August 18 2019
Majority of people seeking help for housing stress and homelessness in Bendigo, central Victoria on Newstart   

Bendigo Advetiser

The majority of people who seek help from homelessness services receive the Newstart allowance, figures shows.

Data collected by the Loddon Mallee Homelessness Network show that in 2015-16, most people experiencing or at risk of homelessness received the unemployment payment as their main source of income, followed by a parenting payment or the disability support pension.

More recent figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that this trend held fast in 2017-18 across Victoria.

The Newstart payment for a single person with no children is $555.70 a fortnight, $601.10 for a single person with children, and $501.70 each for partners.



Mellissa Edwards, co-ordinator of the Loddon Mallee Homelessness Network, said the cost of living and rental prices had increased, but Newstart had not risen in line with those changes

"The limitations inherent in paying for accommodation and living expenses while receiving Newstart allowance mean that the majority of people will of course seek to share housing, couch surf or otherwise compromise on their accommodation because rent is their single biggest expense," Ms Edwards said.

"Feeding into this problem is the general lack of housing affordability across all types of available housing, but especially so in regards to the availability of affordable one-bedroom accommodation."

Jenny Elvey, general manager of Bendigo Family and Financial Services, said many people on Newstart were going without food in order to keep a roof over their heads.

Related: Many on 'inadequate' Newstart skip meals

Ms Elvey said they saw many people who stayed with friends and slept on couches because they could not even afford to pay the rent in a share house.

People were also struggling to find jobs because they did not even have enough money for transport, Ms Elvey said, and were not going to the doctor because of the cost.

She said the situation was "worse than ever before" and the current Newstart rate entrenched people in poverty, something which caused them to become more isolated and vulnerable to mental illness.

Ms Elvey said the number of people aged 40 and older who received Newstart and sought financial help had increased, as they tried to keep hold of the assets they had acquired throughout their lives.

Related: Liberal MP says Newstart rise is bad for the budget   

Both Ms Elvey and Ms Edwards say the Newstart rate needs to increase.

Ms Edwards said the current amount was self-defeating as a job seeker payment because those receiving it could not meet basic living expenses, let alone pay for clothes or anything else they might require to gain and retain employment.

"$30 or $40 would be a huge difference," Ms Elvey said.

Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters hopes to form a local Raise the Rate alliance of organisations and individuals, to lend weight to the voices calling for an increase in Newstart.

She said this would also help get on top of the 'dole bludger' rhetoric that surrounded people who received Newstart.

"These are people who are desperately looking for work," Ms Chesters said.

juliar wrote on Aug 19^th, 2019 at 8:23am:

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