Anglicare Australia’s pre-election budget plan, “Investing in People,” aims to lift over 280,000 older Australians out of poverty.
Anglicare Australia has unveiled a comprehensive plan to address poverty among older Australians ahead of the upcoming Federal Election. Their proposed budget measures focus on increasing income support payments and significantly boosting investment in social housing.
“Many people believe that JobSeeker is a payment for younger people, but that’s a myth,” said Kasy Chambers, Executive Director of Anglicare Australia. “The number of older people on the payment is growing every year. Mature-age workers are the largest cohort of people on the JobSeeker payment – and research shows that it takes them much longer to find work.”
Anglicare’s “Investing in People” plan includes costings demonstrating that raising JobSeeker, Parenting Payment, and Carer Payment to the poverty line would cost $111 billion over the next decade. The organisation argues that this investment would lift over 280,000 older Australians out of poverty.
“Instead of preparing to retire, many people are now losing their homes and spending their savings,” Ms Chambers explained. “Raising the rate of JobSeeker and other Centrelink payments will help hundreds of thousands of older people around the country who are out of work, or who are caring for family and loved ones.”
The plan also calls for an additional $50 billion investment in social and affordable rentals over the next ten years. Anglicare highlights the critical shortage of such housing and its impact on older Australians.
“We’re also calling for a major boost to social housing. Our shortfall is massive. We need 640,000 new social and affordable rentals across Australia,” Ms Chambers emphasised. “Investing in housing is the most powerful way to keep older people in secure housing, and stop them from going into aged care before they’re ready.”
Anglicare argues that these combined measures are essential to prevent a growing crisis of poverty and homelessness among older Australians. They point out that without intervention, more and more individuals will face financial hardship and housing insecurity in their later years.
“These changes are becoming urgent,” Ms Chambers warned. “Without action, more and more older people will be forced to spend their later years in poverty and on the brink of homelessness.” The organisation believes that these investments are not only morally necessary but also economically sound, contributing to a more secure and equitable society for all Australians. The proposals aim to provide a safety net for older Australians facing unemployment, caring responsibilities, or housing insecurity, ensuring they can live with dignity and security.
Also read: New project in place to combat financial elder abuse
Milton writes as both an occupation and a hazard. He also works on the newsletters you see on Tuesday and Thursday with articles you should find interesting.
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