This Anti-Poverty Week (13–19 October), the UnitingCare Network is joining forces to call for immediate action on income support, highlighting the urgent need for reform.
Today, over 3 million Australians, including 761,000 children (1 in 6), live below the poverty line. Poverty isn’t just about a lack of income; it’s also about limited access to work, education, adequate housing, and essential services.
Blaming poverty on individual choices ignores the structural issues that perpetuate hardship. We must dismantle these barriers to ensure every person has a fair opportunity to succeed.
Poverty affects us all, and its impact is profound. Together, we can create a fairer society where every Australian has the opportunity to thrive.
The UnitingCare Network stresses the need to raise income support levels. For nearly half a century, the lack of political will to address this issue has eroded the chances of achieving equality. The 2022–2024 Senate inquiry into poverty, echoing the findings of the Henderson Report from the 1970s, reaffirms that increasing income support is essential to tackling poverty.
As Australia’s largest provider of community services, we urge the government to take meaningful action to build a society where everyone has a chance to thrive.
Act now to end poverty: https://antipovertyweek.org.au/act-to-end-poverty/