefore pleased to see that these groups will be assisted through compensation delivered through the social security and tax systems and by measures to support greater energy efficiency.

"However we are disappointed that compensation levels have been determined based on household income and not expenditure. This means that existing inequities in Australia's income support system will continue through the carbon price mechanism as those on lower allowances receive the lowest levels of compensation.

"For example someone on Aged Pension, Carers or Disability Support Pension will receive an increase of $338 per year compared to $218 for someone on the unemployment Newstart Allowance. This is unfair and brings a level of inequity into the compensation aspects of the scheme.

"In effect, the so-called ‘battlers buffer' builds in a $33 difference in the annual compensation between single pensioners and single unemployed people.

"It should also be noted that allowance recipients are not eligible for the Utilities Allowance of $10 per week, which adds to the inequity in the face of surging electricity and gas prices. ACOSS' view is that all income support recipients should receive compensation at the higher level, and all should have access to Utilities Allowance.

"ACOSS welcomes the important complementary measures in the package to develop clean industries and support households, workers and communities. This will go some way to support the development of new technologies, investment in emerging industries, skills development and household energy efficiency. ACOSS also welcomes the targeting of tax cuts to the lowest income earners announced in today's package.

"Setting the price at $23 per tonne, and targets of 5% reduction on emissions from 2000 levels, and 80% on those emissions by 2050, are all good starting points for a serious attempt to reduce our emissions. There is no doubt that we need to make changes in order to avoid the impacts of climate change, and as a wealthy nation Australia has a responsibility to play our part in the global effort. The impacts of a carbon price as modelled by Treasury will be manageable and low income households are being sufficiently buffered from these impacts'.

"ACOSS will continue to advocate for an equitable tax and transfer system as the carbon tax mechanism is refined and through the upcoming tax forum," Dr Boyd-Caine said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

 

ACOSS hails Commonwealth commitment to help community sector with equal pay

6 July 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today welcomed a Federal Government commitment to support the community sector in meeting the inevitable implications of higher wage costs resulting from any pay increases Fair Work Australia may award following the ASU's equal remuneration application.

"We are encouraged by today's announcement that the Commonwealth is committed to a strong and viable community sector and to helping the sector through this process. It is a clear indication that the Government accepts its responsibilities in funding effective and sustainable community services, including through decent wages," said ACOSS Acting CEO, Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine.

"This is a major step forward. The Commonwealth is taking responsibility for the services it supports by committing to fair and appropriate supplementation for higher wage costs. It is a recognition that the effectiveness and viability of these vital community services depends on adequate funding for those services and their workforce.

"In its recent interim decision Fair Work Australia accepted the irrefutable evidence that community sector workers are underpaid, mainly as a result of the gender make-up of the predominantly female community sector workforce. This is a significant gender pay gap that simply must be addressed.

"Responsibility for funding decent wages is shared by those who support and fund community services in Australia. That is why we have been calling on all governments to accept their responsibilities as the primary funders of these services. We have also called for ‘industry' support for the sector in recognition of the extensive contribution that community services make to Australia's economy and society.

"We are pleased the Government has indicated it will continue to work closely with the sector on the implications and implementation of equal pay. ACOSS will continue to work with the Government and with our members across the country to ensure adequate funding for effective and viable community services," Dr Boyd-Caine said.

The Commonwealth's commitment will be given in its forthcoming submission to the case before Fair Work Australia. ACOSS will be contributing to the final evidence before FWA through a joint submission from the COSS network.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

See more on Equal Pay Campaign: http://www.acoss.org.au/equalpay

ACOSS welcomes Government announcements furthering reforms in Non-Profit sector

4 July 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today welcomed the Federal Government announcement that Susan Pascoe will be the Interim Commissioner leading the Implementation Taskforce for the Charities Commission, calling it an important next step in the reforms affecting Australia's Not-For-Profit Sector.

"ACOSS congratulates Ms Pascoe on her appointment. Her extensive background in education reform at the state, national and international level, and her position on national taskforces and overseas delegations, make her extremely well qualified to drive this process," said Acting CEO, Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine.

"ACOSS has been calling for a national regulator to address inconsistencies and overly onerous regulatory processes across the sector. The establishment of the Commission will provide the framework for other important reforms to ensure a national approach to things like accounting standards and fund raising.

"We also welcome the Federal Government's release today of the Final report on the scoping study for a national NFP regulator and the exposure draft consultation paper on restating the 'in Australia' special conditions for tax exempt entities.

"While these reforms have long been championed by the sector, it is important to ensure that the sector is engaged at every stage of the process. The release of these reports provides further clarity about the Governments intentions and another opportunity for sector organisations to respond. We look forward to continuing to work with the Government and the Commission to see these long-awaited reforms take shape," Dr Boyd-Caine said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

See more ACOSS papers and work on sector reform: http://www.acoss.org.au/policy/sector_development/

ACOSS calls for boldness in response to climate change

27 June 2011

Australia's peak community welfare body, ACOSS, has called on the Government, the Greens and independent members and Senators to act boldly in response to climate change. ACOSS has also called on Coalition members and Senators to act in the national interest and to support the introduction of a price on carbon pollution, along with other measures.

"Climate change will affect all us all, but people who live in vulnerable situations and on low incomes will be affected first and worst," said Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine, Acting CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"It is vital that effective and equitable action is taken to reduce carbon pollution and ACOSS welcomes efforts by people from all walks of life to help us get the change we need. We need to build community understanding about the problem and consensus about the solutions. We need to understand the genuine threats posed by climate change and the opportunities for enterprise and jobs that will arise.

"The reality is that families are being impacted by many cost of living pressures. Whilst a price on carbon pollution will have impacts on costs of living, they will be modest and anticipated and the Government has committed to ensuring low income households will be assisted to meet them.

"ACOSS is working to ensure that low income households are given financial assistance to meet cost of living increases caused by a carbon price and that it is sufficient and properly indexed.

"As part of the Southern Cross Climate Coalition, ACOSS has been working with organisations including the ACTU, Australian Conservation Foundation, and The Climate Institute, to develop a comprehensive policy platform designed to lay the necessary foundations for Australia's transition to a low-carbon pollution economy.

"The platform emphasises the need for a price on pollution as soon as possible, supported by a range of complementary measures to develop clean industries and support households, workers and communities. A price on carbon pollution will support the development of new technologies, investment in emerging industries, skills development and household energy efficiency.

"We need to make some changes in order to avoid the impacts of climate change. A carbon price is one of the actions that will begin the process of transition. The impacts of a carbon price, as modelled by Treasury, will be manageable and households with low incomes will be buffered from these impacts. If we do not begin to make these transitions now, they will only become more expensive. If we just don't make transition at all, climate change will be unimaginably expensive and hit hardest those who can least manage to cope," said Dr Boyd-Caine.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

ACOSS Position papers:
ACOSS Carbon Price and Low Income Household Position Paper (ACOSS position paper)
A Policy Platform for a Low Pollution Economy (joint paper as part of the Southern Cross Climate Coalition)
Energy efficiency and affordability for Australian households (joint paper May 2011)

Media releases:
ACOSS welcomes Garnaut review but wants household assistance to be fair and equitable - 31 May, 2011
ACOSS supports carbon pollution campaign - 30 May 2011
Necessary foundations for Australia's transition to a low-carbon economy - 6 May 2011
Household compensation: direct cash assistance based on essential expenditure not income - 18 April 2011
ACOSS welcomes assurances on carbon price compensation - 13 April 2011
Community sector urges politicians to unite to find the right solution to reducing carbon pollution - 25 February 2011
ACOSS welcomes first steps towards price on carbon pollution - 24 February 2011

ACOSS welcomes Garnaut review but wants household assistance to be fair and equitable

31 May 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today welcomed Professor Ross Garnaut's continuing support for the introduction of a price on carbon pollution but maintained its view about the importance of household assistance being delivered in a fair and equitable manner.

As the peak body for the community welfare sector ACOSS is primarily concerned with low income, disadvantaged and vulnerable households. "These households are exposed to the impacts of climate change and will be affected first and worst. And these households are impacted by even small increases in the prices of essential goods and services," said CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"While we welcome the general approach taken by Professor Garnaut we have significant concerns regarding his proposals for household assistance and tax reform. He proposes that household assistance for those on the lowest incomes be reduced to pay for unrelated tax reforms. It is vital that social security recipients are assured that the average impact of a carbon price on their living costs is more than compensated by increases in their payments. We are confident the Government's package will provide that guarantee but Professor Garnaut's proposals, if adopted, would weaken it.

"Professor Garnaut suggests several changes to the personal taxation system. While ACOSS welcomes reform of the taxation system to make it more effective, efficient and equitable, his proposals are only part of the reforms needed and alone would not deliver equitable outcomes.

"More than a year ago the extensive Henry Review proposed a range of reforms. The forthcoming tax forum may advance this project. We hope that any reform is coherent, comprehensive and has a focus on workforce participation. But the design of assistance for households in response to a carbon price should address the immediate and continuing impacts of the price on carbon through the existing tax and transfer system.

"Professor Garnaut observes that there have been 'substantial increases' in benefit payments since the CPRS detail was settled. We welcomed the increase in the Age and Disability pensions by about $32 per week but at $365 is hardly generous. However the unemployment benefit, Newstart and the Sole Parent payments, have not been increased substantially. The difference between Newstart and the Age pension rates is now about $128 per week.

"Newstart is currently paid at $237 per week. A 2.5% increase would equate to $5.90 per week; a 1.1% increase would be $2.61. The modelled increase in cost of living for an average household, from a carbon price of $25/t was about $10 per week. It is grossly unfair to assess cost of living impacts on the basis of income let alone to provide assistance on the same basis and perpetuate inequities in our social security system.

"We therefore propose that assistance to households on social security be set at a flat dollar rate (adjusted for household characteristics) rather than a percentage of the payment they receive. This would be fairer and simpler and would deliver at least the same level of assistance to pensioners as the CPRS proposals.

"ACOSS has argued for increases to pensions, allowances and family tax benefits to be higher than modelled cost impacts so that no group is worse off, be reviewed annually and then assessed at the time of transition to a market mechanism.

"We support Professor Garnaut's suggestion that $400 million over four years be invested in improving end-use efficiency in low income households. Our view is that the carbon price should continue to fund investment in improving energy efficiency for as long as the mechanism operates. This is a sensible, practical measure that clearly addresses a market failure while supporting the intent of the scheme," Dr Goldie said.


Latest ACOSS releases and papers:
ACOSS Carbon Price and Low Income Household Position Paper
Necessary foundations for Australia's transition to a low-carbon economy

ACOSS supports carbon pollution campaign

30 May 2011

The peak community sector body, ACOSS, has welcomed the new efforts to build support for placing a price on carbon pollution, including the involvement of high profile Australians.

"Climate change will affect all us all, and those who live on the lowest incomes and in vulnerable situations will be affected first and worst," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"It is vital that effective and equitable action is taken to reduce carbon pollution for future generations, and ACOSS welcomes efforts by people from all walks of life to help us get the change we need. We need to build community understanding about the problem and consensus about the solutions.

"The reality is that families are being impacted by many cost of living pressures. Whilst putting a price on carbon will have modest impacts on costs of living, they will be anticipated and the Government has committed to ensuring low income households will be assisted to meet them.

"ACOSS is working within the NGO Roundtable and Household Assistance Working Group to ensure that low income households are given financial assistance that is properly indexed to meet real cost of living increases caused by a carbon price.

"ACOSS is also part of an coalition of groups, including the ACTU, Australian Conservation Foundation, and The Climate Institute, which recently unveiled a combined policy platform designed to lay the necessary foundations for Australia's transition to a low-carbon pollution economy.

"The platform emphasises the need for a price on pollution as soon as possible, supported by a range of complementary measures to develop clean industries and support households, workers and communities.

"We need to make some changes in order to avoid the impacts of climate change. A carbon price is one of the actions that will begin the process of transition.

"The impacts of a carbon price, as modelled by Treasury, will be manageable and households with low incomes will be buffered from these impacts. If we do not begin to make these transitions now, they will only become more expensive. If we just don't make transition at all, climate change will be unimaginably expensive and hit hardest those who can least manage to cope," Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155


Latest ACOSS releases and papers:
Necessary foundations for Australia's transition to a low-carbon economy
Household compensation: direct cash assistance based on essential expenditure not income
ACOSS Carbon Price and Low Income Household Position Paper

ACOSS urges support for means testing of private health insurance rebate

30 May 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today called on the Australian Greens and independent members of Parliament to support the Federal Government's policy to means test the private health insurance rebate.

"The rebate costs Australian's millions of dollars in tax expenditure each year yet it is a highly inefficient and ineffective funding mechanism. It disadvantages people on low incomes who can't afford the cost of private health insurance, and diverts vital funding from general public services," ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said.

"Private health services are almost completely out of reach for people living in remote and regional parts of Australia, whose access to health services is already significantly lower than those in urban centres.

"Most importantly, the rebate for private insurance has not been shown to relieve the burden on the public health system, despite being a key argument used to support the growth in the current rebate.

"ACOSS supports means testing of the rebate and allocating the savings generated to provide support to people on low incomes and those living in parts of Australia unable to access many health services.

"Means testing the private health insurance rebate would curb an inequitable aspect of Australia's taxation system. This is an example of a measure that would improve policy while simultaneously producing revenue savings that can be redirected towards improving affordability and accessibility of public health services.

"Cutting this rebate back is also essential if the COAG reforms to funding are to succeed in providing a more sustainable health system with better health outcomes for people in Australia.

"ACOSS is urging the federal Independents and the Greens to support this crucial measure," Dr Goldie said.


Key statistics

• According to 2011-2012 Budget papers, Private Health Insurance cost the Government $4.7 billion between 2010-11. With the introduction of means testing, this is estimated to shrink to $3.7 billion.

• The National Rural Health Alliance reports an estimated Medicare deficit each year of about $1 billion, and growing, between major cities and rural, regional and remote areas. This deficit has been growing at the same time as the growth in the value of the PHI rebate.

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has just reported that 1/3 of Australians delay or go without dental treatment due to affordability, an increase on the ¼ of Australians in the same position in 1994. This increase has occurred at the same time as increase to the value of the PHI rebate.

• Findings from the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation confirms other research demonstrating that affordability is a barrier to private health insurance, again demonstrating that the PHI rebate does not assist those already missing out because of the affordability of services.

Equal pay decision validates claim of underpaid community workers: ACOSS

16 May 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomes Fair Work Australia's decision today that community sector workers do not receive equal remuneration for work of equal or comparable value in comparison with state and local government employees, adding that it validates the claim of workers in this crucial sector.

"The workplace relations tribunal's ruling that gender has been an important factor in creating the wage gap for this predominantly female workforce confirms the claim that community and social sector workers are being short changed," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"We congratulate Fair Work Australia for getting it right. They have taken time to hear from the sector, visited workplaces, and come to understand just how poorly paid these vital workers are. It has clearly heard that this situation cannot continue and that the capacity of the community sector to do its work depends upon funding higher wages for this important workforce."

FWA have called for further evidence from the parties on the extent to which wages in the SACS industry are lower than they would otherwise be because of gender considerations. This evidence will be key in determining what kind of remedy FWA proposes to the problem of unequal pay for community sector workers.

"We would like to see a final ruling in line with the 2009 Queensland decision that awarded pay rises to community workers of 18-42% per cent. This is the bar if we are going to achieve wage equality in the community sector.

"We know the pay gap between community sector workers and those doing equal or comparable work is irrefutable. The tribunal today accepted this. And with 85% of the community sector workforce women, this constitutes a significant gender pay gap.

"Responsibility for this pay gap is widespread and includes the many sources of funding that go to the community sector. There's no doubt that funding will be the critical issue, and ACOSS has been calling on the Commonwealth and state Governments to step up to the plate and assume responsibility as the primary funders of these services.

"It's time for those funding commitments to come through from all governments and from all non-government sources of funding," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS membership reflects over 3000 community services across Australia. In addition, over 430 employers have signed the sector statement supporting equal pay and seeking the support of all funders to ensure their employees are remunerated appropriately.

Read about ACOSS' initial analysis of the Fair Work Australia decision in the equal remuneration case for community sector workers.

Federal Budget takes as much as it gives

10 May 2011

Modest investment in unemployed but benefit cuts and crackdowns rejected

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomes the modest investment in wage subsidies for unemployed people and the easing of income tests to improve work incentives, but criticises benefit cuts for some of the poorest people in the community including sole parents with teenage children and young people on New Start Allowance.

Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service:

"The budget holds promise - modest yet positive good programs and investments such as wage subsidies and the VET system that will definitely benefit some, helping remove barriers to paid employment. However, the ‘get tough measures' are unnecessary and will be counter-productive. Government has made a mistake by imposing ‘activity requirements' on people on social security which in many cases won't help them into employment."

"We are particularly concerned about the $56 per week reduction in payments for some groups of single parents with teenage children and the $43 per week reduction in payments for unemployed 21 year-olds."

"With the OECD estimating that two-thirds of children in single parents on income support are living in poverty, above the OECD average, this is retrogressive, and should be reversed. Parents need support to address barriers to paid work, but not cuts to basic incomes to meet their families' needs."

"We are delighted with the strong, positive National Mental Health Reform package to provide better support to people living with mental illness. This package is long overdue, and should receive broad support."

"We also welcome the announcement that the Federal Government will be introducing an independent regulator for the non-profit sector, better targeting of NFP tax concessions and introducing a statutory definition of ‘charity', as part of the 2011 Budget. This Budget commitment is an endorsement of the Government's support for a sustainable and innovative non-profit sector. Whilst we await the commitment from the Federal government to fund the Equal Pay case, this initiative is welcome."

"This Budget had to be tough on waste, not welfare, in order to get back to surplus. We are therefore pleased to see the measures on the health care rebate, the FBT on company cars, and the dependent spouse offset, and the removal of the low income tax offset for investment income of children. We hope that the government will build on this work in the ongoing tax reform and future budget processes."

Media Contact:
Bonnie Montgomery, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

 

Necessary foundations for Australia’s transition to a low-carbon economy

6 May 2011

 

An alliance of leading union, social, environment and research organisations today unveiled a combined policy platform designed to lay the necessary foundations for Australia's transition to a low-carbon pollution economy.

The platform emphasises the need for a price on pollution as soon as possible, supported by a range of complementary measures to develop clean industries and support households, workers and communities.

"There is no doubt Australia's future economic and environmental security requires the Federal Government taking action to reduce carbon pollution and grow cleaner industries," said ACTU President Ged Kearney

"Putting a price on carbon pollution with supporting policies is the most cost-effective way to bring about this important transformation to the way the Australian economy operates.

"This transformation can be delivered in a way that delivers new economic opportunities and real environmental benefits to Australians while effectively managing the impacts of this important economic reform," she said

"However it requires a response that balances the need to reduce emissions to improve environmental outcomes, with the necessary assistance for industry, workers and households who will experience short term impacts during this change."

The Southern Cross Climate Coalition (SCCC) platform calls for the Federal Government to:
• Follow the interim carbon price with a legislated pollution cap that covers all major and rapidly growing sectors of the economy
• Provide targeted assistance to industry, in particular trade exposed industries, that is balanced with support for workers, households and communities
• Ensure no group of low income households are financially worse off as a result of the carbon price
• Introduce a National Energy Saving Initiative that requires energy retailers and large industrial energy users to save a set level of energy each year
• Create a single agency to provide tailored financial support for emerging clean energy technologies so that Australia can then benefit from the commercialisation of these technologies
• Set emissions performance standards for new generators.

"A fixed price on carbon, while an important step that will help business adapt, does not, on its own, ensure carbon pollution levels will fall, so it's vital that we move from a fixed price to a legislated cap on pollution levels," said Australian Conservation Foundation CEO Don Henry.

"Australia can create up to a million clean energy jobs with the right policies, but we need them to be implemented as quickly as possible to drive investment so we can begin the economic transformation and support workers to adjust," said ACTU President Ged Kearney.

"People on low-incomes will be disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change, so we must take environmentally-effective action that protects the most vulnerable in our communities and creates clean employment opportunities," said Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Action is vital if we are to begin addressing the serious impacts of climate change, but equally vital if Australia is to remain economically competitive in the face of other countries ramping up their own low-carbon policies, said John Connor, CEO The Climate Institute

The Southern Cross Climate Coalition is an alliance comprising the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Australian Council of Social Service and the Climate Institute that is committed to reducing our economy's dependence on carbon pollution and promoting solutions to climate change that protect the interests of Australians both now and into the future.

Media contact
Bonnie Montgomery (ACOSS) 0419 626 155
Harriet Binet (Climate Institute) 0402 588 384
Josh Meadows (ACF) 0439 342 992
Rebecca Tucker (ACTU) 0408 031 269

 

Young mums need support, not a ‘crackdown’

5 May 2011

Thursday 5 May, 2011

Major welfare groups today cautiously welcomed some aspects of the Government's budget measures to support teenage parents, but rejected the proposal of suspending social security payments which would have serious and damaging consequences for young parents, especially those who are socially isolated or who have limited family and other support networks.

Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and Kate Beaumont National Welfare Rights Network Vice President said there was no need for the Government to include the suspension of payments in the budget measure and committed to spending the next six months leading up to the changes to convince the Government that a "big stick" approach is not necessary nor helpful.

"We welcome the additional $47.1 million to assist new, young parents with mentoring, parenting skills and other supports. With childcare costs being met by the Government, a major barrier that stops teen parents from taking part in education and training will be removed. Many community services around Australia have been crying out for greater investment in services to support young mothers."

"However, suspension of payments can lead to significant hardship and where very young children are involved, the risks are too great. Cutting off payments to parents with young children is an extremely blunt and brutal approach. An initiative designed to support young parents should not involve any risk of increasing levels of poverty or children being left without access to food, essential health care and shelter."

"The promised coordinated case management and individually tailored engagement participation plans could make a real difference, when the time is right, but only if this is done in a way that fosters a young person's confidence and skills."

"It is important not to overstate the number of parents who are teenagers in Australia. There are around 11,000 parents aged 19, accounting for just 2.5 per cent of all parents who are receiving parenting payments. There are around 446,000 parenting payment recipients, with 327,000 receiving Parenting Payment Single."

"We are also concerned that the way this measure has been publicised into negative stereotyping of young mothers on income support, about being poor parents, or resistant to receiving more support habitually reliant on welfare when this is simply not the case. It is the responsibility of government to challenge these stereotypes, and send a message of support and encouragement to young mums, as we lead up to Mother's Day."

"It will be critical for teen parents to clearly understand their legal requirements and obligations to attend Centrelink appointments as distinct from any requirements to take part in any 'compulsory' parenting participation plans. Under current legislation parents are required to enter into an Employment Pathway Plan and meet participation requirements only once their youngest child has reached six. Any activities must take into account family and caring responsibilities and the impact of any disability or illness."

Media contact
Cassandra Goldie, ACOSS CEO, 0419 626 155
Kate Beaumont, Vice President, National Welfare Rights Network: 0414 792 923
Gerard Thomas, Media and Policy Officer: 0425 296 882.

 

Community sector calls urgent national meeting as budget concerns about ‘welfare reform’ grow

28 April 2011

Leading community service and consumer groups - including Australia's major charities, disability organisations, representatives of single parents, and people who long term unemployed - will meet at short notice in Canberra today amid growing concerns over budget speculation about ‘welfare reform' proposals. The group will meet to urge the Government to take a positive, and effective approach to helping more people find paid work, amid speculation of harsh and punitive changes to income support payments in the upcoming Budget.

ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said "As a sector, we have been increasingly alarmed about the tone of the current debate and speculation about so called ‘welfare reform' measures in the Budget. We are concerned that the participation agenda to help more people into paid work risks being reduced to a contest over who can be 'tougher' on some of our most vulnerable members of the community, rather than about what is likely to work.

"We are also disappointed that policy initiatives may be developed in the confidential context of the budget process, rather than through open and inclusive processes, to ensure that policies are going to be effective.

"With labour shortages looming, we agree with the Prime Minister that we have a rare opportunity to help more people into secure paid employment, and off income support. In this goal, we are firm allies. However, it will be a mistake if the Government assumes that this will be achieved by imposing unrealistic ‘activity requirements' or harsher penalties for people on social security.

"The two million people of working age on social security payments are rightly worried about what the budget will bring and tired of the stereotyping and blaming. They want practical help to secure employment and a decent income if they are unable to do so.

"Groups working directly with people not in paid work have been saying that people need more support, not more threats. People looking for paid work need adequate investment in case management, skills and training, a paid work experience program, and incentives for employers to take people on. We also need to address the ongoing discrimination and reluctance of some employers to give people a fair go.

"Importantly, income support levels for people unemployed must be increased to above the poverty line. At just $34 per day, the Newstart Allowance has been reducing in real value over the last 15 years. Financial crisis and homelessness are not the foundations for getting back to paid work. A more adequate income support payment would also encourage more people on the higher DSP to take the risk of looking for paid work, as recommended by the Henry Review Panel, and the OECD. A minimum increase of $50 per week is urgently needed.

"There is no quick fix here. For the Government's participation agenda to work, it will require greater investment, not cost cutting, if job services providers are to properly assess the needs of long-term unemployed people. Currently providers are only funded to interview a person once every two months and receive just $500 to help a person to be ready for paid work, once they are long term unemployed. Employers also have a responsibility to do their bit, in partnership with government, to provide more support and advice to employ people with disabilities, Indigenous people, mature aged people, and others who have been locked out of the jobs market.

"Formulating the Budget is never easy, and the decisions will directly impact on people's lives. That's why we are urging the Government to approach this task with determination and courage - determination to ensure that those people in our community who are the most vulnerable are protected and supported - and courage to find the savings where there is real waste - such as tax breaks for those on some of the highest incomes in the country. Dr Goldie said.

Present and available for interview:
Dr Cassandra Goldie - CEO, Australian Council of Social Service
Dr John Falzon - CEO, St Vincent de Paul National Council
David Thompson - CEO, Jobs Australia
Maree O'Halloran - President, National Welfare Rights Networks
Michael Bleasedale - Co-Executive Director, People With Disability Australia
Sam Page - CEO, Family Relationship Services Australia
Leah Hobson representing Lesley Hall - CEO, Australian Federation of Disability Services
Susan Helyar representing Lin Hatfield Dodds - National Director, UnitingCare Australia
Therese Edwards - CEO, National Council for Single Mothers and Their Children
Kasy Chambers - Executive Director, Anglicare Australia
Paul O'Callaghan - CEO, Catholic Social Services
Rebecca Vassarotti - Executive Director, YWCA Canberra
Ian Yates - CEO, Council on the Ageing (not attending meeting but available for interview)

Media contact
Cassandra Goldie
ACOSS - 0419 626 155

 

Clamp down on tax breaks and poorly targeted spending, not essential social programs in Budget

20 April 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service is urging the Federal Government to focus on cutting wasteful and poorly targeted spending and tax breaks in the upcoming May Budget.

"If this is done, the Government can avoid making cuts to vital programs and benefits for people on low incomes," said CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"A balanced approach should be taken to removing waste from both the expenditure and tax sides of the Budget. Indeed, much of the waste lies hidden from view in tax concessions, which are not scrutinised as carefully as direct expenditures.

"Despite the current rhetoric, Australia is not a high taxing country - in fact we are the eighth lowest taxing country among the 30 OECD nations. The problem is not that Australians are over-taxed, but that we are taxed unfairly and inefficiently.

"Many tax concessions mainly benefit higher income people, such as tax breaks on golden handshakes and income sheltered in private trusts and companies. It is simply not fair that the tax rate an individual pays is determined by their access to smart accounting advice and tax shelters.

"In our Budget submission, ACOSS estimates that reform in these two areas alone (that mainly benefit people on higher incomes) would raise in the order of $2.5 billion per year.

"One option is to tax private trusts in the same way as companies as recently flagged by Joe Hockey. Another is to tax golden handshakes akin to redundancy payments.

"We do not support any overall cut in family assistance such as Family Tax Benefits and child care assistance. These benefits play important roles in preventing child poverty, boosting workforce participation particularly for women, and making the tax system fair for families with children. But they should be better targeted towards low and middle income families than they are now.

"In addition to the current child care rebate, other poorly targeted direct expenditures include the Health Insurance Rebate (for example the subsidy for ‘extras' cover), and the Education Tax Refund. These rebates go disproportionately to high income earners.

"The money would be better spent directly on health services and schools, and on better targeted child care assistance through raising the means-tested Child Care Benefit. Removing the Health Insurance Rebate for extras would alone save $1.2 B," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

See ACOSS Budget Priority Statement 2011-12

Household compensation: direct cash assistance based on essential expenditure not income

18 April 2011

Releasing its first official carbon pricing position paper today, the Australian Council of Social Service reaffirmed its strong support for the pricing of carbon pollution but said low income households should be given direct cash assistance that is properly indexed to meet real cost of living increases. And it wants assistance based on essential expenditure not income because of the inequities in Australia's tax and transfer systems.

ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie said, "While we agree that the taxation and transfer systems provide the best and fairest means to channel assistance for people on low incomes, the existing social security system is inequitable and inefficient, and simply basing cash assistance on income exaggerates these deficiencies.

"At the core of this inequity are the punitively low rates of payment for people who are unemployed, single parents and students, which sees people on Newstart, for instance, receive $128 a week less those on pensions.

"In 2009, ACOSS had welcomed the vital increase of $32 per week in pensions. However, people on allowances like Newstart are now being left seriously behind. Both the Henry Review and the OECD have recommended that Newstart and other allowances be increased by around $50 per week. This hasn't happened, leaving about 600,000 people having to survive on just $34 per day.

"Under the previous CPRS assistance for households came in the form of a percentage increase in pensions, allowances and tax benefits that tapered out as incomes rose. Whilst ACOSS supported this at the time as an administratively easy solution, we now believe it would have come at a personal cost to millions of people in Australia.

"By way of illustration and in round numbers, as designed under the CPRS, assistance for recipients of income support with a $25/t carbon price was an increase in payments of 2.5% to meet a 1.0% impact on the cost of living expenses for of an average household or about $10 per week (fuel excluded).

"For a single adult pensioner who currently receives $335.45 per week, 2.5% is $8.38; and for a single adult unemployed person in receipt of Newstart at $237.45 per week, 2.5% is $5.90.

"In both cases the assistance is less than modelled impact on expenditure of $10 per week. If assistance is based on household income rather than household expenditure, inequity in the transfer systems is perpetuated and exaggerated.

"ACOSS prefers that cash assistance comes in the form of a standard dollar rate rather than a percentage increase. The standard dollar rate should address the modelled impact and provide a buffer for unanticipated impacts, as occurred with the introduction of the GST.

"Cash assistance should address a range of household characteristics to a reasonable extent. It should be paid from mechanism commencement, and be indexed and adjusted annually. Compensation should address all cost impacts from carbon price, including retail energy prices and others like food.

"In addition to adequate cash assistance, there should be a significant and sustained investment in improving energy use efficiency in low income households. Energy efficiency measures should be implemented whether funded through revenue from the carbon price mechanism or otherwise.

"ACOSS also wants to ensure that the community services sector is not compromised by the introduction of a carbon price. Not-for profit providers of a wide range of critical community services are exposed to increases in the costs of basics like energy, food and fuel. Most are simply unable to pass through cost increases via higher charges but, instead, seek revenue increases or reduce services. Any diminution in the quantity or quality of these services impacts directly and immediately on individuals and households living in poverty and on low, fixed income households.

"ACOSS looks forward to continue to engage constructively on this important issue, because we believe pricing carbon pollution is urgent, and so is the need to get it right," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS Carbon Price and Low Income Household Position Paper

ACOSS wants housing affordability on tax reform forum agenda

14 April 2011

Today's release of the Anglicare Australia Rental Affordability Snapshot is another timely reminder of the bleak reality for people living on income support or low wages trying to keep a roof over their heads in our increasingly expensive cities and towns around Australia, according to the Australian Council of Social Service.

"We have known for a long time that there is a shortage of affordable rental housing across all major cities and even most regional areas. This latest snapshot illustrates just how critical that shortage is," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"We believe it also provides further evidence of an increasing inequality gap. ACOSS recently declared that the plight of disadvantaged groups and people struggling on low incomes is worsening, and that all indications point to more people hitting hard times and falling into poverty.

"Our soon to be released 2011 Community Sector Survey will show the number of people accessing and being turned away from services is increasing, especially in the areas of housing and homelessness.

"This issue has been largely forgotten amid the series of natural disasters and debate about establishing a carbon price mechanism. But now is the time for renewed interest and a national housing strategy, if we are to prevent more people from plunging into homelessness and poverty.

"ACOSS was pleased to hear Social Housing Minister Senator Mark Arbib recently announce the Commonwealth intention to overhaul the nation's public housing system, which we know is financially broken. The overhaul is a great opportunity and should be the focus of the next National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA).

"There is an urgent need for a fresh approach towards funding affordable housing in Australia, and we urge the Federal and State Governments' to use the upcoming negotiations for a new NAHA to explore new directions.

"ACOSS would also like to see this issue on the agenda of the National Tax Forum, which provides another platform to consider how Australian housing can be improved. ACOSS will continue to pursue this important issue as a member of the National Affordable Housing Summit Group," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

The Summit group includes National Shelter, the Housing Industry Association, Community Housing Federation of Australia, Australian Council of Social Service and Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Government and employers must do more to help people who are looking for paid work

14 April 2011

In response to Prime Minister Julia Gillard's speech, the Australian Council of Social Service said today that getting more people on income support into paid work will require proper investment in case management, skills and training, a paid work experience program, and incentives for employers to take people on. Those unable to find paid work straight away need more than the Newstart allowance of $34 a day to live on.

"We have welcomed the Government's commitment to supporting more people who are looking for paid work and have urged them to take up the participation agenda as a priority. However, we need to invest in what will work at this time in light of the current and future economic conditions," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The Federal Government must take up its share of responsibility to help those currently locked out of the jobs market to break back in, and financially support those who are doing it tough. Employers must also do their part.

"What's required is not tougher talk or bigger sticks. People who are long-term unemployed are currently living on $34 a day, in poverty, already expected to look for 10 jobs a fortnight, and must accept job offers or face having an 8 week suspension of their payments.

"What's needed at a time of near full employment is a serious evaluation of why it is that a group of people remain shut out of the paid workforce.

"The reasons include disabilities, age discrimination, and the mismatch between the skills of unemployed people (over half have less than year 12), and what employers need. These problems will not be resolved in a single Budget and the Government should consult widely and publically to set a blueprint for improving paid workforce participation.

"It will require greater investment in more case management so job services providers can properly assess the needs of long-term unemployed people. Currently providers are only funded to interview them once every two months and receive just $500 to get each long-term unemployed person job ready.

"In contrast we know the Government is spending around $4,400 to keep each person in the Northern Territory on income management with no proven beneficial results, and the intension is to extend that nationally.

"We believe this money would be better spend on intensive case management for people who have been out of paid work longer-term; the introduction of new programs including paid work experience for six months on a wage subsidy; and vocational training that's linked to actual work experience.

"Employers also need to do their bit, in partnership with government, to provide more support and advice to employ people with disabilities, Indigenous people, mature aged people, and others who have been locked out of the jobs market.

"Governments' have a dual responsibility for people out of paid work - to provide opportunities for those able to secure paid employment, and a decent income for those who can't. We must not lose sight of the vital unpaid work that millions of people do - caring for children and others in the community - for whom adequate social security is an absolute necessity.

"This has been the Australian way since Curtin and Chifley introduced our social security safety net and services to help people into paid work in the 1940s. The present system of employment assistance and unemployment benefits is not up to the task and both are in need of renewal," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

ACOSS welcomes assurances on carbon price compensation

13 April 2011

ACOSS welcomes the assurances given today by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, that assistance for low-income households will be a ‘priority' of the Government's carbon pricing plan.

"We have argued that as a matter of equity and fairness, low income households should be fully compensated to meet increases in the cost of living associated with pricing carbon pollution," said CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Modelling by Treasury and others suggests that the impact of a carbon price would be modest, if set in the range $20 to $30 per tonne of carbon pollution. Nevertheless, even modest increases in the prices of essential goods and services have an immediate and adverse impact on low income households.

"An increase in expenditure of $10 per week per household doesn't seem a lot for the sake of the planet. That's inexpensive insurance. Many low income households can't afford any insurance. And if you're living on $34 a day, every single dollar counts.

"The taxation and transfer systems provide the best and fairest means to channel assistance for households. This method also supports the purpose of a carbon price, sending signals to producers and consumers through changes in retail prices.

"However, the existing systems are inequitable and inefficient and, as far as possible, the design of a carbon price mechanism should not exaggerate these deficiencies.

"While ACOSS is supportive of structural reform of the income support and personal taxation systems, we are more immediately concerned by the punitively low rates of payment for people who are unemployed, single parents and students.

"A year ago the Henry Review recommended that Newstart and other allowances be increased by $50 per week. That hasn't happened, and the 600,000 people who try to survive on $34 per day are, literally, much the poorer for this inaction.

"The CPRS proposed a simple method of assistance for households, effectively a per cent increase in pensions, allowances and tax benefits that tapered out as incomes rose. This is an administratively easy solution but it would come at a personal cost to millions of people in Australia.

"To use an illustration, say that a carbon price of $25/t is projected to have a 1.0% impact on the cost of living expenses of an average household or about $10 per week (assuming that fuel is excluded). Assistance proposed under the CPRS (modelled impact plus a ‘buffer') was 2.5%.

"For a single adult pensioner who currently receives $335.45 per week, 2.5% is $8.38.

"For a single adult unemployed person in receipt of Newstart at $237.45 per week, 2.5% is $5.90.

"In both cases the assistance is less than modelled impact on expenditure of $10 per week. If assistance is based on household income rather than household expenditure, inequity in the transfer systems is perpetuated and exaggerated.

"ACOSS believes that ‘cash' assistance should be in the form of a standard dollar rate rather than a percentage increase. The standard dollar rate should address the modelled impact and provide a buffer for unanticipated impacts, as occurred with the introduction of the GST.

"Cash assistance should address a range of household characteristics to a reasonable extent. It should be paid from mechanism commencement, and be indexed and adjusted annually. Compensation should address all cost impacts from carbon price, including retail energy prices and others like food.

"We look forward to continuing to work with the Government and others on the detail of the carbon price mechanism, including assistance for low income households," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Recent ACOSS releases on carbon pricing:
Community sector urges politicians to unite to find the right solution to reducing carbon pollution - 25 February 2011
ACOSS welcomes first steps towards price on carbon pollution - 24 February 2011


More on energy efficiency:
ACOSS notes that electricity prices have doubled over the last decade and will likely double again over the next few years. Low income households have little capacity to reduce consumption, little in the way of discretionary use. The best available responses are to help with capacity to pay (by increasing pensions and benefits) and to invest in energy efficiency.

There are currently no federally funded, federally mandated, federally consistent household energy efficiency schemes in operation. ACOSS has previously called for significant investments in improved energy efficiency to begin ahead of the introduction of a carbon price. Improving energy use efficiency in the household sector is a significant long term project to be realised over time. Initially and over time investments for low income households could be funded from one or more of several sources including consolidated revenue, carbon price mechanism revenue, a national energy savings initiative.

Some of the revenue generated through a carbon pricing mechanism should be invested in improving residential energy efficiency, particularly for low income households. Improved energy efficiency can improve well-being, contribute to the carbon pollution mitigation effort, can in effect be adaptive to climate change, and can save occupants money by minimising energy consumption and expenditure on bills. In addition to beneficial outcome for householders such an investment has the potential to grow enterprises and jobs.

Australians agree: It’s time to support equal pay for community sector workers

12 April 2011

An overwhelming majority of Australians think community sector workers are underpaid and should be better rewarded for the work they do according to newly released polling from the Australian Council of Social Service.

Over 90% of people believe that workers in community services should be paid more than or equal to workers doing similar jobs in other industries, according to the polling conducted by EMC.

The findings come as Fair Work Australia prepares to retire today to consider the outcomes of the equal remuneration case, brought by the Australian Services Union on behalf of community sector workers.

Across all demographics the support for equal pay is overwhelming. 32% think they should be paid more and 59% think they should be paid about the same.

"We know the pay gap between community sector workers and those doing equal or comparable work is irrefutable. And with 85% of the community sector workforce women, this constitutes a significant gender pay gap," said ACOS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"This poll shows that the vast majority of Australians want community sector workers to be properly supported for the important work they do. Community sector employee's work with the most vulnerable people in Australia, in some of the most challenging environments and this should be recognised with adequate remuneration.

"Australia's wider not-for-profit sector employs nearly 900,000 people and contributes $43 billion to the nation's GDP. It is only reasonable for that contribution to be recognised. Government support is critical to achieve this, as much of the work of community services is funded by governments.

"Yet the Productivity Commission found that government funding routinely covers only 70% of the cost of delivering these vital services. It is workers who have been suffering as services stretch inadequate resources to support some of the most vulnerable people living in Australia.

"The success of the equal remuneration order before Fair Work Australia will only be as effective as the willingness of those who support the sector through funding.

"The challenge is now on the State and Federal Governments' to support the findings of the Full Bench of FWA in this important case by committing to full funding of equal pay for community sector workers," Ms Goldie said.


Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Q. People who work in community services such as disability, aged care, family support, mental health and counselling are predominantly female and tend to be paid less than workers doing similar jobs in other industries.
Do you think that workers in community services should be paid more, less or about the same as workers doing similar jobs in other industries? 

 

State-by-state

 This survey was conducted by Essential Research with data provided by Your Source. It was conducted online from 6th-10th April 2011 and is based on 1,084 respondents

Clamp-down on trusts and other tax shelters could raise $2.5 billion per year: ACOSS

7 April 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today backed calls by Coalition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey for family and other trusts to be taxed in the same way as companies.

"It is not fair that the tax rate an individual pays is determined by whether their income comes from a private trust, a company, or they earn it directly. Also, we know that trusts are one of numerous tax shelters and loopholes that enable well off people to avoid paying tax at the appropriate marginal rate," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"We've seen Governments in the past back-down on taking action following negative reactions by some sections of the community whipped up through fear campaigns.

"With Mr Hockey's support, now might be the ideal time to reach a bi-partisan agreement to finally tackle this enduring obstacle to building a truly fair and efficient tax system.

"At present taxpayers can reduce the marginal tax rates on their income by sheltering income in a private company or trust to take advantage of the 30% tax rate applying to companies or the income-splitting opportunities. They can also take advantage of the concessional tax treatment of large termination payments such as ‘golden handshakes', which in many cases are only taxed at the relatively low rate of 15%.

"In our Budget submission, ACOSS estimates that reform in these two areas alone (that mainly benefit higher income people) would raise in the order of $2.5 billion per year.

"Our submission also highlights that many tax concessions (tax offsets and deductions) are poorly targeted, benefiting taxpayers who don't need this form of public support. If the Government subjected tax expenditures such as these to the same rigorous Budget scrutiny as its direct expenditures, it could additionally save billions of dollars every year.

"This is big money at a time when the Commonwealth Government is looking for ways to bring the budget back into surplus and secure the funds needed for vital economic and social reforms.

"Despite the current rhetoric, Australia is not a high taxing country - in fact we are the eighth lowest taxing country among the 30 OECD nations. The problem is not that Australians are over-taxed, but that we are taxed unfairly and inefficiently.

"The status quo simply undermines the integrity of the tax system and public confidence that everyone is paying a fair share of tax, and its high time this was tackled," Dr Goldie said.

See ACOSS Budget Priority Statement 2011-12

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Punitive measures are costly and don’t work: ACOSS

31 March 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service is disappointed that Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott has decided to pursue failed punitive policies of the past that are contrary to what is needed to help long-term unemployed people and those with disabilities into paid work.

"This is not tough love, it's harsh and unnecessary, but also very costly, and simply won't work," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"We know that the employment outcomes from the previous Government's work for the dole scheme were poor with only about one in three participants employed 3 months after the program. It was also expensive with the average unit cost of the scheme being around $2,000.

"Income management has been even more costly with no proven beneficial results. ACOSS calculates that it costs $4,400 to keep each person on this scheme in the Northern Territory which was meant to tackle child protection and social disorder not to reduce unemployment.

"The official evaluation of the welfare to work policy for people with disabilities introduced in 2006 found less than 20% of those people with disabilities (who were shifted to Newstart Allowance) were in employment 12 months after starting on that payment. In most cases, all that was achieved was to shift them to a lower payment, with about 100,000 people with a 'partial work capacity' now on Newstart Allowance instead of the disability pension.

"Denying young unemployed people income support on the basis of where they live is not only extremely harsh it is unrealistic. It means peoploe could no longer afford to live in the areas where jobs are available.

"ACOSS has just wrapped up its national conference where reform of the system was a big topic among hundreds of groups working in the community welfare sector. The overwhelming consensus pointed to the need to work closely with employers and provide them with the incentives to take people on.

"Despite the fact that Australia's unemployment rate is going down , the number of people out of work for a year or more continues to rise, to over 350,000.

"It's not that these people are lazy or don't want to participate in some sort of paid work. The reality is they are simply being shut out and not getting a look in.

"People who are unemployed on Newstart for example, live on just $34 a day, and already have very tough requirements - we don't need to punish them even further.

"They are already expected to look for 10 jobs a fortnight, and must accept job offers or face having an 8 week suspension of their payments. And they are required to attend regular (fortnightly) interviews with either Centrelink or a jobs provider or have their payments suspended.

"We don't need a bigger stick, and we don't need to create another benefit to add to the complexity of an already complicated and highly bureaucratic social security system.

"The experience of the groups working directly with people who have been jobless for a year or more or who have a disability and want to participate in the workforce is that new approaches are needed. One policy solution is to provide incentives to employers, such as the wage subsidies already proposed by the Opposition. Another is to offer deeply disadvantaged long term unemployed people six to 12 months' paid work experience in a regular job rather than 'work for the dole'.

"ACOSS is pleased to see that the Federal Government's Social Inclusion Board is moving towards this model, which most groups that have been grappling with these issues for many years think is the sensible way forward," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

Inequality is growing in Australia: ACOSS

27 March 2011

The peak body for the community and social welfare sector, ACOSS, says it will use its 2011 National Conference in Melbourne this week to illustrate the worsening plight of disadvantaged groups and people struggling on low incomes, which it says is leading to growing inequality in Australia.

"The indications are that more people are hitting hard times and falling into poverty," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"At last count it was estimated that over 2.2 million people in Australia were living in poverty and 105,000 were homeless, but we believe these numbers are likely to be higher.

"Preliminary figures from our 2011 Community Sector Survey show the number of people accessing and being turned away from services is increasing, especially in the areas of disability, housing and homelessness, and youth welfare services. But the largest increase is in area of financial support and/or emergency relief, which has seen a 47% increase in the numbers of people turned away.

"The data is still being analysed and we expect to release a comprehensive report sometime in April, but the picture is already clear, and we are seeing enormous strain on community welfare groups. More than half the 745 organisations surveyed reported that they are struggling to meet the growing demand (54.8%). And the recent flood disasters are likely to have made this situation more acute, which occurred after survey period (July 2009-June 2010).

"Across our network, which comprises thousands of community and social services groups around the country, including the big charities, there have been reports of a surge in demand for emergency help during the Christmas holiday period, attributed to the accelerating cost of living pressures.

"St Vincent de Paul Society and Anglicare for instance, both reported a jump of about 30 per cent when most charities usually expect an 8-10 per cent increase for help around this peak period.

"We know the cost of essential items and services like food, rent, energy, health, education, clothing and transport costs continue to go up. In fact since 2000, the cost of living in Australia, as evidenced by the CPI has risen by 34% with energy expenses in particular doubling in the past decade and expected to double again in the next 5 years. And ACOSS believes this is understating it as the CPI isn't necessarily the best measure to reflect the disproportionate impact of the rise of essential goods and services for people on the lowest incomes.

"We know that nationally over a million low-income households are in housing stress with housing costs exceeding more than 30% of household income. 65% of people on low incomes in private rentals currently experience housing stress, with many of these households spending over half their income on rent.

"And whilst the cost of staying afloat has gone up, those people who some of the most reliant on our social safety net - people who are unable to get paid work - have not had commensurate increases in their social security payment - the Newstart Allowance.

"Although there have been some efforts by the Australian Government to alleviate these pressures, especially in response to the recent global financial crisis, with lump-sum payments to families, pensioners and carers, and increases to pensioners, other disadvantaged groups, such as those on Newstart and sole parents have missed out. Even when there are slight increases to meet increases in cost of living, these groups always receive less because of the way payments are indexed.

"Right now, a person living on Newstart receives just $34 dollars a day, and their last increase to cover the cost of living was less than 40c per day ($5.20 per fortnight). Newstart is now a massive $127 less than the amount received by people on pensions.

"We are particularly concerned about people facing long term unemployment, as they fall deeper into poverty and risk of homelessness. The number of people becoming unemployed long term continues to rise, despite the fact that Australia's unemployment rate is down to 5.0%. New figures released only last week show that another 6,500 people were out of paid work long term in February, taking the total number to 356,375 Australia-wide.

"All of this paints a worrying picture that challenges our long held notion of a fair and egalitarian society and requires the attention of our key policy and decision makers. We have urged action on a number of fronts, including reforms to social security payments, employment services, and our taxation system. ACOSS will use this week's National Conference to highlight these issues and allow community service groups working at the coalface to point the way forward.

"The Conference provides an opportunity for all of these issues to be put on the table and dissected by community workers, researchers, and government representatives, so we find ways to deal with these growing problems and reverse the current trend of growing inequality which threatens to make us poorer as a nation," Dr Goldie said.

Read the ACOSS Indicators of Inequality Factsheet>>

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

For full details, including sessions, speakers, and program visit our website: www.acoss.org.au 

Note to media: The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre advises media outlets planning to film at the conference must fill out a simple form obtained by contacting Jeffrey Harris on (03) 9235 8166 jharris@mcec.com.au.

 

Tax Forum a platform for long-term reform of Australia’s tax and social security system

21 March 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service has welcomed the Federal Government announcement that it will hold a tax forum in early October, stating that the forum will be an important stage in the ongoing effort to reform of Australia's tax and transfer system.

"The hard policy work was done with the Henry review, now it's time for the vital task of designing a next stage of key reforms to ensure a fairer, more equitable, and truly modern tax system," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"In this next stage of tax reform, we need to make sure we are asking the right questions - the questions that matter to the broader Australian community. As a country, how do we ensure that the tax and transfer system is designed to secure more equitable and sustainable retirement futures for us all.

"What needs to change to our personal income tax system so that those of us in lower paid jobs are adequately rewarded, and those on higher incomes pay their fair share? How do we use our tax system to improve the affordability of housing, perhaps one of our most pressing national concerns? And, importantly, how do we ensure a revenue base so that the most vulnerable people in our community have an adequate standard of living, and that adequate essential social services are in place?

"Our taxes aren't high by rich-country standards but they are unfair and inefficient. Instead of taxing different kinds of income fairly and consistently, the current system provides for people who are earning higher incomes to not contribute their fair share to our tax base.

"Well known tax shelters such as salary sacrificing on superannuation contributions, negative gearing for property investments, and 'golden handshakes' are poorly targeted, providing the greatest benefit to those who are already earning higher incomes. We simply cannot afford these kinds of inequities in the system, especially at a time when we are looking for extra savings to fund important social services to strengthen the economy.

"For people living on income support, our top priority for reform must be to implement the Henry Review's proposal to reduce the gap between pensions and unemployment payments, now $127 per week and growing every year. This is the biggest disincentive for people living on the disability pension to seek employment - the fear of being transferred to the lower Newstart Allowance. Newstart for a single adult is just $34p day which is simply inadequate to cover people's minimum 'decent' living costs.

"From our point of view, we need to see positive measures for supporting people into paid work and see this payment gap as a bigger disincentive than income tests and tax rates, which have received much media attention in the past week.

"We will also be looking to realign tax concessions on superannuation so that those who will struggle to accumulate adequate savings get the help they need as first priority.

"ACOSS has been heartened by the Prime Minister's assurance of targeted assistance for pensioners and low income households as part of compensation measures under a carbon pricing scheme. The first priority must be to protect the living standards of the poorest: pensioners, unemployed people and sole parents, through direct cash assistance. This cannot be achieved through tax cuts alone since one third of adults have incomes too low to pay tax.

"We look forward to a broad-ranging tax forum and the opportunity for direct involvement in this important process to help the community to shape Australia's future tax and social security system," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

See ACOSS papers:

Out of the Maze: a better social security system for people of working age

Australia's Future Tax System - ACOSS Evaluation

Invest in case management for long-term unemployed, not ‘wasteful’ income quarantining: ACOSS

10 March 2011

The peak body for the community welfare sector today welcomed Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey's call for closer case management to better support long-term unemployed people into work, but strongly opposes any further extension of the costly and unproven policy of compulsory income quarantining.

"Mr Hockey is correct to identity greater case management of people that have been unemployed for a long time as essential to better equip and help them into paid work. However he should now go the next step and offer bi-partisan support for greater investment in this crucial area," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"ACOSS has consistently advocated policies to improve employment assistance and incentives for people on income support. The main problem is not lack of incentive, but lack of work capacity or employer acceptance.

"We know that one in eight people on Newstart have some sort of disability; around 60% of people long-term unemployed have less than Year 12 education; and around one in three people are considered 'mature age' (45+). So it follows that the best solution is investment in employment counselling, rehabilitation and training to boost work capacity, and policies to encourage employers to take unemployed people on, including paid work experience.

"We don't believe compulsorily quarantining people's welfare payments is the answer. In fact this is the most wasteful thing the Government could do. We know from the experience in the Northern Territory that it costs about $4,400 per person on income management with no proven better outcomes.

"The only so-called evidence comes from people who had their incomes quarantined along with extensive case management, counselling, and other support structures. Despite persistent political claims, there is no verifiable evidence that compulsory quarantining of payments in itself makes any difference.

"This is why ACOSS insists that this money would be better spent on more targeted one-to-one attention of an individual's needs. In contrast to the huge amount spent on income quarantining, employment services providers only receive $500 to train and work with a long-term unemployed person, and are only required to see them once every 2 months. This is clearly insufficient.

"Now that there appears to be political consensus on the importance of case management, we look forward to seeing the major political parties working together to ensure the necessary investment follows in the interest of unemployed people," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

What a special way to mark 100 years of International Women’s Day – commit to funding equal pay!

8 March 2011

Today's celebrations to mark the special 100th anniversary of International Women's Day should be topped off with a Federal Government commitment to fund equal pay for workers in the female dominated community and social services sector, according to peak body ACOSS.

The Australian Council of Social Service has been leading the campaign to fund decent wages for sector workers, 85% of whom are women.

"Today is a day for women around the world to rejoice in all the wonderful achievements of the past century, which now sees women at all levels of society, making remarkable contributions to all aspects of both public and private life: driving social change at the community level, and building better futures, working as CEOs and company directors, leading nations, and changing lives," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"This is not to say that the job is done. This is both a day of celebration, and a day for renewed determination. Gender equality is a shared vision that binds all of us together, around the world, but has yet to be secured. We remember all women and girls everywhere who continue to experience oppression, violence, dispossession, poverty and early death, including in Australia. Everywhere, there is indeed a long way to go to reach true gender equality.

"This is nowhere clearer than in Australian workplaces where women still do not receive the same amount of money as men for work of equal or comparable value. And this is no more stark than in the highly feminised community sector.

"The current application for an equal remuneration order before Fair Work Australia provides an historic opportunity to redress this serious pay inequity. However a favourable decision will only be met through increases in funding from the Federal Government as the principal funder of services.

"We have urged both the Federal and State Governments to step up to the plate and commit to fund these crucial increases should the case be successful, and today is the day.

"I can think of no better way for workers in this vital sector to celebrate this auspicious day than by receiving a clear reassurance from the Commonwealth that they will honour what would be a great victory for all of us with commensurate and appropriate funding increases to meet the long awaited equity these workers have been seeking," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

More than 600,000 unemployed Australians risk falling further into poverty

5 March 2011

More than 600,000 unemployed people in Australia risk falling further into poverty as a result of the Federal Government's uneven indexation increases to pensions aimed at meeting increases in the cost of living, according to the Australian Council of Social Service.

The peak body for the community and social services sector today expressed concern that the twice annual indexation increases to pensions is leading to a widening gap between people on aged, disability and carers pensions and those on Newstart and Single Parents allowances.

"Whilst we welcome the indexation increases as crucial in helping people on pensions stay afloat, it is extremely distressing to see well over half a million people currently on Newstart falling further below the poverty line as a result of receiving insufficient indexation increases," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Because the government indexes pensions differently, people on Newstart are only receiving $5.20 increase fortnightly compared to $13.20 for those on pensions.

"This raises the already staggering gap between these payments to $127 per week, with people on Newstart to receive $238 per week from March 20 compared to $365 per week for those on the pension.

"ACOSS has consistently called on the Government to index all pensions and allowances in the same way - cost of living index and wages - so all people on income support are treated fairly and given the same level of lifeline support to meet the growing costs of essentials like rent, utilities and food.

"Unless this is done, that gap will continue to accelerate and lead to more and more people plunging into poverty," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

ACOSS welcomes consultative process on equal pay for community sector workers

4 March 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomes today's Federal Government announcement of a Community Sector Wages Group to assess the potential implications of pay increases for community sector workers across the country.

"This is a positive move by the Government as the process of implementation will be as important as the principle of equal pay itself," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The outcome we are looking to achieve is full funding by all governments, but how we get to that point is an important question and this process will work towards the answer.

"Through the ASU's application for an equal remuneration order before Fair Work Australia, there is an historic opportunity to redress the serious pay inequity that means workers doing important work in our communities are paid so poorly.

"But a decision to increase the award rates of pay in this sector will only be effective when the funding that delivers these vital services is increased to ensure decent pay for these workers.

"ACOSS has been calling for a transparent, consistent process of implementation across the country, and the Community Sector Wages Group will play an important part in this.

"As a representative body, the Group will enable the views of stakeholders to be reflected in the decision-making process. We will seek to work through the Group to ensure that the diversity of the sector is reflected. This diversity will have a particular impact on how services are effected by Fair Work's decision, which will vary depending on whether services are delivered by small, medium or large organisations, where they are located, how they are designed, and their reliance on volunteer or paid staff.

"ACOSS will be looking for avenues of support to the community sector as an industry that contributes so much economically and socially, to ensure it receives adequate and sustainable funding on an ongoing basis and so that this pay disparity does not emerge again.

"ACOSS will be working with our members including the state and territory Councils of Social Service to ensure a nationally consistent approach that incorporates the full diversity of the sector in any processes to implement a decision from Fair Work Australia," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

ACOSS 2011 National Conference comes to Melbourne!

1 March 2011

Challenging Inequality: Social action in an ever-changing world 

Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
When: 29 - 30 March, 2011

The national peak body for the community and social services sector, ACOSS, is proud to be bringing its 2011 National Conference to Melbourne on the 29 - 30 March, 2011. Our Annual Conference is the premier national event for policy-makers, researchers and those engaged in social services or advocacy.

This year's event promises to be one of the best in recent years with a dynamic line-up of high-profile speakers, panel debates, and delegate workshops and forums, to discuss and debate a wide-range of topics relevant to inequality and inequities in contemporary Australia.

These include: homelessness and housing; disability; tax and welfare reform; aged care, mental health; gambling; Indigenous health and disadvantage; poverty; climate change; the National Broadband Network; and reforms of the not-for-profit sector.

One of the highlights will be a panel discussion addressing the policy challenges of productivity, population and participation to be hosted by the ABC's Peter Mares and aired on Radio National's The National Interest program. Panelists for this session include Federal Minister Jenny Macklin; Opposition Finance Spokesperson Andrew Robb; the ACTU's Ged Kearney; Maria Tarrant from the Business Council of Australia; and economist Saul Eslake.

The conference will culminate with a lively panel discussion featuring well-known journalists, social commentators and community sector representatives to be chaired by ABC Melbourne Local Radio personality Jon Faine and broadcast on Radio National's Big Ideas show.

In addition to this packed two-day program, ACOSS will also stage various pre and post conference workshops and forums in specialised areas such as mental health; energy and cost of living; media and communications; and income management.

For full details, including sessions, speakers, and program visit our website: http://acoss.org.au/
To arrange media interviews contact Fernando de Freitas on 0419 626 155.

Speakers include:
Senator Bob Brown | Leader of the Australian Greens
Jon Faine | ABC Melbourne Morning Program
Saul Eslake | Senior Economist, The Grattan Institute
Patricia Karvelas | Senior Journalist, The Australian
Michael Gawenda | Former Age Journalist, The University of Melbourne
Julie Posetti | Lecturer in Journalism, University of Canberra.
Professor Ross Garnaut | University of Melbourne
Jenny Macklin | Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs
Andrew Robb | Opposition Finance Spokesperson
Ged Kearney | President, Australian Council of Trade Unions
Maria Tarrant | Acting CEO, Business Council of Australia
Dr Tom Calma | Co-Chair of the Closing the Gap Steering Committee
The Hon. Andrew Wilkie | Independent Member for Denison

Community sector urges politicians to unite to find the right solution to reducing carbon pollution

25 February 2011

The community welfare sector today urged our national leaders to work together in setting Australia on the path towards a low carbon future.

"This is a time for all politicians to unite on the sensible road that we must take, as a nation, if we are to reduce our reliance on high polluting forms of energy and secure a healthy and prosperous future," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"This is not a time to instill fear in people about the prospect of higher energy prices. One thing that is clear is energy bills are surging now and continue to increase in the absence of a price on carbon.

"The community sector sees the impacts on a daily basis in our work with people struggling to makes end meet. Low income households are already feeling the pain of increasing power bills.

"This is why ACOSS insists the Government address the gross inadequacy of income support payments, as a precursor to pricing carbon. We particularly need an increase in Newstart Allowance as recommended by the Henry Tax Review.

"People on Newstart are currently living on just $33 a day, which clearly isn't enough to live on now, and will get worse in the move towards a carbon pricing scheme.

"Our main concern is to ensure that low-income households are looked after because we know they have the least capacity to adapt or move.

"ACOSS was reassured by the commitment in yesterday's announcement that households will receive assistance in any final agreement. However there is still much detail to resolve and we will scrutinise proposals every step of the way to ensure we end up with a fair scheme.

"We will also insist on a high degree of investment in energy efficiency measures for households as a key part of the equation. This is vital if we are to mitigate the effects, adapt, and cut costs in the transition towards a low carbon future.

"ACOSS urges all political parties and the Independents to work together and include the voices and expertise of the community and other sectors in finding a solution, to ensure that we get it right," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

ACOSS welcomes first steps towards price on carbon pollution

24 February 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomes today's agreement between the Government and the Australian Greens on a pathway towards a price on carbon pollution, adding that it is a positive step forward and a major contribution to the debate.

"Finding a solution to the problem is urgent, but this needs to be balanced with getting it right," ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said today.

"We welcome the commitment to spend revenue on assistance for households and communities, and on the transition to a low-carbon economy. It's a big job.

"Low-income households will be affected by climate change first and worst. They have little capacity to cope, adapt or move. Similarly, they will be affected by even relatively small increases in prices for basics, essentials like energy and fuel.

"ACOSS calls on Government, the Greens and the Independents to fully cover any increases brought about by pricing carbon. Governments must also invest in energy efficiency for low-income households; it's about mitigation, adaptation, and cost savings.

"We also call on the Federal Government to address the gross inadequacy of income support payments, as a precursor to pricing carbon; we are particularly concerned about the need to increase the Newstart Allowance in line with Ken Henry's recommendations.

"Right now, people on Newstart are living on just $33 a day, which, for example, is almost $130 a week less than people living on the Age Pension. Newstart hasn't received a real increase for almost twenty years. It isn't enough to live on now, let alone when prices rise under a carbon pricing scheme.

"Any scheme must be effective in reducing carbon pollution, and do so cost-efficiently. It must actually bring about change towards a cleaner economy. The design of a scheme must not further disadvantage low income households. We look forward to working with Government to develop details of a scheme," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS calls for action to deal with rising energy prices

21 February 2011

Today's report on energy prices from the Australian Industry Group highlights the urgency of a political consensus on Australia's clean energy future, including a price on carbon and greater energy efficiency, but also adequate safeguards to prevent low-income households plunging further into poverty, according to the Australian Council of Social Service.

"The AIG report confirms that energy prices will continue to rise sharply, placing ever more strain on people already struggling to meet their day to day living expenses, including their electricity and gas bills," ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said today.

"Only last week we saw figures from the Queensland Competition Authority showing the number of residential electricity disconnections on the way up, with almost 20 per cent of these disconnections for pensioners or concession card holders. These numbers confirm a national trend.

"Higher energy prices for industry inevitably flow through to consumers as higher prices for goods and services, and there is no doubt that low income households are hardest hit by these increases. People who live on fixed, low incomes just don't have room to move. Something has to give.

"ACOSS has long argued that current levels of income support are inadequate and keep families and individuals well below the poverty line. For example, a person who is unemployed is currently living on $33 per day. And a single parent with two children is trying to make ends meet on about $70 per day. Neither of these groups currently receives the Utilities Allowance available to some others living on pensions, nor have their payments received a real increase in almost twenty years.

"The AIG report confirms that Australian industry and households have benefitted from relatively low energy prices. This report tells us that old fashioned energy from sources that cause carbon pollution will not stay cheap, regardless of whether we price carbon or not. ACOSS agrees with AIG that energy policy and climate policy need to be smart, coherent and aligned, which is not currently the case.

"Most households, like most businesses, will benefit from improvements in energy efficiency. Higher energy prices should encourage an investment in efficiency - house by house, business by business, across the grid. We need to begin that work now.

"We call on all parliamentarians to work together to develop a sensible energy plan for our nation. This should include a price on carbon, in order to provide the certainty that industry needs and lead the transition to a cleaner future.

"But critically it is essential that government action in the area of essential services includes measures that ensure disadvantaged groups, such as people who are unemployed, sole parents, people with disability and pensioners, are properly safeguarded," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS applauds Government restoration of National Rental Affordability Scheme

17 February 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today hailed the Federal Government's decision to reverse its planned wind back of the crucial National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).

"We had described the proposed cuts as ill-considered, short-sighted, and a grave setback for tens of thousands of people who desperately need affordable housing. In contrast, today's decision is sensible, considered, and must be applauded," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"This will provide a big boost in confidence to housing groups and the industry for an important program designed to increase private investment in low-rent housing at a time of growing affordable housing stress.

"We saw more evidence of the extent of this crisis in the recent Productivity Commission Report on Government Services which showed an increase in the number of adults and unaccompanied children turned away from shelters across the country.

"NRAS was only introduced three years ago and was just starting to gain momentum. Now investors can be confident that the Government is truly committed to the program.

"The scheme is working to build highly cost-effective partnerships between those investors, state and local governments and non-profit housing organisations, and help stem the tide of Australia's rental and housing affordability crisis.

"NRAS is an essential part of the solution to relieving the affordable housing crisis in Australia so many people are experiencing, and we commend the Government for listening to the many voices who backed the program from the start, including the Australian Greens, who recently joined ACOSS and housing groups calling for a Government rethink on the cuts in Canberra.

"ACOSS continues to support NRAS as a vital social infrastructure program," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS rejects calls for cuts to welfare payments to pay for flood reconstruction

14 February 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service today rejected calls for income support payments to be cut to pay for flood reconstruction, following the recent natural disasters.

"We have made it very clear to the Federal Government that cuts to welfare payments, including Disability Support Pensions, would be the wrong approach to take. You don't help one group of people by plunging another into poverty," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Any such move would only increase the hardship for people who are already among the most disadvantaged in society.

"We repeat our call for the Parliament to pass the Flood Levy. In addition, the Government should focus on finding savings in the national Budget by removing tax breaks and concessions that unfairly benefit higher income earners - not cutting essential programs and services or income support payments. For example, this is an ideal time for the Government in its search for savings to crack down on tax breaks on golden handshakes and removal of tax shelters on private discretionary trusts, which would raise about $2.5 billion per year.

"If we are serious about lifting workforce participation rates, we should not be cutting already inadequate income support payments. In fact, both the Henry Tax Review and the OECD recommend lifting the Newstart payment for people who are unemployed by about $50 per week. Right now, someone on Newstart is living on $33 a day.

"The way to help people get back into work is to provide them with the necessary skills, training and incentives, and ensure there is a job for them to take up at the end of it.

"In our pre-budget submission ACOSS proposes more intensive help for the long term unemployed, including a six months paid work experience scheme in a regular job

"We also propose a boost to Job Services Australia funding after the current review process, to ensure more targeted help that will get people on income support into paid work.

"The Government should also ease the Newstart Allowance income test for sole parents and people with disabilities to make part-time paid work financially worthwhile, Dr Goldie said"

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Oral and mental health the missing link in health agreement: ACOSS

14 February 2011

Australia's peak community sector body today welcomed the COAG agreements on health as an indication of progress towards reform by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the states and territories. However ACOSS remains concerned about outstanding areas of reform, specifically improved access to primary care including in the crucial areas of oral and mental health.

"Obviously a deal is important to ensure progress towards health reform," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"There is no doubting that things such as moving to a single funder, a new focus and investment in primary care, and more efficiency and accountability measures are all positive steps forward. However no health agreement can be complete without dealing with the areas where the majority of people need to access services to stay well, namely through effective, community-based primary care."

"In particular, there are glaring omissions in the areas of improved mental health and timely and accessible oral health services. These must be priorities if we are talking about reform of our health system as a whole.

"ACOSS believes that the structure of health funding is important as it remains one of the drivers of inequity in our health system. Even with an over-reliance on private health insurance and an expectation that consumers contribute to out of pocket costs for many core services, many people are still unable to access timely, quality services when they need them.

"But the reforms that will make a difference to people missing out on good health, particularly those living on low incomes or in communities isolated from timely services, are about adequate, effective community-based services. People living in rural and remote areas of Australia face even greater disadvantages when it comes to accessing timely, affordable and effective health care.

"ACOSS calls for the community sector, including specialist health and general services, to be engaged directly in the health reform process. Many of our community organisations are already engaging with people unable to access proper health services. Let's build on the community sector's capacity and expertise in working with people on low incomes and in disadvantaged communities," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

Amend Family Tax Benefit so disadvantaged youth don’t miss out: ACOSS

11 February 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomes the Federal Government's legislation to increase Family Tax Benefits to help families meet the cost of raising teenagers.

The Minister for Families and Community Services, Jenny Macklin introduced legislation into Parliament yesterday that would see the maximum payment rate of Family Tax Benefit Part A increase by more than $160 per fortnight for teenagers aged 16 to 19 who are living at home, in secondary school or equivalent vocational training.

"ACOSS is pleased the Government appears to be listening to the concerns of parents and the community sector, who have been calling for this for a long time," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Far from being ‘wasteful spending' FTB is an essential tool to reduce poverty and help families struggling with the costs of raising children.

"Families on low incomes rely on family payments to help with essentials, such as food, clothes, school books and housing expenses. We also know that teenagers from families on low incomes are at high risk of leaving education and training if their families are unable to give them financial support.

"So we strongly support this positive move. However, ACOSS is concerned that up to 10,000 disadvantaged young people living with parents on low incomes could miss out on the payment increases because they are unable to attend school or other training fulltime. The training requirement should be flexible enough to take account of their circumstances.

"These young people are now on Youth Allowance, which offers greater flexibility for the most disadvantaged young people - such as those who are homeless or have mental health conditions - to combine training with employment or other activities, or to be exempted from the requirements when they are unable to meet them.
"However, the Youth Allowance is not being increased to the same level as the Family Tax Benefit so those still on Youth Allowance will miss out on the payment increases," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Alliance urges Government rethink of cuts to National Rental Affordability Scheme

8 February 2011

The National Affordable Housing Summit has arrived in Canberra to urge the Federal Government to reverse its plan to cut subsidies for private investment in low-rent housing through the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).

The group said today:

"The Government's proposed cut is ill-considered, alarmingly short-sighted, and a grave setback for tens of thousands of people who desperately need affordable housing.


"NRAS provides subsidies for private investors who agree to build new rental housing and charge rents at least 20% below market rates. It creates highly cost-effective partnerships between those investors, State and local governments and non-profit housing organisations. It avoids the problems of stigma and tension which can afflict large housing estates.

"The scheme was established three years ago and, despite the GFC, has been gathering good momentum as potential participants begin to appreciate its strengths. A similar scheme in the US took more than five years to gather similar momentum but has now operated very successfully for more than twenty years.

"The Government promised enough funding to develop 50,000 dwellings, with a further 50,000 if needed, but has now capped the scheme at 35,000. This cut is already severely threatening the plans of housing providers who have developed their operations to utilise the scheme and is eroding the confidence of potential investors. A scheme of this kind cannot be turned on and off like a tap.

The chair of the Summit group, Julian Disney said, "it is essential that the responsible Minister, Tony Burke, announces in his forthcoming statement on affordable housing that growth to the promised total of 50,000 dwellings will resume by no later than 2014 and be achieved by 2015."

For further information and interviews, contact Fernando de Freitas on 0419 626 155

The Summit group includes National Shelter, the Housing Industry Association, Community Housing Federation of Australia, Australian Council of Social Service and Australian Council of Trade Unions.

ACOSS urges Parliament to pass flood levy

7 February 2011

Cut wasteful tax breaks, not essential programs or income support payments

A delegation of leading community and welfare groups, including Australia's major charities, has arrived in Canberra to urge the Federal Parliament to include them in the decision making process in the response to the reconstruction of devastated communities in Queensland following the recent floods and Cyclone Yasi.

They are calling on the Federal Government to focus on cutting costs in the national Budget, such as removing tax breaks and concessions that unfairly benefit higher income earners instead of cutting essential programs and services.

And they warn the Government against any rash move to reduce the disability support benefit as recently flagged in media reports, saying that this would only exacerbate the hardship of people who are already among the most disadvantaged in society.

"Our call for Parliament to act quickly is motivated by the need to ensure that people receive the help they need to rebuild their lives and their communities," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The community sector is at the forefront of these disasters - major charities like St Vincent de Paul, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Social Services, Anglicare and UnitingCare - assisting people on the ground to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

"Given this crucial role these groups are playing, we are clearly an essential part of the solution. We are extremely disappointed to have been left out of the Government's Flood Taskforce.

"There is also widespread concern among our groups about the implications of further spending cuts to cover the economic cost of these disasters, especially for the future of essential programs and services.

"Already the Government has announced cuts to the important National Rental Affordability Scheme, which is a grave mistake considering it was designed to address homelessness and add to the supply of low-cost housing at a time of desperate need. Australia is experiencing an acute crisis in the affordable housing market, which will be made worse by these recent events.

"We don't want to see cuts to vital programs in order to deal with unexpected expenditures. People are already under enough stress, and those socially vulnerable or struggling financially should not have to pay to meet the Governments self-imposed fiscal constraints.

"This is the principle reason for ACOSS, as the peak body of the community sector, to support a flood levy. As long as it is progressive and exempts those most disadvantaged in society, ACOSS believes it could have gone even further to cover more of the anticipated cost of the damage so essential programs are not compromised.

"To find savings, the Government should look at cracking down on poorly targeted spending and concessions in the federal Budget.

"In particular, tax concessions that mainly benefit higher income people, like tax breaks on golden handshakes and removal of tax shelters on private discretionary trusts, which we calculate would raise in the order of $2.5 billion per year. We need to secure the funds needed for vital economic and social reforms." Dr Goldie said.

"The Government is still planning on dramatically extending Australia's submarine fleet, at an estimated cost of $3 billion dollars per submarine for 12 submarines. It is time for us to re-think our budget priorities. We need to find homes for people who don't have them, whether their homelessness was caused by a flood, a cyclone, unemployment or by shifting economic sands," said Frank Quinlan, National Director, Catholic Social Services.

The delegation has applauded the Prime Minister for making workforce participation one of her national priorities but highlights that this is not a quick fix and will require a substantial and long term investment.

"Improving workforce participation is central to reducing poverty in Australia, estimated as affecting about 2 million people. We urge the Government to take this opportunity to draw on the Henry Review's recommendations to promote positive measures for supporting people into paid work.

These measures include:

• reducing the gap between Newstart Allowance and pensions by raising Newstart Allowance by $50. With the weekly gap between the Newstart payment ($33 per day) and those for people of DSP being $130 - this is an urgent priority
• more intensive help for the long term unemployed - including a six months paid work experience scheme in a regular job
• boosting Job Services Australia funding after the current review process, so we have more targeted help that will get people on income support into paid work, and
• easing the Newstart Allowance income test for sole parents and people with disabilities - to make part-time paid work financially worthwhile.

"You don't build long term workforce participation by keeping people on unemployment benefits below the poverty line. People on the edges of the labour market deserve to live with dignity. The Government knows this. We call for genuine welfare reforms that flow from this reality," said John Falzon, CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society.

"If the Government's participation agenda is little more than simply moving people with disabilities onto the lower-paying Newstart Allowance, it will fail.

"The fear of ending up on a lower payment means that instead of looking for work, many spend their energies trying to continually "prove" eligibility for the Disability Support Pension, afraid to take the opportunities that are available," said Maree O'Halloran, President, National Welfare Rights Network.

"Given the community sector's extensive experience in working disadvantaged communities, including the crucial role our groups are playing in the rebuilding process in Queensland, our voice needs to be heard in the big decisions our leaders are about to make," Dr Goldie said.

"This is why we have come to Canberra on the first parliamentary week of the year. We do not want to see rushed decisions that will further adversely impact people's lives, especially those already disadvantaged and marginalised in Australian society. Our voice should be heard and included in this decision making."

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Click here to read what the welfare and community sector are asking for>>

Present and available for interview:
Dr Cassandra Goldie - CEO, Australian Council of Social Services
Dr John Falzon - CEO, St Vincent de Paul Society
Maree O'Halloran - President, National Welfare Rights Network
Frank Quinlan - National Director, Catholic Social Services
Roslyn Dundas - Executive Director, ACT Council of Social Services

Also available for interview after the press conference:
Major Brad Halse, Media Spokesperson, Australian Salvation Army

And supported by ACOSS Members: UnitingCare Australia, Anglicare, and more than three thousand services groups through the network of state and territory Councils of Social Service.

ACOSS welcomes ‘win win’ focus on workforce participation

2 February 2011

ACOSS today welcomed the Prime Minister's plan to improve workforce participation, especially for people on income support.

"Improving workforce participation is a ‘win win' policy for people on social security and the economy. ACOSS has consistently advocated policies to improve employment assistance and incentives for jobless people on income support," said ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"One of biggest disincentives is the $130 per week gap between Newstart Allowance (NSA) and Disability Support Pension (DSP). If the payments were equal, then fewer people with disabilities would need to claim the pension.

"Restricting the recent social security increases to pensioners made matters worse. To redress this inequity, we support the Henry proposals for a $50pw boost to single unemployment payments, which are currently only $235 per week.

"There are also major disincentives for sole parents and people with disabilities on NSA to take up part time work - on the pension they only lost 40 cents in benefits per dollar earned , on NSA they lose 60 cents. This often means that there is no financial reward for working 2-3 days a week on minimum wages (which is often the only work social security recipients can get).

"There was a rule under the previous Coalition Government that parents cannot be forced to take up a job unless they are $20pw better off after tax and child care costs, but this is not being enforced.

"But the main problem is not lack of incentive, it is lack of work capacity or employer acceptance: around one in eight NSA recipients are assessed as having a disability, and one in four long term unemployed recipients has less than Year 12 education, and around in six NSA recipients are of mature age (50+).

"So the main solution is investment in employment counselling and training to boost work capacity and policies to encourage employers to take unemployed people on, such as wage subsidies and more help to employers to adapt workplaces for people with disabilities (for example employment services could guarantee that trained relief staff are available when someone with an episodic illness cannot attend work).

"At present, Job Services Australia providers get enough funding to pay for an interview every 2 months and $500 for training and other assistance for a typical long term unemployed person. In its submission to the Government on JSA, ACOSS is urging the Government to invest more in employment services because this will save money and improve lives in the long run, especially where people would otherwise remain on income support for a long time," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS welcomes equal pay hearings as opportunity to hear voice of undervalued community workers

31 January 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomes the start of hearings today in the landmark equal remuneration case for social and community sector and disability workers across Australia, adding that it will provide an opportunity for the overwhelming evidence to be presented of the level of undervaluing of these vital workers.

The evidence before Fair Work Australia will enable community sector workers to explain about the important work they do and the poor levels of pay they receive in a significant test case brought about by the Australian Services Union, and fully supported by ACOSS as the peak body for the sector.

"We know the pay gap between community sector workers and those doing equal or comparable work is irrefutable. And with 85% of the community sector workforce women, this constitutes a significant gender pay gap," said ACOS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Responsibility for this pay gap is widespread and includes the many sources of funding that go to the community sector. As governments have increasingly outsourced their social services to community organisations, so too they should be at the forefront of funders acknowledging the extent of the problem and their responsibility in helping to address it.

"A body of evidence, including the ACOSS Australian Community Sector Survey, has long revealed that capacity to attract and retain workers is the single biggest industrial issue facing community organisations.

"Governments and other community sector funders have to step up to the plate and assume responsibility for this pay gap, as well as the implications for the sustainability of the crucial services that they fund if the pay gap is not corrected.

"The equal remuneration application currently before Fair Work Australia presents an opportunity for pay rates to increase in a controlled environment, with a sufficient lead in time and a staggered implementation to help minimise the impact on sector organisations and funders. Alternatively, funders will face a looming crisis as services start closing due to lack of adequate staff.

"ACOSS will continue to lead the campaign for decent wages for sector workers, which we have consistently argued will only be achieved through a nationally consistent approach that recognises the significant extent of funding of the sector by all levels of government around the country," Dr Goldie said.

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

See more on ACOSS equal pay campaign

Also see previous ACOSS Community Sector Survey: Latest survey due for release in March 2011

ACOSS supports floods levy but questions proposed spending cuts

27 January 2011

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomes the Federal Government's prompt action to fund essential work to restore infrastructure damaged by the floods in Queensland, including the imposition of a temporary flood disaster levy, but believes spending cuts in high priority areas such as affordable housing should be avoided.

"Overall we are pleased that the Federal Government has acted quickly to support the vital reconstruction efforts of the Queensland Government and support the idea that all Australians with the means to contribute to this effort do so through a flood disaster levy," ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie said today.

"This is similar in principle to previous levies for purposes such as the buy-back of guns after the Port Arthur massacre, which were widely supported. An income tax levy with an exemption for low income earners is the fairest approach.

"The main weakness of the proposed levy is that it covers less than one-third of the predicted flood costs leaving the rest to be met through spending cuts in other areas. However, ACOSS supports the use of cuts in poorly targeted spending to assist with the reconstruction effort.

"Indeed we have called for more action to rein in poorly targeted spending in the Federal Budget, including tax concessions that mainly benefit high income Australians. For instance tax breaks on golden handshakes and removal of tax shelters on private discretionary trusts would have raised in the order of $2.5 billion per year.

"ACOSS is disappointed that some of the spending cuts affect programs that are vital to improve the living standards of people on low incomes, especially the National Rental Affordability Scheme which is being cut at a time of great need for affordable housing, both before and after the floods. The axed Greenstart scheme also had the potential to assist low income households to reduce their energy costs.

"ACOSS is supportive of the other proposed cuts to the carbon abatement scheme, which on the whole were not efficient and well directed programs. Nevertheless it is important that the partnership agreement with the Queensland government requires reconstruction to be done in accordance with high standards of energy and water efficiency, and for proofing against future climate-related risks.

"The community and social services sector is playing a crucial role on the ground assisting those most affected by these floods and therefore has a key role to play in the decision making process, including the Flood Taskforce," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Also see ACOSS Opinion piece: ‘Responding to a national crisis: business not the only voice in town'

ACOSS welcomes next steps in sector reform

15 December 2010

The Australian Council of Social Service has welcomed the announcement of the members of the Not-for-Profit Reform Council, made yesterday by Minister for Social Inclusion Tanya Plibersek. ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie was amongst the successful nominations for the Council of 12 members.

"ACOSS has strongly promoted the current priorities for sector reform by the Australian Government and we look forward to working with the Council to see these reforms take shape," said Dr Goldie.

The Government has signalled that the Reform Council will provide expert advice in relation to the reforms to the not-for-profit sector, including those recommended by the Productivity Commission in its key study into the contribution of the sector released earlier this year.

Dr Goldie said, "ACOSS nominated for this Council to ensure that advice to the Government on these important reforms will be informed by the almost 3000 members of the network of Councils of Social Service across the country. We are also delighted that ACOSS members Anglicare and Catholic Social Services Australia have also been successful in their nominations.

"First and foremost, we need a national regulator to address inconsistencies and overly onerous regulatory processes across the sector. The establishment of the regulator will then provide the framework for other important reforms such as the modernisation of the definition of charity, which is outdated and leaves the sector vulnerable through the lack of clarity in relation to current practices," said Dr Goldie.

"An equally important area of reform for ACOSS members are the contracting processes between community organisations and the Government. As contracting is the key driver of many relationships between government and social services, it is a key focus for ensuring that the principles of the National Compact are embraced throughout the extent of interaction between these two sectors.

"ACOSS advice to the NFP Reform Council will draw on the priorities outlined in our analysis of the Productivity Commission's report, and from our submission to the Productivity Commission's study which drew on extensive national consultations across the sector. ACOSS has long been involved in these issues, working with our members and with other key bodies such as the National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations to develop policy recommendations for these reforms."

Media contact
Fernando de Freitas
ACOSS - 0419 626 155

ACOSS calls for national commitment to tackle growing inequality in Australia

10 December 2010

ACOSS STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie has used a speech to mark International Human Rights Day to declare that the community sector is more relevant today than ever before as evidence mounts of the growing gulf between those who have plenty and those who are struggling to make ends meet.

"Despite the economic recovery and relatively low unemployment the number of people falling into poverty is rising, numbering more than two million or one in 10 people in Australia" Dr Goldie said.

"Our recent Poverty Report found the relatively low levels of pensions and benefits was one of the major causes, with Newstart and sole parent pension falling $130 per week behind the Aged and Disability Support Pension.

"Analysis of recent ABS data shows the gap between those on very high incomes and others has risen markedly between 2004 and 2008, with the bottom fifth having just 7 per cent of disposable income compared to 40 per cent for the top fifth.

"Latest figures from the ACTU show whilst overall GDP has increased by a massive 42% since 1990, the wages share of national income is now at its lowest point since December 1964.

"No place is this disparity starker than in the take home pay of workers in the social and community services sector - the very sector that has traditionally been at the forefront of advocating for greater equality and fairness.

"This is why our campaign for equal pay in this vital sector is so important at this time, not only for community service workers, but for all workers in feminised, low paid industries, many of whom face a life time of marginal poverty arising from the poor economic valuing of their vitally important work for the nation.

"This overall trend of growing inequality, which is arguably greater than ever, is simply unacceptable for a country that purports to be egalitarian.

"On this important day that marks the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ACOSS is calling for a commitment by our national leaders to the principles of this document that Australia played such a key role in bringing about in 1948.

"A determined commitment to put into effect the true meaning of human rights and not allow growing inequality to make us the poorer as a people and as a nation.

"Our starting point should be that human rights are not negotiable. That as Article 23 of the Declaration states:
• Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
• Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
• Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

"Clearly the role of independent community sector voices are not only still relevant, but probably more relevant than ever before in challenging inequality in our country.

"ACOSS will continue to push for tangible measures to ensure Australia fulfils our obligations to the human rights of every person in Australia, and the international commitment we made as a UN member to pursue the right to equality, and deliver greater justice for all."

Media contact: Fernando de Freitas - 0419 626 155

More information on Equal Pay case
ACOSS Poverty Report
More information on International Human Rights Day 2010

ACOSS welcomes High Court ruling on Aid/Watch as charitable

1 December 2010

The Australian Council of Social Service today welcomed the decision by the High Court of Australia confirming the charitable status of Aid/Watch for taxation purposes, whilst preserving the right to freely comment on Government aid policy.

The Australian Taxation Office had previously ruled that Aid/Watch's lobbying activities meant its main purpose was political and that it could not be categorised as a charitable institution.

"This ruling by the High Court today is a sensible one, confirming what is already known by groups working in the non-government sector: namely, that advocacy in support of people experiencing poverty and disadvantage is indeed charitable work," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"The advocacy role Aid/Watch plays in the sector is in the public good as it raises awareness of inequality and highlights ways to address it. It is part of the everyday work of most community service and aid delivery organisations in Australia.

"This case shows that Australia's taxation law does not reflect the reality of operations of charitable organisations.

"We share the view of groups like Australian Council for International Development that there is a pressing need for law reform in this area.

"The Compact with the Third Sector signed by the Federal Government and the non-for-profit sector in 2009 recognises the right of NGO's to conduct advocacy activities. It is time this was reflected in taxation law.

"The taxation treatment of NGO's should be one of the first priorities for the new Non-Profit Sector Reform Council about to be established, in light of this ruling," Dr Goldie said.

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

Social Inclusion Week chance for Government to commit to equal pay for low paid workers

22 November 2010

The Australian Council of Social Service is calling on the Federal Government to use Social Inclusion Week to commit to equal pay for Australia's low paid workers in the community and disabilities sector, around 85% of whom are women.

The Commonwealth last week appeared to walk away from its election support of the Fair Work Australia case that would ensure decent pay for community workers.

"There's no doubt the sector was disappointed by the arguments put forward by the Government in its submission to the Fair Work Australia test case. They clearly failed to accept responsibility for the routine underfunding of the sector that has led to the significant pay disparity for low paid workers," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a media release to mark the beginning of Social Inclusion Week that her Government is working to strengthen the not-for-profit sector. One key way to achieve this is to address pay inequity."

"The Commonwealth needs to not only say it supports equal pay for community workers but follow through with a commitment to fund its share of an increase in order to achieve equity.

"If the large disparity remains many services simply will not be able to continue because community organisations, that provide support to some of the most disadvantaged people, cannot attract and retain the vital staff they need.

"ACOSS welcomed Labor's election pledge to support the non-profit sector by establishing an Office for the Non-Profit Sector, a scoping study for a national non-profit regulator and reducing red tape on contracts. However, as important as these directions are, they can only have limited potential as long as services contracted by governments continue to be routinely underfunded and problems like pay disparity go unaddressed.

"This is fundamentally about justice for workers receiving less for exactly the same work. It is also about the sustainability of this crucial sector, which more Australians will come to depend on with our aging population."

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

For more information on Social Inclusion Week: http://socialinclusionweek.ning.com/

More information on the equal pay case: http://www.acoss.org.au/equalpay

Government backtracks on equal pay for low paid female workers

19 November 2010

Australia's community sector is disappointed that the Federal Government appears unwilling to accept responsibility for the routine underfunding of community services that has led to the significant pay disparity for Australia's low paid workers in the community and disabilities sector.

"This wage claim before Fair Work Australia is about justice for community workers, around 85% of whom are women. While the Government previously recognised that paying women less for doing the same work is unjust, it seems to be making excuses for not fixing the problem," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service.

"Yet the cost of not addressing this pay inequity will be felt in services that cannot continue because community organisations cannot attract and retain the vital staff they need. This is the price if we don't achieve pay equity in this sector.

"ACOSS is concerned by the Commonwealth's suggestion in its submission that funding a pay rise would likely come at the expense of other Government services. Community sector workers, who provide support to some of the most disadvantaged people, live on wages that will render them in need of the very services they provide, in their retirement.

"We think it is unreasonable and unfair to threaten other services at the cost of paying community sector workers decent wages.

"This is an attempt by the Government to distance itself from the responsibility for funding higher wages. It fails to acknowledge the key role that Australian governments have played in the growing gap in community sector wages through routine underfunding of this important sector.

"In this year's ‘Study into the contribution of the not-for-profit sector', the Productivity Commission found that governments have routinely paid only 70% of the cost of services that they have contracted to community organisations.

"We recognise that responsibility for government underfunding of the sector does not lie solely with the Commonwealth, all tiers of governments have contributed to this problem. However New South Wales, Victoria, and ACT have all come out in support of the case, with the Brumby Government going further to accept the funding implications.

"It is disappointing to see the Federal Government fall behind in an area in which they should be taking the lead, especially after its pronouncements prior to the last election to close the gender pay gap in Australia."

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

See ACOSS Analysis and Discussion Paper released today: http://www.acoss.org.au/equalpay

Peak community body supports calls for overhaul of NT intervention

17 November 2010

The Australian Council of Social Service has offered its full support for the call by the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the Northern Territory for an immediate overhaul of the Commonwealth Government's intervention in Indigenous communities.

The groups have written to all federal MPs from across the political spectrum, urging them to prevent the NT Intervention from becoming ‘a lost opportunity and a significant policy failure.'

"This is an unqualified call from key expert bodies in the Northern Territory who are firmly committed to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with whom they work, and the communities of which they are a part. We urge the federal parliament to take this expert advice seriously," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"We support these groups who find it unacceptable that such a massive undertaking as the NT Intervention is continuing without an evidence base and is not being properly evaluated or monitored.

"ACOSS has argued that mandatory income management is poorly targeted as a scheme, expensive to administer, and a gamble with the daily lives of people on the lowest incomes, not to mention a gamble of taxpayers' funds.

"We strongly support a range of recommendations made by these representative groups, including:

* Replacing the current income management system with a voluntary system of trigger-based and case-by-case income management.

* Empowering and resourcing prescribed communities to drive solutions to alcohol misuse that are appropriate to the needs of individual communities.

* Delivering a non-discriminatory approach to law enforcement.

* Immediately cancelling the compulsory five-year leases acquired over Aboriginal land

* Commissioning independent research which considers qualitative and quantitative data in relation to each of the NTER measures, and to make this research freely available to the public.

"ACOSS remains deeply concerned by the Commonwealth move to extend this unproven scheme Australia-wide. ACOSS will continue to stand alongside Aboriginal groups who overwhelmingly oppose all forms of income management unless it is voluntary and done with proper consultation.

"We urge the Government to enter into consultation and negotiation with each community to develop programs to meet their needs in place of the top down approach adopted since the Intervention in 2007."

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

See Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the NT Media Statement

See ACOSS Policy Analysis - Compulsory Income Management : A flawed answer to a complex issue

OECD unprecedented call for Australia to increase unemployment benefits payments

15 November 2010

The national community services peak body, ACOSS, has welcomed an unprecedented call from the OECD for unemployment benefits to be lifted in Australia, and the removal of ‘inactivity traps' through social security and tax reforms to improve work incentives.

"The latest OECD Economic Survey clearly acknowledges that the present inequality between the payment levels of unemployment benefits, when compared with the age pension for example - now a staggering $135 per week - is grossly unfair," said Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"These findings are similar to the measures recommended in the Henry Tax Review that would substantially improve fairness and incentives for people to return to work.

"ACOSS is arguing for an increase in the single Newstart Allowance of $45 per week, raising it from the current $231 to $276 per week.

"We also support proposals by the Henry Tax Review to ease the income test on Newstart Allowance which discourages part time work, especially among sole parents. People on Newstart currently lose practically 60 cents of their allowance for every dollar earned.

"ACOSS acknowledges that this is a complex and sensitive area especially for people already on payments but urge the Government to commit to improving equity and simplifying the system as we head into community consultations over the Henry Report proposals.

"We support the general thrust of the latest OECD report recommending an overhaul of our tax system, though remain strongly opposed to its call for an increase in Australia's Goods and Services Tax and to extend it to food.

"We know that lower income earners spend a larger proportion of their household income on the necessities of life such as food, rent, energy, and clothing, which would all become a lot dearer if the GST was increased and extended.

"What the OECD didn't point out is that countries with higher GST rates generally have substantially more generous social security systems.

"ACOSS does not believe the case has been made for an increase in the GST. It would make the system less fair not more efficient."

See ACOSS paper - Out of the Maze: a better social security system for people of working age

Media contact
Fernando de Freitas
ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Community Sector urges political consensus on Indigenous recognition in Constitution

12 November 2010

The community services peak body, ACOSS, has hailed the Prime Minister Julia Gillard's decision to form an expert panel to advise on recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution, urging all Australians to be involved in the process towards a truly reconciled nation.

The 20 member board of the Australian Council of Social Service today endorsed a resolution declaring unequivocal support for the process announced by the Prime Minister.

"We applaud the move and call on politicians of all persuasion to show good faith and responsibility, and engage in a sincere and mature debate on this crucial issue," said CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"Too often in the past talk of Indigenous rights has led to polarised debates of practical versus symbolic action that have left the public confused and disengaged.

"As a nation we turned a corner with the historic apology in 2008, which showed deep community sentiment for a new relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia based on respect and equality.

"It proved Australia is capable of a mature and deeper national conversation about these issues. We now have a once in a lifetime opportunity to include our first peoples in the single most important framing document of our nation.

"We must seize the moment and begin this new partnership. It will only be achieved if our elected representatives show leadership and a bipartisan commitment to a fair and honest process leading to a referendum.

"The community services sector knows all too well the enormous disparity that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in our frontline work providing crucial assistance to the most disadvantaged in society.

"We know Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples still face gross inequities and are the single most disadvantaged group in our country. It is time to reinvigorate our efforts to ‘Close the Gap' within a framework of a deeper partnership that this movement could bring."

The resolution was supported by all eight State and Territory Councils of Social Service, which represent over three thousand community groups around Australia.

See copy of Resolution

Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO Australian Council of Social Service
Ms Roslyn Dundas, Director ACT Council of Social Service
Ms Alison Peters, Director NSW Council of Social Service
Ms Wendy Morton, Director NT Council of Social Service
Ms Jill Lang, CEO QLD Council of Social Service
Mr Ross Womersley, Director SA Council of Social Service
Ms Ann Hughes, Acting CEO TAS Council of Social Service
Ms Cath Smith, CEO VIC Council of Social Service
Ms Sue Ash, CEO WA Council of Social Service

Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155

ACOSS report on the causes of poverty

22 October 2010

As Poverty Week draws to a close, ACOSS has issued a sobering reminder that one in ten people are continuing to struggle with the daily realities of poverty.

ACOSS released a report this week showing that despite the current economic conditions, poverty remains a real and widespread problem.

"Tomorrow morning, more than two million Australians will still be living in poverty," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

"ACOSS and our member organisations will continue our campaigns to ensure everyone has access to the most basic necessities of life."

The ACOSS report found the relatively low levels of pensions and benefits was one of the major causes of poverty.

Australia spends only 3.2% of GDP on income support, which is less than half the OECD average of 6.5%. Yet for 73% of households with the lowest incomes, these government pensions and allowances are their main source of income.

"No wonder you're likely to be living in poverty if you rely on the sole parent pension, a disability support pension or the Newstart Allowance," Dr Goldie said.

"The Newstart Allowance for a single adult is just $235 per week, around $130 per week less than the pension. Neither this payment nor the payment for sole parents was included in last year's very welcome $32 a week increase in pensions for single people."

A range of social service providers launched reports during Poverty Week that illustrated the many different facets of poverty. An Anglicare report looked at the causes of social exclusion, while a Salvation Army report found 9.5 million Australians believed taking action against poverty should be a "very high priority".

Children missing out on education through homelessness was the subject of a report by the Brotherhood of St Laurence with the Hanover Welfare Services and the Foundation for Young Australians.

Catholic Services Australia called on the Federal Government to create a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy. Mission Australia had separate activities in each state, while the Councils of Social Service were particularly active in their respective states and territories.

ACOSS, the ACTU, the Australian Council for International Development and Reconciliation Australia called on the new Parliament to outline its priorities for combating poverty and disadvantage.

This was separate to the ACOSS report on the causes of poverty, including structural factors such as the failure to give long-term unemployed the level of assistance they need to gain employment.

Media Contact: Evan Mistilis, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Click here for a full copy of the Poverty Report

The Salvation Army "Perceptions of Poverty" report with research from Roy Morgan:
www.salvationarmy.org.au/salvwr/_assets/main/documents/reports/poverty_report_small_2010.pdf
Media release: www.salvationarmy.org.au/media-centre/current-media-releases/perceptions-of-poverty-report.html?s=1968937853

Anglicare released their tenth State of the Family report "In From the Edge", launched by Jenny Macklin with five essays that look at the factors leading to social exclusion:
http://www.anglicare.asn.au/documents/SOTF%202010%20full.pdf
Media release:
www.anglicare.asn.au/documents/In%20from%20the%20Edge%20-%20Launch%20Release.pdf

Catholic Social Services issued a release calling for a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy at the national level: http://catholicsocialservices.org.au/node/41120

ACOSS, the ACTU, ACFID and Reconciliation Australia issued a joint release on 19 October calling on the new federal government to outline their priorities for fighting poverty during Anti-Poverty Week:
http://www.actu.org.au/Media/Mediareleases/CommunitysectorandunionscallonnewParliamenttooutlineprioritiesforovercomingpovertyanddisadvantageinAustralia.aspx

St Vincent de Paul national council chief executive John Falzon, of the; UnitingCare Burnside research manager Sally Cowling wrote a column for Fairfax Newspapers arguing the government wastes money on paternalistic programs such as Income Management:
www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/poverty-of-ideas-in-welfare-crackdown-20101017-16p1e.html

Brotherhood of St Laurence released a report on homeless children missing out on education, in conjunction with Hanover Welfare Services and the Foundation for Young Australians, emphasising that homeless children participate less in education, resulting in lower levels of final education than their peers
Report: http://www.bsl.org.au/media/scripts/setup-analytics.aspx?did=839
Media release: http://www.bsl.org.au/Media-centre/Media-Releases.aspx?id=333

Mission Australia issued separate releases were issued for NSW, Qld, Victoria and Tasmania.
NSW: http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/news/2375-one-in-seven-nsw-rely-on-welfare-agencies-miss-out
VIC: http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/news/2400-one-in-nine-victorians-who-rely-on-welfare-agencies-miss-out-on-one-square-meal-a-day
QLD: http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/news/2391-one-in-ten-queenslanders-welfare-agencies-miss-out-one-meal-a-day
Tasmania: http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/daily-news/2390-anti-poverty-week-launched-hobart

The state and territory Councils of Social Service:

QCOSS launched its "Fair Qld" campaign, and also released their annual statement on poverty: Article: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/queenslanders-hit-hard-by-cost-of-living-20101017-16oqj.html
Media release: http://www.qcoss.org.au/Article.aspx?type=mediareleases&id=7579
Fair Qld campaign: http://takeaction.qcoss.org.au/

TasCOSS joined with Anglicare in a briefing at Parliament House in Hobart, which revealed that 13% of Tasmanians live below the poverty line:
Article: www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/10/19/180031_tasmania-news.html

VCOSS, launched "A Fairer Victoria" 2010, an annual government program to help the state's most vulnerable citizens. It estimates of those living in poverty in Victoria are around 500,000. A media release from VCOSS marked the flaws in the education system in Victoria, emphasising the link between education and income and relating educational disadvantage to poverty.

NCOSS (the NSW Council of Social Service) held a forum reflecting on what was necessary to ensure fairness from a political level to a community level. The forum also marked the re-launch of their election platform "Vote 1 Fairness in NSW", asking whether NSW is yet fair.

SACOSS (the South Australian Council of Social Service) held an event "My Five Solutions to End Poverty in SA", with a panel of seven speakers talking about their suggestions about ending poverty. It also released results of a statewide survey revealing that much of the community was unaware of exactly how high costs of living in SA.
Media release: : http://www.sacoss.org.au/media/2010/101021-antipoverty-statement.pdf
Anti-poverty statement: www.sacoss.org.au/online_docs/APStatement2010.pdf

WACOSS (the Western Australian Council of Social Service) organised an exhibition soccer match between Community Sector workers and volunteers, and players from the Big Issue Street Soccer program marked poverty week with events. It also issued a statement emphasising their interest in and support for Anti-Poverty Week at: wacoss.org.au/images/assets/Media%20April%2008%20onwards/2010_10_15_WACOSS_MR_APW.pdf

 

Expressions of interest: advise on key reforms

21 October 2010

The Australian Government is seeking expressions of interest from leaders within the sector to provide advice on key reforms, as well as matters relevant to the non-profit sector as a whole.

Expressions of Interest close on Sunday 31 October 2010 and further information can be found at www.dpmc.gov.au/nonprofit_reform_council.cfm

From extreme weather to a carbon price: Are our most vulnerable people and communities prepared?

12 October 2010

A unique project launched by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is bringing the science of climate change down to earth and pointing out that our most vulnerable and marginalised citizens are among the most at risk from changes in Northern Australia's climate and the solutions to carbon pollution that may raise costs.

To directly address the problem ACOSS in conjunction with Climate Risk Pty Ltd has launched a project to train community sector workers to identify climate change related risks and put in place plans for adaptation.

"When Katrina hit New Orleans we saw it was those who had the least resilience who were hit the hardest. The elderly, the poor, socially isolated." said Tony Westmore, ACOSS senior policy officer. "To help vulnerable individuals and groups cope with climate change, we need to prepare and adapt organisations that care for their well-being."

"We need to start planning. If there will be more heat waves there will be a greater demand for some services, such as emergency care for the house-bound or elderly. In extreme conditions such as days of bushfire risk, we may need a communications system to check that the vulnerable are alright."

The problems are not confined to changes in weather and climate, as carbon pollution returns to the national policy agenda. Climate change and policy responses that affect energy prices, building codes, appliance and vehicle standards are guaranteed to affect low income households and community welfare services. Low income households will be affected first and worst, and they have relatively little capacity to cope, adapt or move.

"This project is ground-breaking because we are bringing climate change risk training techniques previously used exclusively within the insurance industry to help prepare community groups." said Dr Karl Mallon, CEO of Climate Risk Pty Ltd.

The workshops in Northern Australia are part of a national program, and will include a day in Cairns on Wednesday 13 October and Darwin on Thursday 14 October. The workshops are open to any community sector organisation to attend, and are designed for staff, management and volunteers of not-for-profit organisations responsible for policy, strategic planning, service delivery and future-proofing.

ACOSS has engaged with the climate policy process to ensure that the needs of low income households and the community welfare sector are represented. The risks raised in the sessions are being collected and reported to ensure that policy makers understand the reality for the community sector.

The workshop facilitator, Dr Karl Mallon CEO of Climate Risk Pty Ltd has worked on climate and energy policy for twenty years. He specialises in both mitigation and adaptation and has worked closely with the not for profit sector.

Presented in association with Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) and Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS) in partnership with Climate Risk Pty Ltd and Making Links.

Inquiries to Tony Westmore, ACOSS on 0419 256 339, tony.westmore@acoss.org.au
and Karl Mallon, Climate Risk on 0412 25 75 21

MURRAY-DARLING COMMUNITIES NEED ASSISTANCE TO PLAN FOR NEW FUTURES

8 October 2010

Communities affected by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan must be given the resources they need to consider and plan for new futures, according to the Australian Council of Social Service.

"This is about more than just the water. There are whole communities that will be affected, and they need assistance to review options and make transitions," said ACOSS Acting CEO Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine.

"Steps should be taken to fund and facilitate community-wide evaluation and planning, and to fund and facilitate investment in the physical and social infrastructure communities will need.

"There should be thorough engagement with affected communities to explore the ‘non-irrigation' aspects of the Basin's future.

"It is imperative the Federal Government acts now to seed hope amongst communities by providing them with the means to consider and build new futures that incorporate both sustainable irrigation and new economic activity.

"Nearly $9 billion of government funds are currently available to assist water reform, providing a once in a generation opportunity that should not be missed. At least some of these funds should be used to help communities plan and implement ways to thrive and prosper."

Dr Boyd-Caine said that ACOSS was concerned communities could now find themselves divided between those who have some rights to compensation and those who are left to simply cope with the consequences of change.

"The issues currently confronting the Murray Darling present genuine challenges for all members of local Basin communities, not only irrigators," Dr Boyd-Caine said.

"There are many excellent examples of efforts to support communities faced with similar crises to maintain or re-invent themselves. These exist both within Australia and overseas and could serve as valuable models for the project we envisage.

"For example, the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists has proposed a model for working with communities that we believe would achieve outcomes that appropriately engage and balance the full range of interests."

ACOSS media contact: Evan Mistilis 0419 626 155. ACOSS will be attending the lock-up briefing, and spokespeople are available to comment.

ACOSS WELCOMES RELEASE OF GUIDE TO MURRAY-DARLING PLAN

8 October 2010

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomed the release of the Guide to the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

"ACOSS has welcomed the Authority's recognition of an urgent need to undertake comprehensive assessments of the potential social and economic impacts of its proposals," said ACOSS Acting CEO Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine.

"We welcome its recommendation for an examination of options to assist industries to improve water efficiency, to exit, or to shift to higher-value forms of production.

"The proposals contained in the Guide weigh the needs of the river system itself with the needs of communities. The health of the river is inextricably linked to the prosperity of people in towns from Charleville to Murray Bridge. These transitions may be difficult but if we don't begin we risk irreversible damage."

Parliament recognised in 2007 that levels of water diversion were unsustainable and threatened the viability of agriculture, industry, community. The Guide, published today by the Murray Darling Basin Authority, proposes options to address imbalances in a complex river system that is home to one in ten Australians and produces 40% of our food.

"Communities affected by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan must be given the resources they need to consider and plan for new futures," said Dr Boyd-Caine.

"There should be thorough engagement with affected communities to explore the ‘non-irrigation' potentials of the Basin's future. This is about more than just the water - there are whole communities that will be affected, and they need assistance to review options and make transitions.

"Steps should be taken to fund and facilitate community-wide evaluation and planning, and to fund and facilitate investment in the physical and social infrastructure communities will need for the future. We need to take particular interest and care with low income and disadvantaged families and at-risk communities.

"Nearly $9 billion of government funds is currently available to assist water reform, providing a once in a generation opportunity that should not be missed. At least some of these funds should be used to help communities assess the impacts of proposals and to plan and implement ways to thrive and prosper".

The Authority will conduct an extensive round of consultation on the Guide and then, early next year, on the proposed Plan. The Plan is to be finalised by the end of 2011. Successful implementation will then depend on state governments and their water resource plans.

Media Contact: Evan Mistilis, ACOSS 0419 626 155

ACOSS welcomes report of Prime Minister’s Taskgroup on Energy Efficiency

8 October 2010

The Australian Council of Social Service welcomes the report of the Prime Minister's Taskgroup on Energy Efficiency and its recommendations towards improving energy efficiency.

"Increasing energy costs are hitting low-income households hard", said ACOSS acting CEO Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine. "While low income households are frugal in their energy use compared to the average, they spend a greater proportion of their income on energy bills."

"Energy prices have doubled over the past 10 years and are likely to double again in the next 10 years, regardless of any future carbon price. Better energy efficiency will dampen price rises and help reduce energy hardship and the growing number of disconnections of low-income earners.

"Low income households tend to live in the private rental market so have no control over the energy efficiency of their homes. Improving energy efficiency standards of buildings will help low income earners control their bills, while making their homes more comfortable places to live."

Dr Boyd-Caine said ACOSS welcomed the cornerstone of the step-change of the proposed national energy savings initiative, which would oblige energy suppliers to constrain demand.

"This may well lead to retailers helping their customers reduce their energy use, which is especially needed by low-income households who may not have the resources or the expertise to reduce their bills," Dr Boyd-Caine said.

"Better energy efficiency standards for vehicles will greatly benefit low-income households. Cars with the best fuel economy are usually beyond the reach of low-income earners, who buy on the second-hand market. Better fuel-economy standards for all cars will benefit low-income buyers when those cars flow through to them.

"It would be good to see an expansion of vehicle labelling to second hand dealers, so those on a tight budget have a better idea of future running costs.

"ACOSS supports the winding back of tax breaks for company cars, which are environmentally harmful and inequitable. These tax breaks benefit people on the top tax bracket and cost over $1 billion a year.

"Better public transport will help low-income households. Congestion pricing should only be introduced for routes that are well-serviced by public transport."

Media Contact: Evan Mistilis, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

No such thing as a free call for millions of mobile phone users

20 September 2010

ACOSS has joined with the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network and the Australian Financial Counselling and Credit Reform Association to launch a super complaint into the hidden costs for consumers associated with calling 1800 and 13 numbers from their mobile telephones. ACCAN, AFCCRA and ACOSS have joined to submit a super-complaint calling for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to investigate this issue.

Click here for the media release
Click here for the full report

NEW GOVERNMENT PROVIDES UNIQUE CHANCE FOR A MORE FAIR AND EQUITABLE AUSTRALIA

7 September 2010

ACOSS has welcomed the formation of the new Australian Government established with the support of three Independents and the Australian Greens as a unique opportunity to deliver fairer and more equitable outcomes for people around the country.

"From the beginning of the Federal Election, we urged a stronger focus on how policy commitments would deliver greater equality for everyone, particularly those who are living on the edges and in poverty. We were concerned that there was not enough attention given to support for people struggling to make ends meet, including in regional Australia," said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

During the Federal Election, ACOSS urged that the major parties give better attention to key concerns of constituents. These include affordable housing; homelessness; rising costs of living; long-term unemployment; adequate financial support for people not able to be in paid work, including parents and young people; timely access to dental care and other health services.

"The make up of the new Australian Parliament provides real hope of a better focus on genuine debate, and responsible policy which delivers fairness and greater equality for all. The negotiations leading to formation of the new Government have reasserted the principle of equity and improving the lives of all people in our country as the crucial lens through which policy and funding decisions should be made."

"Living in regional or remote communities should not be a barrier to accessing the services and programs available to other Australians. These are concerns shared with other around the country. Too many people in Australia are currently barred from accessing health and other services, from attaining education or employment, from living in secure and affordable housing, and from participating wholly in our nation."

"A Parliament where policy issues are properly considered, where evidence is required before support is given to change, with greater accountability, and where the voices of elected representatives of communities across the country, including regional and remote Australia, are given appropriate weight provides real opportunity," Dr Goldie said. "The role of community services in ensuring these outcomes is absolutely critical and we look forward to working with the new Government to ensure that those services are able to provide that support effectively and sustainably around the country."

"It is the opportunity to move to a system of social and economic reform which delivers greater equality for all, ensuring that people on low incomes and facing disadvantage can also access essential services like health, obtain an education and secure housing and participate wholly in our nation. We have a chance at a Parliament that will lay the foundations for our future."

Media Contact: Tessa Boyd-Caine, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Improved Dental Requires Bipartisan Commitment

2 September 2010

ACOSS has welcomed the inclusion of dental in the agreement between the Greens and Labor and has urged bipartisan support for a serious commitment to improving dental care in Australia.

"Dental care remains a critical gap in Australia's universal health system" said CEO Cassandra Goldie. "Up to 7 million Australians go without dental care because they cannot afford it and average waiting times for public dental care are longer than 2 years in many parts of the country.

"Affordability and lack of access to services are even more acute in regional and remote parts of Australia. Universal access to oral healthcare is vital so that all Australians can have dental care when they need it."

The commitment to consider additional funding for dental in the next Federal Budget is an important start. Recent Commonwealth Budgets have provided next to no new funding to dental care and almost 80% of Commonwealth dental funding goes to schemes that are not means tested.

Dental has the highest ratio of non-government to government funding of any health service in Australia. Around 15% of funding for dental services is provided by government presently, with individuals providing 65% of dental funding and rebates and private health insurance providing the rest.

Dr Goldie stated: "It is vital that parties and independents on all sides commit to improving accessibility so that all Australians have equitable and timely access to oral health care."

Media Contact: Tessa Boyd-Caine, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

The Australian Council of Social Service is the peak body of the community services and welfare sector and the national voice for the needs of people affected by poverty and inequality. ACOSS renewed the National Oral Health Alliance during the recent Federal election to re-assert oral health as a priority for health reform in Australia. National community, dental and health organisations formed the Alliance to seek solutions to the poor access to services and oral health outcomes experienced by many Australians.

For more information on the National Oral Health Alliance, go to http://www.oralhealth.asn.au/

Civil society statement on a credible plan on pollution and climate change

1 September 2010

We are a diverse group of leading civil society organisations that represent a broad cross-section of Australians.

We believe that Australia urgently needs a price on pollution as the most cost-effective way to reduce our greenhouse pollution and its impacts on our climate, health, environment, and security.

We strongly support the establishment of a multi-partisan climate change committee as part of a broader effort to increase accountability and transparency on climate change policy and to ensure Australia moves quickly to establish a price on pollution and respond to climate change.

It is well established that the longer we delay action, the more expensive action will be. It is also well established that an equitable, efficient and effective response to climate change requires major polluters to take responsibility for the pollution they cause. As citizens and consumers, we will share this responsibility.

A price on and commitments to reduce pollution, alongside the Renewable Energy Target and a national energy efficiency strategy, will provide incentives for business to shift to cleaner energy and products. The current uncertainty surrounding pollution pricing has undermined investor confidence and is delaying the long-term investments that are necessary to shift to a cleaner economy and provide abatement opportunities for regional Australia.

There is strong community support for urgent action to tackle pollution and climate change. Most Australians recognise that pollution is currently at levels that threaten the wellbeing of our nation and the lives of the world's poor -- who are most at risk from the impacts of the changing climate. We need to begin immediately to make the change to clean energy to ensure there is a future for all of the world's children.

A credible and effective plan to reduce pollution and respond to climate change will release billions of dollars of new investments. This will make clean energy cheaper, ensure major emitters take responsibility for the pollution they cause, create thousands of new jobs in clean energy industries and new opportunities in regional Australia.

We urge all parties involved in negotiations for the formation of the next Government to include a strong platform for action on pollution and climate change.

Specifically, we urge all members and senators to commit the next Australian Parliament to implement a price and a limit on carbon pollution, effective from 2011, that will provide long-term confidence and encouragement to enable investments in clean technologies in Australia and developing countries, that will ensure that the vulnerable are not adversely impacted, and will set us on the right course to meet the challenge of climate change.

Signed by:
350.org Australia
Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian Council of Social Service
Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Youth Climate Coalition
Climate Action Centre
Climate Action Network Australia
The Climate Institute
Climate Change Australia - Hastings
Climate Change Balmain - Roselle
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
Environment Victoria
GetUp
Greenpeace Australia Pacific
Oxfam Australia
Terrain Natural Resource Management
Total Environment Centre
Uniting Church in Australia
World Vision Australia
WWF Australia

Comment is available from:

Georgina Woods (Climate Action Network Australia) 0407 227 633
Tony Mohr (Australian Conservation Foundation) 0408806206
Amanda McKenzie (Australian Youth Climate Coalition) 0409535437
Tessa Boyd-Caine (Australian Council of Social Services) 0419626155
Sacha Myers (World Vision Australia) 0457 926 018
Keiller MacDuff (Greenpeace) 0429 033 411

 

Bonus For Jobless Australians Will Give Financial Relief But Won’t Increase Job Offers

17 August 2010

ACOSS welcomes the Coalition's plan to give a financial bonus to young long-term job seekers once they have been in work for a year, but says more incentives are needed to encourage employers hire them.

The relocation assistance will also help long-term unemployed people but the proposed 6-month penalty is too harsh and would cause hardship.

"Prolonged unemployment has a devastating and demoralising impact on unemployed people and their families," Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"The Coalition's proposed employment bonus offers important financial relief for young people who have been without work, and help them to pay off debts and bills. But the main cause of long term unemployment is not lack of incentive - long-term job seekers get few, if any, offers of work from employers.

"The most effective policies to reduce long-term unemployment are programs that improve job seekers' skills and work capacity and encourage employers to hire them.

"ACOSS has welcomed the Coalition's proposal for a wage subsidy to encourage employers hire mature age workers and has called for the scheme to include younger jobseekers where appropriate.

"The financial crisis hit just over a year ago and thousands of Australians are still feeling the effects of the downturn, especially those who couldn't find work again. 600,000 Australians are on unemployment payments, and one in two has been without paid work for over a year.

"People who have been out of employment long-term often require intensive and individual assistance to move back into paid work. Currently employment service providers receive just $500 per person to assist long-term unemployed people move back into work."

ACOSS has also called for the Government's Earn or Learn education and training guarantee to offer more training linked to work experience and better access to individual guidance and support to choose the right course and complete it.

"ACOSS is pleased to see relocation assistance to help people move from areas of high to lower unemployment, but funding should prioritise long term unemployed people who are struggling to find jobs locally," said Dr Goldie.

"The proposed penalty of six months without income support for those who move and subsequently leave a job is far too harsh and will discourage people from taking up relocation assistance."

Time Running out for an Election Focus on Affordable Housing

17 August 2010

Heading into the last week of the federal election, a national coalition of housing and community groups has called for a stronger focus on housing affordability.

The National Affordable Housing Summit coalition is led by the Australian Council of Social Service, Housing Industry Association, National Shelter, Australian Council of Trade Unions and Community Housing Federation of Australia.

The chair of the Summit group, Julian Disney, said today:

"Australian housing costs are dangerously high - worse than in any other developing country. Millions of households on low or modest incomes are suffering badly, often having to pay up to 50% or more of their income on rent or live very long distances away from their work.

Despite some important initiatives during the last three years, a great deal remains to be done if even worse hardship is to be averted and gradual improvements achieved. It is deplorable that an issue of such importance has been given so little attention by politicians and pundits during the campaign."

The Summit group has called on Labor and the Coalition to demonstrate their concern and commitment by promising to

• Appoint a Commonwealth Minister for Housing and Residential Development at Cabinet level with his or her own separate Department
• Boost the National Affordable Housing Agreement with an extra $1 billion per year to help provide at least 200,000 affordable rental dwellings by 2020

The group says the main priorities for the strengthening the National Affordable Housing Agreement are to

• Establish an Affordable Housing Growth Fund of at least $500 million per year, especially to help provide more non-profit housing
• Expand the National Affordable Rental Incentive scheme to help attract private funding for another round of 50,000 affordable rental dwellings
• Help State housing authorities to provide public housing which works well for the residents and the communities in which they live.

Housing facts

• Rents are rising three times as fast as the CPI
• Rental vacancy rates across Australia are at historically low levels
• More than 100,000 people are homeless on any given night

For further information and comment:
Julian Disney, Chair, Summit Group - 0417 663 509
Carol Croce, Executive Officer, CHFA - 0402 017 557
Adrian Pisarski, Chair, National Shelter - 0417 975 270
Cassandra Goldie, CEO ACOSS via Clare Cameron 0419 626 155
Harley Dale, Chief Economist HIA - 0414 994 186
Ged Kearney, ACTU President via Amanda Nguyen 0418 479 455

National Oral Health Alliance seeks commitment to a 5-step plan to save decaying dental care

13 August 2010

The National Oral Health Alliance has written to all political parties urging them to adopt a five-step program, REPAIR, to address the chronically poor state of oral health in Australia.

Over 7 million Australians report they cannot access dental services when they need them. Poor oral health is almost entirely preventable and impacts seriously on other aspects of health and on general wellbeing.

REPAIR provides the building blocks to immediately improve access to dental services while also improving investment in better oral health and emphasising prevention in the longer term.

To REPAIR oral health, governments need to:

1. RE‐vitalise the system;

2. Focus on Prevention and oral health promotion;

3. Improve Access to services;

4. Improve workforce capacity and distribution; and

5. Undertake Research, monitoring and evaluation.

The NOHA believes that an improved oral health system will contribute to greater equity overall in Australia's health system.

"It makes no sense in health terms to quaratine the mouth from the rest of the body," said Tony McBride, Chair, Australian Health Care Reform Alliance.

"Members of the National Oral Health Alliance believe that oral services should be part of the primary care system. With broad community agreement that policy and funding responsibility for all of primary care rests at a federal government level, we need to hear how a future government would improve Australians' oral health," said Prue Power, Executive Director, Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association.

The National Oral Health Alliance comprises community, dental and health organisations who are seeking solutions to the poor access to oral services and the poor oral health outcomes experienced by many Australians.

Read the full proposal here: REPAIR: A proposal for the Federal Election from the National Oral Health Alliance

Media Contacts:

Clare Cameron, Australian Council of Social Service, 0419 626 155
Julie Satur, Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists' Association, 0438 776 046
Neil Hewson, President, Australian Dental Association, 0419 344 587
Tony McBride, Chair, Australian Health Care Reform Alliance, 0407 531 468
Prue Power, Executive Director, Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, 0417 419 857

www.oralhealth.asn.au  
______________________________
Members: Australian Council of Social Service; Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists' Association; Australian Dental Association; Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association; Australian Health Care Reform Alliance; Australian Nursing Federation; Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health; Brotherhood of St Laurence; Dental Hygienists' Association of Australia Inc; Health Issues Centre; National Rural Health Alliance; Public Health Association Australia.

Relocation Assistance Welcome But New Penalties Would Create Hardship

11 August 2010

ACOSS has welcomed the ALP's announcement today to help disadvantaged workers re-engage with the workforce through relocation incentives, but is concerned that stricter compliance measures will needlessly force jobseekers into hardship and disadvantage.

"More than 300,000 Australians have been on unemployment payments for over 12 months, for reasons such as low skills, few local jobs, age discrimination and disability," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"Employment services receive an average of just $500 per person to assist long-term unemployed people train and overcome other barriers to work. More must be done to ensure that they too share in the economic recovery.

"ACOSS welcomes the trial program to assist disadvantaged jobseekers with the costs of moving to a secure job, but opposes the proposal to cut them off payments for 12 weeks if the job falls through.

"We have called for and support a voluntary relocation scheme to help jobless people in areas with high unemployment move to areas with better job opportunities.

"Disadvantaged jobseekers are taking a risk in moving away from family and other supports, usually to a place where housing costs are much higher, so assistance for the move, accommodation and other supports at the new address are essential.

"To penalise people with a loss of payments for 12 weeks if they then return home is harsh and counterproductive. It will discourage people from taking up a relocation offer.

"Without any income, people could be left stranded with no means to return home and no money to pay for rent or groceries. It could mean people fall behind in rent and are made homeless, or take on more debts."

The Government also announced breaching penalties that would see payments for jobseekers withheld for failure to attend first and second appointments with Centrelink or Job Services Australia.

"Suspending someone's payment until they comply with benefit requirements is a tough enough, and not restoring the payment even when they do so is too harsh. The goal should be to keep unemployed people engaged with the system, not to punish them afterwards," said Dr Goldie.

"The best way to ensure unemployed people participate in the system is through better employment services that have resources to meet with jobseekers regularly.

"ACOSS advocates a paid work experience scheme which would equip job seekers with on-the-job work skills.

"The proposal that parents on income support would miss out on family payments if they don't bring their children to health checks is discriminatory.

"If all children need health checks, then all parents on family tax benefits should be required to bring their children to them, not only those on income support.

"There is no evidence to suggest the majority of parents on income support are not good or diligent parents, so to target them and not other parents for this requirement is unfair and inconsistent.

Currently, most unemployed people must:

• Look for up to 10 jobs a fortnight
• Report fortnightly to Centrelink
• Meet regularly with their employment service provider
• Stick with their agreed activities (eg training, job search)
• Accept job offers including unskilled jobs

Otherwise they risk losing the allowance for up to 8 weeks. Young people on the Youth Allowance must either be employed or enrolled in training to improve their qualifications ('earn or learn').

Media contact
Clare Cameron | ACOSS | 0419 626 155

Non-Profit Reforms to Help Community Sector get on with Vital Work of Helping Australians

9 August 2010

ACOSS has welcomed the announcement that a re-elected Labor Government would support the non-profit sector by establishing an Office for the Non-Profit Sector, a scoping study for a national non-profit regulator and reducing red tape on contracts.

"Today's announcement is an endorsement of the Government's support for a sustainable and innovative non-profit sector," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"Australia's vibrant non-profit sector is a vital source of support for people who need help. Last year community services helped 6.5 million Australians. Community organisations help people with disabilities, they assist people find emergency housing; and help young people find skills and training.

"ACOSS has long-advocated for the establishment of a national regulator to guide the activities of the non-profit sector which contributes $43 billion to our economy and employs 8 per cent of the workforce. The Government's announcement of a ‘one-stop-shop' model would be a welcome base from which to undertake much-needed reforms in this area.

"The scoping study to determine the feasibility of the regulator is a great first step to refine the best model for regulation of the sector. The effectiveness of the regulator will depend on the extent to which it has the confidence and support of the sector and ensuring input into the scoping study is an important move.

"The value and comprehensive of the Productivity Commission study demonstrates the need for ongoing approaches to measurement of the contribution of the sector and we welcome this direction in policy."

ACOSS has also supported the establishment of a Standard Chart of Accounts as the first step towards the reduction of red tape agenda.

"Reducing red tape will help both large and small organisations who struggle with the inconsistencies, complexities and confusing elements of regulation of in their activities," said Dr Goldie.

While effective regulation and good evaluation provide opportunities to improve the structure and outcomes of the non-profit sector, ACOSS continues to advocate for sustainable and adequate funding of social services and community sector organisations, including decent wages for the vital services they perform.

We encourage the Coalition to undertake a similar commitment to policies that will allow the community sector be strong, sustainable and independent.

Media Contact: Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

300 Community Organisations Seek Help To Keep Vital Services Operating

7 August 2010

300 community service organisations across Australia have joined to together in an unprecedented alliance to ask for support from state, territory and federal political parties to commit to funding the vital services they provide to six million Australians each year.

Community organisations kept Australians afloat during the financial crisis. They provide emergency relief services, crisis accommodation, youth employment services, aged and disability care. These organisations help almost a third of Australia's population.

In a statement released today, the organisations say they are in crisis, brought on by years of inadequate funding from private interests and governments that cover only 70% of the funding of contracted services.

The funding shortfall has reduced the ability of organisations to pay adequate wages. An average wage for a community mental health social worker is $42,000, compared with $72,000 for the same job in government or the private sector.

Historically community sector work has been undervalued. 87% of community workers are women and only a small number of organisations have the ability to enter into enterprise bargaining.

In recognition of this inequity, last year the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission awarded pay increases of 18 - 37%. The Queensland Government responded with additional funding of $414 million towards the cost of higher wages.

A landmark equal pay case brought by the Australian Services Union before Fair Work Australia is seeking to address the pay disparity.

Without a commitment for future funding, some organisations may have to close their doors.

"We are asking governments and opposition parties across the country to recognise the vital role of social services in our community and to commit to fund any award increases for the community sector," says the statement.

"The community sector makes a significant contribution to the economy - contributing 6.7% to annual growth, not far behind the 7.1% contribution of Australia's mining industry.

"Without our workers, the services we provide would cease for the 6.5 million Australians who rely on us."

The Victorian Government has already committed to fund the outcomes of the national case. The Commonwealth and ACT governments have also expressed support for the case, but neither they nor the remaining governments and opposition parties have committed to increased funding for pay rises.

"We are unable to pay our community workers what they deserve for the vital work they perform, and are unable to compete with the pay offered by the government and private sectors for doing exactly the same job," says the statement.

"We help people find emergency housing; work in nursing homes; and help young people find skills and training.

"We make sure women and children fleeing domestic violence have somewhere to go; that families who need help with emergency funds can pay their bills."

The organisations have launched a campaign to seek commitments from all those who support the sector, to ensure that the vital work of social services is sustained by paying decent wages to the workers upon whom these services depend.

The campaign has been coordinated by the community sector peak, ACOSS. Print advertising will be run on Saturday 7 August. The Councils of Social Service across the country have written to the federal government and opposition, premiers, chief ministers, and opposition leaders. View the ad here.

Media Contact: ACOSS, State and Territory Councils of Social Service are available to comment: Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

FEDERAL ELECTION HAS SO FAR IGNORED TEENAGERS WITHOUT WORK

6 August 2010

The economic downturn has left a legacy of young people facing a future without secure work. Teenage unemployment (15-19 year olds) has hit 30% in 17 regions around Australia, peaking at 52% in North Western Melbourne, says an ACOSS report released today.

Youth welfare organisations say the global financial crisis has left teenagers at high risk of being locked out of the workforce if they are not able to access employment programs that are individually tailored to help them find a job.

Victoria and New South Wales have the highest average teenage unemployment rates in the country at 29% and 26% respectively. The ACOSS report outlines strategies to help young people move back into work including a voluntary relocation program, a stronger compact with young people, and improved income support.

Speaking at Melbourne City Mission this morning, Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, ACOSS said:

"We call on political parties this election to recognise the high levels of unemployment among teenagers and to strengthen schemes to assist young people into work, such as targeted work experience and training.

"The Government's Compact with Young People, which guarantees education and training for young unemployed people, is the right approach but there are gaps in the Compact such as work-based training and mentoring, and help with relocation.

"‘Get-tough' measures, such as time-limited payments, or forced relocation schemes would hinder, not help, young unemployed Australians."

Major Brad Halse, Communications Director, The Salvation Army Australia (Southern Territory) said:

"We are very concerned at the high levels of young people without work. Most young unemployed people come from low-income backgrounds and their families have very limited resources.

"It is important young people are engaged with the workforce because a lack of paid work impacts on their health, welfare and relationships."

David Thompson, CEO, Jobs Australia said :

"Employment services have a key role to play in assisting young people into work but many services are under-funded and do not have the resources to provide individual attention.

"For example, they are paid just $500 per person to assist long-term unemployed people to train and move back into work."

Policies to assist young people into work include:

1. Strengthening the Compact with Young Australians

The guarantee of training places for young unemployed people should include more training linked to work experience, and all early school leavers on income support should have access to individual guidance and support to choose the right course and complete it.

2. A voluntary relocation scheme

This voluntary scheme would help jobless people in areas with high unemployment move to areas with better job opportunities, including job placement, help with the move and accommodation and other supports at the new address.|

So that Government funds are not wasted, assistance should be targeted to unemployed people whom their Job Services Australia provider identifies as unlikely to get a job without such help. Young unemployed people are taking a risk in moving away from family and other supports, usually to a place where housing costs are much higher, so relocation should not be compulsory. It is also more likely that the move or the job will fall through and public funds will be wasted, if people are forced to relocate.

3. Improve income support

The maximum single rate of Newstart Allowance and other allowance payments should be raised by $45 per week.

Since last year's pension increase did not extend to unemployed people, the gap between Newstart Allowance and the pension, which only provides a frugal living standard, is now $120 per week. Youth Allowance is $42 a week less than Newstart Allowance. Basic living costs are much the same for people of all ages: there are no ‘youth discounts' on rents, food or groceries.

Media Contacts:
Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155
Major Brad Halse, The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory - 0417 537 950
David Thompson, CEO, Jobs Australia - 0419 527 753 

 

Job Assistance for Older Workers is a Good Plan and Should be Extended

4 August 2010

ACOSS has welcomed today's policy announcement from the Coalition to encourage businesses to employ mature-aged workers with a lump sum incentive and is seeking a commitment to extend this subsidy in a targeted way to other jobseekers.

"Younger people who have been searching for work for long periods would also benefit from this scheme. Many people affected by the economic downturn have been unable to find work since," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"The Coalition's proposal would encourage businesses to employ older workers who are often discriminated against because of their age.

"Young people who have no history of work also face barriers to work and should be included in this scheme. Youth unemployment is still 14%, which is nearly three times the national average.

"A period of paid work experience helps many unemployed people reconnect with the workforce. Even if the job is temporary, evaluations show the experience of paid work in a regular job can boost people's job prospects.

"To ensure the scheme is targeted to people who otherwise wouldn't get a job, it should be administered by employment services providers.

"Reducing long-term unemployment is one of the most important things governments can do to prevent social exclusion and prevent poverty. Despite a general drop in unemployment, the number of long-term jobless Australians has risen by 30% over the last two years.

"We are calling on all political leaders to put in place a range of programs tailored to the individual needs of long-term unemployed people.

"No one wants to see people having to scrape by on the single unemployment payment which is just $33 per day."

Download ACOSS' election statement, The Contest for a Fairer Australia.

Media Contact: Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Housing affordability should be centre of election agenda : ACOSS launches election platform

4 August 2010

ACOSS is calling for political leaders to commit to measures to improve the critical shortage of affordable housing in Australia and alleviate the acute financial pressures on low-income people.

Launching its election platform today, ACOSS has called for the establishment of an Affordable Housing Growth Fund to address the shortage of nearly half a million affordable homes. Read the full statement here.

"Australia has some of the most expensive housing in the world. With rents rising dramatically over the past five years in our capital cities, renters on income support payments or low wages are struggling to make ends meet," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"A large portion of family budgets are eaten up by housing costs. A parent with two kids who receives $527 per week in payments often must spend over half of this payment on rent. This means there is little buffer to cover prices rises, such as electricity and gas costs.

"The Government has invested substantially in this area through the National Affordable Housing Agreement; the National Rental Affordability Scheme and $6 billion for social housing. ACOSS calls for a commitment to continuing these programs, along with a clear plan to meet housing demand over the long term.

In its election platform, ACOSS has outlined key priorities to build a fair Australia which ensures people on low incomes are not excluded because of social or economic disadvantage.

"ACOSS is also calling on the parties to act to improve the employment and training prospects of the 600,000 people on unemployment payments. Young people, mature workers and sole parents are at risk of being left out of the jobs market as the economy recovers," said Dr Goldie.

"People who already faced disadvantage in the jobs market, such as a disability, being over 50 years old, or living in an area with few jobs, are the last to be employed when the economy improves.

"Australia invests less in employment assistance than most wealthy nations. Employment services receive an average of just $500 per person to assist long term unemployed people to train and overcome their other barriers to work.

ACOSS' Election Platform

Work and income support
Set-up training programs that are tailored, based on the individual needs of a jobseeker (for example paid work experience in a regular job) and to resource employment services providers so they can work intensively with jobseekers.

Reshape income support payments so they are based on the minimum cost of living in Australia. To start closing the gap between different payments, where an unemployed person on $231 receives $109 less per week than a single pensioner, the single Newstart Allowance should be raised by $45 per week.

Housing
Establish an Affordable Housing Growth Fund for future ongoing construction of homes, to increase the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 30%.

Restate a commitment to halving homelessness by 2020.

Oral health
Ensure timely access to oral health care through a universal access scheme that covers a comprehensive dental health check and a basic course of treatment every two years.

Indigenous
Redesign mainstream employment services in remote and regional Indigenous communities and expand the number of fully-funded jobs in remote communities.

Improve national Indigenous health outcomes through investment in the capacity of Aboriginal primary health care services.

Tax
Strengthen the tax system by closing off income tax shelters and loopholes and introduce taxes on mineral resources and land.

Climate change
Introduce a price on carbon which includes adequate compensation for low and middle income earners.

Invest in energy efficiency that readies the community sector, lowers costs of operation and ensure continuity of service.

Strengthening the community sector
Recognise the vital role of social services in our community and commit to fund award increases for community sector workers that flow from the Fair Work equal pay claim.

Media Contact: Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Helping Hand to Assist Families with the Cost of Teenagers

2 August 2010

ACOSS congratulates the Government on its announcement today to increase family payments to support low-income families with the costs of raising teenage children.

A Gillard Government would increase the maximum payment of Family Tax Benefit A by $150 per fortnight for 16-18 year olds who are at school or in vocational training.

"Families on low incomes rely heavily on family payments to pay for the essentials - food, clothes, school books and housing expenses," said Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"Teenagers from families on low incomes are at high risk of leaving education and training if their families are unable to give them financial support.

"Any parent who has raised a teenager knows how the costs can add up. Our research shows a 16-year-old costs $200-$290 a week. Yet when a child turns 16, payments drop to $102 per week.

"ACOSS has long-advocated for a boost to help families with the higher cost of older children, and we welcome the Government's announcement which is estimated to help 650,000 teenagers over the next five years.

"We also call on Government to include families with teenagers on Youth Allowance living at home in this announcement so that no teenager misses out.

"ACOSS calls on all political parties to make election commitments that support people on low incomes and that ensure that no Australian is excluded because of social or economic disadvantage."

Read our short guide on understanding family payments here. ACOSS also submitted a paper to the Henry tax review outlining options for reforming family payments to better protect low income families : click to read: How much does it cost to raise a teenager? Family payments don’t add up.

 Media Contact: Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Stop the Rot: Launch of New Oral Health Campaign

29 July 2010

National community, dental and health organisations have today launched a national campaign, Stop the Rot, calling on political leaders to make an election commitment for urgent action to address the decaying state of Australia's dental care system.

In a statement released today 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.

More than seven million Australians can't access dental care when they need it because of long waiting lists and one in three people put off having dental treatment because they can't afford it.

"The health and social impact of poor oral health is immense," the Alliance says in its statement.

"For people with serious oral health problems, nine out of ten experience pain or discomfort and the same proportion have experienced embarrassment due to their teeth, contributing to poor self image, reducing their social interactions and limiting employment prospects.

"It is vital to improve accessibility so that all Australians have equitable access to oral health care.

"While Australians who receive social security payments are entitled to health benefits, long public dental waiting lists are preventing them from accessing dental care. Workers who are underemployed or on low wages are also more likely to have poor access to oral health care.

"People in rural and remote areas commonly wait in excess of two years for general treatment and waiting times are as high as three-and-a-half years in some parts of the country."

The Alliance is seeking a commitment from all political parties in the federal election for direct and effective action to ensure:

• All Australians can access oral health care when they need it.
• That Australia has a well-distributed, self-sufficient and sustainable dental workforce.
• Australia has the national leadership and coordination to ensure an effective preventive oral health strategy.

Read the joint statement here.

Media contacts: 

• Clare Cameron, Australian Council of Social Service, 0419 626 155
• Julie Satur, Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists' Association, 0438 776 046
• Neil Hewson, President, Australian Dental Association, 0419 344 587
• Tony McBride, Chair, Australian Health Care Reform Alliance, 0407 531 468
• Prue Power, Executive Director, Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, 0417 419 857

National Oral Health Alliance
The National Oral Health Alliance has come together to seek solutions to the poor access to services and oral health outcomes experienced by many Australians.

• Association of Population Oral Health
• Australian Council of Social Service
• Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists' Association
• Australian Dental Association
• Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association
• Australian Health Care Reform Alliance
• Australian Nursing Federation
• Australian Pensioners and Superannuants' Federation
• Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health
• Brotherhood of St Laurence
• Dental Hygienists' Association of Australia Inc
• Health Issues Centre
• National Rural Health Alliance
• Public Health Association Australia

www.oralhealth.asn.au

Call for a Cross-Party Commitment to Help Homeless Australians

21 July 2010

ACOSS has called on political leaders to confirm their policies on homelessness and ensure that all Australians have a safe place to sleep. New figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare released today show 62% of people seeking crisis housing accommodation were turned away.

"With 105,000 Australians unable to find a bed on any given night, ACOSS calls for a cross-party commitment to halve homelessness by 2020," said Tony Westmore, Acting CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

The AIHW reports that in 2008-09 families were the group most likely to be turned away from crisis housing. An average of 80% of couples with children, 75% of couples without children and 69% of individuals with children who requested emergency accommodation were turned away.

"It is critical that there is a long-term commitment to prevent and respond to homelessness through supporting specialist emergency services," said Mr Westmore.

"ACOSS supports the steps taken by federal, state and territory governments over the last two years to implement the strategies outlined in the Federal Government's White Paper on homelessness, The Road Home. These policies include early intervention, expanded and well-connected services, and breaking the cycle by moving people from crisis accommodation into stable housing.

"Substantial investment in affordable housing and a strong social housing system are vital to alleviating the pressures on crisis housing services.

"ACOSS has strongly supported the Government's stimulus spending of $6 billion on social housing to build 19,200 dwellings as a first step to reducing the drastic shortfall in affordable dwellings.

"We have also called for a future growth fund for housing with an initial down-payment of $750 million and sustained long-term ongoing funding.

"To alleviate the stress on private renters, and help prevent homelessness, ACOSS has also called for a 30% increase in the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance."

Media Contact: Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Election Should be a Contest for a Fairer Australia

19 July 2010

The federal election campaign is a time for our political leaders to set an agenda for a nation where all Australians have equal access to services are not excluded because of social or economic disadvantage, says ACOSS.

"As the economy recovers many Australians are being left behind. This is not a universally lucky country and too many of us struggle with unemployment and poverty," said Tony Westmore, Acting CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"Despite better economic conditions, many Australians are still finding it difficult to find work. The number of people who rely on unemployment payments long-term has risen by 30% over the last two years and this figure will continue to increase.

"Entrenched unemployment has a devastating impact on the health, welfare and relationships of individuals and communities. There are still very high levels of unemployment among our young people, our older workers and our low skilled workers.

"We must commit to supporting unemployed Australians into work through programs such as ACOSS' proposal for a paid work experience scheme which would equip job seekers with on-the-job work skills.

"Also adding to pressure on budgets is the escalating cost of housing in Australia. With rents in major cities rising significantly over the last year, and stock in low supply, high housing costs put huge pressures on household budgets.

"Nearly five million Australians can't get the dental care they need when they need it. Poor dental health affects general health and contributes to poor self image, reduces social interactions and limits employment prospects.

"ACOSS supports caution and restraint in Government spending. We also believe that Australia can afford to alleviate poverty and disadvantage. ACOSS calls on our political leaders to strengthen Australia's social inclusion through equity and fairness in the upcoming campaign."

Media Contact: Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Green Start Scheme to Help Low-Income Households Save Energy

8 July 2010

ACOSS has welcomed today's announcement of the Green Start program which is targeted at assisting low-income Australians improve their household energy and water efficiency.

"Households on low and fixed incomes are vulnerable to increases in energy and water prices," said Tony Westmore, Acting CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.

"Low-income earners spend, on average, double the proportion of their total weekly household budget on power and water than wealthier households.

"The Green Start program should see increased energy efficiency in low-income households leading to lower utility bills and reduced carbon emissions.

"Utility prices have increased at rates well beyond other goods and services in recent years. Low-income households are forced to cover these costs by cutting back on other essential goods like groceries, or chose not to heat their homes.

"Households with tight budgets have little financial capacity to find the extra dollars to improve the efficiency of their homes, such as such as new showerheads, insulation, new hot water systems or rainwater tanks.

Community sector organisations can apply for funding in the second round to deliver the Green Start program.

Media Contact: Clare Cameron, ACOSS - 0419 626 155

Government urged to stay the course on financial advice reform

5 July 2010

CHOICE, ACOSS, the Consumer Action Law Centre and Industry Super Network today called on the Federal Government to ‘stay the course' and fully implement the "Future of Financial Advice" reform package, announced in April by Minister Chris Bowen.

Industry information sessions are being held by Treasury, starting this week across Australia, on the regulatory and legislative reform agenda. However, representatives of consumers and industry super funds are concerned that the banks and financial planning industry are seeking a considerable dilution of the reforms.

The four organisations' view is that the government's "Future of Financial Advice" package is a moderate and reasonable set of reforms that were developed in response to a series of major financial scandals including Storm Financial. The findings of the Parliamentary Inquiry chaired by Mr Bernie Ripoll into these scandals were unequivocal in concluding that reform was necessary to improve the quality of financial advice provided to Australian consumers.

In a joint statement, ACOSS, CHOICE, ISN and the Consumer Action Law Centre said today that the reform package was critically important to rebuilding consumer confidence in the financial advice industry.

"The reforms aim to rebuild consumer confidence in financial planning by increasing consumer protection and leading transformation from an industry to a profession.

"If these reforms are to be successful in improving consumer trust and confidence in and access to financial planning, it is critical that all measures that were announced are implemented.

"The package is moderate and pragmatic. It achieves the necessary reforms while providing financial planners generous transition arrangements.

"Since these reforms have been announced there has been significant lobbying and public pressure applied by the financial planning and wealth management industry - including banks, product providers, platform providers and fund managers - to water down aspects of the reform package. The Government should ensure that banks and other large financial institutions are not successful in their efforts to build loopholes into the reforms.

"We can see no reason to treat risk insurance advice differently to other forms of financial advice."

The coalition of organisations also said that the introduction of a fiduciary obligation for financial advisers to act in the best interests of their clients was long overdue and had been welcomed by most financial planners.

"Our organisations strongly believe that the 'opt in' requirement (for a financial adviser to get a client's annual consent to continue charging any ongoing fee) is central to the fiduciary obligation to act in the client's best interests and is the only mechanism that enables asset based advice fees to be compatible with a financial adviser's best interests obligation.

"If an adviser is providing ongoing advice to a client then it should not be an administrative burden to obtain the client's consent each year to the fee arrangements.

"The banning of other conflicted remuneration forms - including a ban on trail commissions and receipt of any volume based payments or rebates by licensees or planners - are also critical if financial advice is to be provided impartially and free from product bias.

"These reforms will not be effective in eliminating conflicts of interest which have been so damaging to the financial planning industry and to Australian consumers unless all announced measures are implemented."

Media Contact: Clare Cameron, 0419 626 155