The Australian Council of Social Service is delighted to announce that it has obtained significant philanthropic funding to dramatically boost the ongoing “Raise the Rate” campaign aimed at increasing the rate of Newstart, Youth Allowance and other related payments.

“Raising the rate of Newstart and Youth Allowance is the single most effective thing the government can do to tackle poverty, as most people relying on Newstart and Youth Allowance live below the poverty line,” said ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie.

“Australia has the greatest median wealth in the world yet when people fall on hard times they are forced into poverty. It’s incredibly difficult to look for a job when you’re worried about where your next meal will come from and how to put a roof over your head.”

The funding is made up of donations from multiple established philanthropic funds, including The Myer Foundation, the Swan Foundation, the Reichstein Foundation and the Wyatt Trust.

“The support of the philanthropic community for this vital campaign to reduce poverty further demonstrates how out of touch the major parties’ positions are on this issue.

“As well as the philanthropic community, the business community, leading economists and almost 70 per cent of the Australian community are behind the campaign to increase the rate of Newstart and Youth Allowance to lift people out of poverty,” Dr Goldie said.

The philanthropic funding, which is in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars, will be used to spread the Raise the Rate campaign, working across the community, with people directly affected by poverty, grassroots organisations, economists, unions, business groups, economic and social policy experts, with shared strategy, messaging, and materials, as well as a number of direct grants.