Minimum wage increase welcome. Government action now needed. 2 June 2026ACOSS has supported the Fair Work Commission’s decision to increase award wages by 4.75% and the national minimum wage by 6% for around 100,000 workers on the lowest rate, and is calling for further action to support people doing it tough, as well as the frontline community services helping them. “People are under severe pressure from interest rate rises, rent increases, higher fuel costs, and growing economic uncertainty due to the conflict in the Middle East,” said ACOSS Acting CEO Edwina MacDonald. “The Fair Work Commission’s decision will help ease the pressure on low-paid workers to cover their basic living costs such as rent, food, and transport. “However, far more government action is needed to reverse the decade-long stagnation of living standards endured as wages and incomes have failed to keep pace with costs. “Lifting incomes for people in low paid work and those who are unemployed is all the more important when unemployment is rising. Minimum wage increases have little or no impact on employment and inflation as they only go directly to workers paid under awards. “The government must also raise the rate of JobSeeker and related payments to levels that allow people to cover the basics and live decently.” ACOSS is also calling on the federal government to provide financial assistance to community sector organisations to fully cover the increasing costs of service delivery, including wages, without being forced to sacrifice staffing capacity or service quality. “The community sector provides essential services to people across the country in financial distress, disadvantage and hardship. We’ve seen sharp increases in community demand and our members have already had to grapple with increased fuel costs and other supply chain disruptions in recent months. The government must provide immediate and ongoing financial relief to these vital frontline services,” said Ms MacDonald.