Latest news with #YouthAllowance
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Centrelink's payment warning as millions lodge their tax returns
The new financial year heralds a time when millions of people get to submit their tax returns to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). However, this is also a time when some Centrelink recipients could see their payments change. Adjustments to payment summaries after July 1 aren't uncommon and can be due to a range of factors. Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen told Yahoo Finance this happened recently to a student receiving Youth Allowance who moved house in late June. "Obviously, they needed to tell us about their changed address, but among the big move and new arrangements, and working part-time, the new financial year had clicked over before they notified us of their new circumstances," he said. RELATED Centrelink issues ATO tax refund warning: 'Repay it' St George Bank increases fee to deposit or withdraw cash by 200 per cent Gen Z with $100,000 in savings reveals 'common' money traps Aussies waste cash on Sadly for this student, they lodged their tax return almost immediately after July 1, which contained the wrong information. Because their circumstances had changed before the end of the financial year, this needed to be reflected in their tax return for 2024-25. Changes in living arrangements can affect how much Youth Allowance you receive, which can affect how the ATO assesses your Centrelink payment summaries may change after July 1 Services Australia said that student is just one example of how your payment summaries could change soon after the start of a new financial year. The government body stressed this is why you have to make sure you stay up-to-date with any changes in your life. "If you don't tell us, we may pay you too much. This means you may get a debt and you'll need to pay us back," Centrelink said. These changes include whether you become single, get into a relationship, have a child, change address, get a job, lose a job, or anything else that's unexpected. There are also certain payments that need to be updated each financial year, and can take a few days or weeks to be changed in the system. This is why you should wait a few weeks after July 1 to lodge your tax return as the Centrelink system needs time to make sure all your information is correct. What should I do if my payment summary has changed? If your payment summary has changed, you'll receive a letter in the mail explaining what has been adjusted. Centrelink said there are two options at your disposal, but it will depend on whether you have lodged your tax return or not. If you have already lodged it, then you will need to amend it to make sure the ATO has all the correct information. "Before you amend your tax return, check the new change pre-filled in the ATO's tax return match the letter from us," Services Australia said. If you haven't lodged, then your pre-filled information on your tax return should be updated. But, when you go to lodge make sure you check that information with what was described on the Centrelink letter to make sure they're aligned. If they don't you can: Change it yourself to match the details in the letter and then lodge it Contact the ATO through their websiteError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Man of Many
04-07-2025
- Business
- Man of Many
Feel-Good Friday: Chicken and Donuts and Coffee, Oh My!
By Dean Blake - News Published: 13 Jun 2025 |Last Updated: 12 Jun 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 8 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Welcome to another Feel-Good Friday, where the vibes are free and so is the chicken. This week, we're highlighting Hoodies for Homelessness, a damn good initiative to help clothe young people stuck on our streets, as well as directions to a couple places to get a free meal this weekend. Plus, if you've ever wanted to know what a 'reverse cloakroom' is, now's your chance. Welcome to Feel-Good Friday! Melbourne Streetwear Brand HoMie Launches Hoodies for Homelessness | Image: HoMie Melbourne Streetwear Brand HoMie Launches Hoodies for Homelessness To quote Game of Thrones, winter is coming and while that might spark images of snuggling up by the heater and wrapping yourself in blankets, spare a thought for those doing it tough. Recent studies have shown that more than 122,000 Australians are without a home, and over a quarter of them are under 25. Youth unemployment is twice the national average, rents have surged 54 per cent since 2020, and Youth Allowance sits at just $47 a day. For young people who experience youth homelessness, the challenges of finding meaningful employment, a warm place to stay and a safe domicile are becoming increasingly complex. It's something that Marcus Crook, co-founder of streetwear label and social enterprise HoMie is looking to change. The Melbourne-based creative has just launched its 2025 Hoodies for Homelessness campaign, combining streetwear and social impact with a limerick that's stumping the nation: 'How much good could a good hood do, if a good hood could do good?' For every limited-edition hoodie sold, HoMie's principal partner, Champion, will donate another to a young person affected by homelessness or hardship. 'At HoMie, our hoodies do good,' Crook said. 'We've seen over the last decade that employment really does have the potential to break the cycle of homelessness. Paid work builds confidence and connections, and that's what Hoodies For Homelessness is all about, everyone coming together to build a brighter future for the young people in our community.' Since launching in 2022, Hoodies for Homelessness has sold over 7,000 hoodies raising over $772,000 to support HoMie's youth employment programs. Each year, the campaign has grown in scale and impact, not only putting warm hoodies on the backs of young people, but creating paid job opportunities and long-term pathways out of homelessness. This year's collection features bold hoodie designs in green, blue, and white marle, available from May 31 until June 14, 2025. Supporters are encouraged to join in the fun by filming themselves reciting the tongue-twister – 'How much good could a good hood do, if a good hood could do good?' – and posting it on social media, tagging @ The tongue twister isn't just a verbal challenge; it aims to spark vital conversations about the reality of youth homelessness during one of the toughest times to be young and without stable housing. Pappa Flock | Image: Pappa Flock Pappa Flock is Giving Away Free Chicken Tendies We're a big fan of fried chicken here at Man of Many—Monday Munchies should attest to that already—and now you can go get some of our favourite chicken for free: Sydney-based Pappa Flock's is opening its 9th store this Saturday, 14 June at Marrickville, and every person in line before midday is getting a free Flock Box voucher. The Flock Box is made up of three chicken tenders (either classic or spicy), along with seasoned chips, buttery toast, some tangy signature sauce, and a regular drink. We've tried it, it's delicious. Plus, the voucher technically doesn't expire for an entire year, so if you wanted to jump in line at 11:55, get the voucher and bounce that's fine too. If that wasn't enough, the first 50 customers of the day will get their hands on exclusive, limited-edition Pappa Flock merchandise, like a football jersey designed by local artist and ex-Mambo art director Brent Smith. If you'd prefer to head in on Sunday, you'll be able to get your hands on a free lemonade with any meal purchase (until they run out), so you're set for freebies throughout the whole weekend. Alpine Hypercar driver Ferdinand Habsburg for Mary's Meals Image: Supplied Austrian Motorsport Royalty Takes on Le Mans for a Good Cause Ahead of the iconic endurance spectacle Le Mans, Alpine Hypercar driver Ferdinand Habsburg has announced a new partnership that is set to drive serious change. The Austrian star has teamed up with international charity Mary's Meals to launch 'Race for Meals', a unique fundraising campaign that transforms every lap of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans into an opportunity to fight child hunger. 'This campaign is a way for me to give back while doing what I love,' Habsburg said. 'It's more than a race. It's a chance to make every lap count for something far greater.' A hunger solution charity, Mary's Meals provides life-changing daily meals to children in the world's poorest communities. According to the organisation, a donation of just €22 is enough to feed a child for an entire school year, but with the help of Ferdinand, who won Le Mans in 2021, Mary's Meals is hoping to raise much more than that. Through this campaign, fans and supporters can sponsor each lap Ferdinand and the #35 Alpine crew complete at Le Mans, turning race distance into hope. An anonymous sponsor has already pledged to match all donations, doubling the number of children who can be fed through this initiative, while French cosmetic brand Clarins Group has committed to contributing an additional €22 for every lap completed. This means that for every single lap Ferdinand and the #35 crew drive, three children will receive meals for a full year. Best of all, Ferdinand has pledged to donate his winner's bonus should he claim victory again this year. 'Of all of the causes in the world to fight for, bringing food to starving children whilst also educating them seems to me the first and most urgent need to conquer. It is a mission everyone can get behind, it is not only important but also unifies us,' Ferdinand said. 'It is our individual responsibility to help others when we can. Time in motorsport is limited, but we have a platform. It's up to us to know what to do with our responsibility.' To find out more about Ferdinand's partnership with Mary's Meals, or to donate yourself, visit the website below and tune in. You can donate €22 per lap to sponsor a child's meals for a year and track Ferdinand's progress live during the race. A counter on the official campaign site will show how many laps have been completed and how many children have been sponsored. In last year's race, the winning car completed 311 laps, which would be the equivalent of over 900 children fed, thanks to matched donations. Mary's x Coffee Supreme x Grumpy Donuts | Image: Tom Wilkinson / Supplied Mary's XV Goes Full Brekkie-Mode Next Week If chicken tendies aren't your thing, maybe some delicious breakfast is more up your alley? Our friends over at Mary's Victoria Cross, North Sydney, are delivering an absolutely banging brekkie pop-up all through next week: with breakfast sandwiches, brekkie burgers, stacked hotcakes, and, of course, coffee on display. Plus, Mary's is teaming up with Grumpy Donuts and Coffee Supreme to offer a $5 coffee + donut combo, with the first 50 people to order each weekday getting their coffee and donut free. But the fun doesn't end on Friday, with a special weekend menu kicking off with bottomless mimosas and bloody marys, cinnamon donut french toast with soft serve, and breakfast cereal-themed thick-shakes, such as Coco Pops, Milo, and Fruit Loops. My mouth is watering just writing this stuff out. The 'Wake the Hell Up' breakfast pop-up kicks off on Monday, 16 June, and runs through Sunday, 22 June. Espolòn's Reverse Cloakroom | Image: Supplied Sip and Swap in Style at Espolòn's Reverse Cloakroom Split across both Sydney and Melbourne, Espolòn Tequila is partnering with Second Life Markets to bring cocktail culture and vintage fashion together in it's 'Reverse Cloakroom' activations. Essentially, you're tasked with heading to a particular venue on particular days (more details below), where you'll order an Espolòn Tequila cocktail and be given a randomly-numbered cloakroom ticket. That ticket can be used to redeem a 'one-of-a-kind vintage' piece of clothing, provided by Second Life Markets. The Lord Gladstone in Chippendale is hosting the event in Sydney across the 15, 26, and 27 June, while Melbourne's Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy is playing host to the reverse cloakroom on 22 and 29 June, as well as 6 July. Plus, you'll be able to take in a full program of Boiler Room-style DJ sets at each venue, so even if you don't get the vintage silk scarf you were hoping for you can still get your boogie on.
The Advertiser
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
The average home is now worth $1 million. This boom is blowing up in a bad way
More than two decades ago, former prime minister John Howard said, "I don't get people stopping me in the street and saying, 'John you're outrageous, under your government the value of my house has increased".' The nation's home owners would have been pleased by recent news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the national mean price of residential dwellings had risen to $1,002,500, the first time it has passed the million-dollar mark. Of course, that level was exceeded long ago in many city suburbs, with prices in regional areas also going sky-high as sea and tree changers took real estate windfalls and relocated. Around 66 per cent of Australian households own their own home with or without a mortgage. Home ownership, with a consistent rise in values, is Australians' most important asset, along with superannuation, which ticks over in the background, accessible only in later years. Renters, numbering one-third of Australian households, have also experienced the impacts of the ongoing property boom, except not in a good way. They are mostly dependent on the one-in-five households that own residential properties other than their usual domicile. For the record, one in 25 of these owners has four or more properties. Yet very few are affordable to low-income earners. Anglicare Australia's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that just 352 rentals (0.7 per cent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Almost none was affordable for a person on JobSeeker wanting a room in a share house, and none for a person on Youth Allowance. Median advertised rents have risen 35 per cent since this government came to office, more than three times the rise in wages. Another recent report, Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions, by ACOSS and the University of NSW, carries further alarming findings. Almost seven in 10 people who rent privately worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase, with 56 per cent fearing it would lead to eviction and 52 per cent fearing being placed on a blacklist that would prevent them renting another property. Half of all renters live in homes that need repairs, one in 10 urgently. Almost one-in-five bathrooms has mould, which is a major health risk. Some 82 per cent of renters would find a 5 per cent rent hike "difficult or very difficult". A significant problem, and a major eyesore, is that many potential rentals are left empty - around a million Australia-wide. If occupied, these so-called "speculative vacancies" could greatly assist would-be renters. St Vincent de Paul Society calls for taxation reform to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land. Homes that are rented have the added benefit (to owners) of generous tax concessions, both during ownership and at point of sale. This creates a considerable loss to the Treasury, with the Parliamentary Budget Office calculating that tax revenue foregone over the decade to 2034-35 due to negative gearing deductions and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount on residential investment properties will total a massive $165 billion. This is money lost to healthcare, education, housing and other social essentials. St Vincent de Paul Society regards housing as a basic human right and we firmly believe all Australians deserve a secure place to live. Properties should be treated primarily as homes, not investment opportunities. The Society supports reducing CGT concessions from 50 per cent to 37.5 per cent to generate revenue that could be used to improve social services, plus a review of negative gearing. The government should increase needs-based funding of homelessness services and permanent supportive housing, including client-led support services. If not now, when? The last census recorded 122,494 people experiencing homelessness, and that was four years ago. Governments should fund and perhaps mandate policies that improve energy efficiency in low-income households, including apartment buildings. This goes hand in hand with funding and legislating national minimum standards for renters. The package known as "A Better Deal for Renters" was endorsed by national cabinet in 2023 with the promise that, "These changes will make a tangible impact for the almost one-third of Australian households who rent". The plan is yet to be fully implemented. Meanwhile, rent increases have accelerated, and pests are the most common tenant complaint, affecting one-third of premises. We're urging for a compassionate review of the base rate of working-age payments to lift recipients above the poverty line. So many people simply cannot afford decent housing. Achieving this basic goal is fundamental to Australia's future and for our much-prized social harmony. As the Human Rights Law Centre puts it, "every person should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. Yet too many Australians are homeless, live in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing, or need to sacrifice other necessities - from food to school uniforms - to keep a roof over their heads." Our members see these challenges every day, and while we can offer assistance within our means, structural change to the national housing market is needed urgently. More than two decades ago, former prime minister John Howard said, "I don't get people stopping me in the street and saying, 'John you're outrageous, under your government the value of my house has increased".' The nation's home owners would have been pleased by recent news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the national mean price of residential dwellings had risen to $1,002,500, the first time it has passed the million-dollar mark. Of course, that level was exceeded long ago in many city suburbs, with prices in regional areas also going sky-high as sea and tree changers took real estate windfalls and relocated. Around 66 per cent of Australian households own their own home with or without a mortgage. Home ownership, with a consistent rise in values, is Australians' most important asset, along with superannuation, which ticks over in the background, accessible only in later years. Renters, numbering one-third of Australian households, have also experienced the impacts of the ongoing property boom, except not in a good way. They are mostly dependent on the one-in-five households that own residential properties other than their usual domicile. For the record, one in 25 of these owners has four or more properties. Yet very few are affordable to low-income earners. Anglicare Australia's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that just 352 rentals (0.7 per cent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Almost none was affordable for a person on JobSeeker wanting a room in a share house, and none for a person on Youth Allowance. Median advertised rents have risen 35 per cent since this government came to office, more than three times the rise in wages. Another recent report, Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions, by ACOSS and the University of NSW, carries further alarming findings. Almost seven in 10 people who rent privately worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase, with 56 per cent fearing it would lead to eviction and 52 per cent fearing being placed on a blacklist that would prevent them renting another property. Half of all renters live in homes that need repairs, one in 10 urgently. Almost one-in-five bathrooms has mould, which is a major health risk. Some 82 per cent of renters would find a 5 per cent rent hike "difficult or very difficult". A significant problem, and a major eyesore, is that many potential rentals are left empty - around a million Australia-wide. If occupied, these so-called "speculative vacancies" could greatly assist would-be renters. St Vincent de Paul Society calls for taxation reform to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land. Homes that are rented have the added benefit (to owners) of generous tax concessions, both during ownership and at point of sale. This creates a considerable loss to the Treasury, with the Parliamentary Budget Office calculating that tax revenue foregone over the decade to 2034-35 due to negative gearing deductions and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount on residential investment properties will total a massive $165 billion. This is money lost to healthcare, education, housing and other social essentials. St Vincent de Paul Society regards housing as a basic human right and we firmly believe all Australians deserve a secure place to live. Properties should be treated primarily as homes, not investment opportunities. The Society supports reducing CGT concessions from 50 per cent to 37.5 per cent to generate revenue that could be used to improve social services, plus a review of negative gearing. The government should increase needs-based funding of homelessness services and permanent supportive housing, including client-led support services. If not now, when? The last census recorded 122,494 people experiencing homelessness, and that was four years ago. Governments should fund and perhaps mandate policies that improve energy efficiency in low-income households, including apartment buildings. This goes hand in hand with funding and legislating national minimum standards for renters. The package known as "A Better Deal for Renters" was endorsed by national cabinet in 2023 with the promise that, "These changes will make a tangible impact for the almost one-third of Australian households who rent". The plan is yet to be fully implemented. Meanwhile, rent increases have accelerated, and pests are the most common tenant complaint, affecting one-third of premises. We're urging for a compassionate review of the base rate of working-age payments to lift recipients above the poverty line. So many people simply cannot afford decent housing. Achieving this basic goal is fundamental to Australia's future and for our much-prized social harmony. As the Human Rights Law Centre puts it, "every person should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. Yet too many Australians are homeless, live in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing, or need to sacrifice other necessities - from food to school uniforms - to keep a roof over their heads." Our members see these challenges every day, and while we can offer assistance within our means, structural change to the national housing market is needed urgently. More than two decades ago, former prime minister John Howard said, "I don't get people stopping me in the street and saying, 'John you're outrageous, under your government the value of my house has increased".' The nation's home owners would have been pleased by recent news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the national mean price of residential dwellings had risen to $1,002,500, the first time it has passed the million-dollar mark. Of course, that level was exceeded long ago in many city suburbs, with prices in regional areas also going sky-high as sea and tree changers took real estate windfalls and relocated. Around 66 per cent of Australian households own their own home with or without a mortgage. Home ownership, with a consistent rise in values, is Australians' most important asset, along with superannuation, which ticks over in the background, accessible only in later years. Renters, numbering one-third of Australian households, have also experienced the impacts of the ongoing property boom, except not in a good way. They are mostly dependent on the one-in-five households that own residential properties other than their usual domicile. For the record, one in 25 of these owners has four or more properties. Yet very few are affordable to low-income earners. Anglicare Australia's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that just 352 rentals (0.7 per cent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Almost none was affordable for a person on JobSeeker wanting a room in a share house, and none for a person on Youth Allowance. Median advertised rents have risen 35 per cent since this government came to office, more than three times the rise in wages. Another recent report, Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions, by ACOSS and the University of NSW, carries further alarming findings. Almost seven in 10 people who rent privately worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase, with 56 per cent fearing it would lead to eviction and 52 per cent fearing being placed on a blacklist that would prevent them renting another property. Half of all renters live in homes that need repairs, one in 10 urgently. Almost one-in-five bathrooms has mould, which is a major health risk. Some 82 per cent of renters would find a 5 per cent rent hike "difficult or very difficult". A significant problem, and a major eyesore, is that many potential rentals are left empty - around a million Australia-wide. If occupied, these so-called "speculative vacancies" could greatly assist would-be renters. St Vincent de Paul Society calls for taxation reform to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land. Homes that are rented have the added benefit (to owners) of generous tax concessions, both during ownership and at point of sale. This creates a considerable loss to the Treasury, with the Parliamentary Budget Office calculating that tax revenue foregone over the decade to 2034-35 due to negative gearing deductions and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount on residential investment properties will total a massive $165 billion. This is money lost to healthcare, education, housing and other social essentials. St Vincent de Paul Society regards housing as a basic human right and we firmly believe all Australians deserve a secure place to live. Properties should be treated primarily as homes, not investment opportunities. The Society supports reducing CGT concessions from 50 per cent to 37.5 per cent to generate revenue that could be used to improve social services, plus a review of negative gearing. The government should increase needs-based funding of homelessness services and permanent supportive housing, including client-led support services. If not now, when? The last census recorded 122,494 people experiencing homelessness, and that was four years ago. Governments should fund and perhaps mandate policies that improve energy efficiency in low-income households, including apartment buildings. This goes hand in hand with funding and legislating national minimum standards for renters. The package known as "A Better Deal for Renters" was endorsed by national cabinet in 2023 with the promise that, "These changes will make a tangible impact for the almost one-third of Australian households who rent". The plan is yet to be fully implemented. Meanwhile, rent increases have accelerated, and pests are the most common tenant complaint, affecting one-third of premises. We're urging for a compassionate review of the base rate of working-age payments to lift recipients above the poverty line. So many people simply cannot afford decent housing. Achieving this basic goal is fundamental to Australia's future and for our much-prized social harmony. As the Human Rights Law Centre puts it, "every person should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. Yet too many Australians are homeless, live in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing, or need to sacrifice other necessities - from food to school uniforms - to keep a roof over their heads." Our members see these challenges every day, and while we can offer assistance within our means, structural change to the national housing market is needed urgently. More than two decades ago, former prime minister John Howard said, "I don't get people stopping me in the street and saying, 'John you're outrageous, under your government the value of my house has increased".' The nation's home owners would have been pleased by recent news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that the national mean price of residential dwellings had risen to $1,002,500, the first time it has passed the million-dollar mark. Of course, that level was exceeded long ago in many city suburbs, with prices in regional areas also going sky-high as sea and tree changers took real estate windfalls and relocated. Around 66 per cent of Australian households own their own home with or without a mortgage. Home ownership, with a consistent rise in values, is Australians' most important asset, along with superannuation, which ticks over in the background, accessible only in later years. Renters, numbering one-third of Australian households, have also experienced the impacts of the ongoing property boom, except not in a good way. They are mostly dependent on the one-in-five households that own residential properties other than their usual domicile. For the record, one in 25 of these owners has four or more properties. Yet very few are affordable to low-income earners. Anglicare Australia's 2025 Rental Affordability Snapshot surveyed 51,238 rental listings across Australia and found that just 352 rentals (0.7 per cent) were affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wage. Almost none was affordable for a person on JobSeeker wanting a room in a share house, and none for a person on Youth Allowance. Median advertised rents have risen 35 per cent since this government came to office, more than three times the rise in wages. Another recent report, Rights at risk: Rising rents and repercussions, by ACOSS and the University of NSW, carries further alarming findings. Almost seven in 10 people who rent privately worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase, with 56 per cent fearing it would lead to eviction and 52 per cent fearing being placed on a blacklist that would prevent them renting another property. Half of all renters live in homes that need repairs, one in 10 urgently. Almost one-in-five bathrooms has mould, which is a major health risk. Some 82 per cent of renters would find a 5 per cent rent hike "difficult or very difficult". A significant problem, and a major eyesore, is that many potential rentals are left empty - around a million Australia-wide. If occupied, these so-called "speculative vacancies" could greatly assist would-be renters. St Vincent de Paul Society calls for taxation reform to incentivise the use of long-term vacant residential properties and land. Homes that are rented have the added benefit (to owners) of generous tax concessions, both during ownership and at point of sale. This creates a considerable loss to the Treasury, with the Parliamentary Budget Office calculating that tax revenue foregone over the decade to 2034-35 due to negative gearing deductions and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount on residential investment properties will total a massive $165 billion. This is money lost to healthcare, education, housing and other social essentials. St Vincent de Paul Society regards housing as a basic human right and we firmly believe all Australians deserve a secure place to live. Properties should be treated primarily as homes, not investment opportunities. The Society supports reducing CGT concessions from 50 per cent to 37.5 per cent to generate revenue that could be used to improve social services, plus a review of negative gearing. The government should increase needs-based funding of homelessness services and permanent supportive housing, including client-led support services. If not now, when? The last census recorded 122,494 people experiencing homelessness, and that was four years ago. Governments should fund and perhaps mandate policies that improve energy efficiency in low-income households, including apartment buildings. This goes hand in hand with funding and legislating national minimum standards for renters. The package known as "A Better Deal for Renters" was endorsed by national cabinet in 2023 with the promise that, "These changes will make a tangible impact for the almost one-third of Australian households who rent". The plan is yet to be fully implemented. Meanwhile, rent increases have accelerated, and pests are the most common tenant complaint, affecting one-third of premises. We're urging for a compassionate review of the base rate of working-age payments to lift recipients above the poverty line. So many people simply cannot afford decent housing. Achieving this basic goal is fundamental to Australia's future and for our much-prized social harmony. As the Human Rights Law Centre puts it, "every person should have a safe, secure and healthy place to call home, regardless of your postcode or bank balance. Yet too many Australians are homeless, live in inadequate, insecure or unsafe housing, or need to sacrifice other necessities - from food to school uniforms - to keep a roof over their heads." Our members see these challenges every day, and while we can offer assistance within our means, structural change to the national housing market is needed urgently.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Number of students on Youth Allowance drops significantly in 20 years
The number of students receiving Youth Allowance payments has decreased sharply in the past 20 years, leading to concerns from experts that low-income and regional students are being locked out of tertiary education. There were roughly 275,000 students receiving Youth Allowance in June 2005, compared to just under 162,000 in May this year, according to the Department of Social Services. Over the same period, there had been an increase in the overall number of students attending university. Neeve Nagle, who is a law student at the University of Technology, Sydney and a member of the National Union of Students, told triple j Hack the declining number of recipients hit low-income and regional students the hardest because they did not have the option of relying on their parents for support. "But when we lock out students that can't financially afford to live independently [due to the parental income test] the sector will begin to collapse, and these students will no longer attend." Ms Nagle moved from a small town in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales to attend university in Sydney. She came from a single-parent household and was able to access Youth Allowance payments in the first couple of years of her degree. She now works and studies full-time, making her income too high to receive Youth Allowance. She said she had not encountered many classmates with similar backgrounds and that low rates of payment and parental income tests were keeping university out of reach for low-income and regional students. "Students are not able to afford to have full days off for uni because they're not on Youth Allowance and they need to go work their job instead, and so they're taking half days off work popping into class, running back," Ms Nagle said. There are two streams for Youth Allowance — student payments and job seeker payments. Both apply to people aged 24 and younger, and payment rates are determined by personal and parental income, unless the applicant can demonstrate independence. Youth Allowance payment rates drop once combined parental income hits $65,189. This year's federal budget projected nearly $500 million less in expenditure on student payments over the forward estimates due to fewer people taking up Youth Allowance. A spokesperson for the Department of Social Services told Hack that it was not accurate to compare 2005 data with recent rates, because of a 2012 policy change that removed 16- and 17-year-olds from being eligible for the payment while at high school. "In the last two years alone the payment rate of Youth Allowance has increased by around $100 per fortnight for most recipients, depending on student circumstances." The number of recipients was trending down before the 2012 changes and continued to fall after, according to DSS figures. Andrew Norton, an expert in higher education policy at Monash University noted the "structural decline" in Youth Allowance in 2023, but said research to explain why was hard to come by. "We don't have any fantastic research on this," Professor Norton told Hack. He thinks the strong labour market could be a key factor. "If we take it back to 2014 … just over half [of Youth Allowance recipients] were working during semester and now it's over 70 per cent," he said. "We've seen big increases in the rates of students working." Youth Allowance lets students work extra hours before their payments are reduced, compared to other forms of income support. However, Professor Norton said it must be "impossibly difficult" to do well academically if a person is forced to work and study full-time. National Union of Students president Ashlyn Horton told Hack that having to work long hours while studying impacted disadvantaged students the most, and had led to a decline in campus culture. "It is really destroying university life," she said. "The tanking of the Youth Allowance rate is creating division, socio-economically. The way the payment is designed may be to blame for falling rates, too. "The parental income test does actually exclude a lot of people," Professor Norton said. Ms Horton said the parental income test "shouldn't exist in the first place". "Once you're 18, you're an independent adult. You should be treated as such and your parents' income should not matter." Experts are concerned that low payment rates are deterring people from going to university or are causing them to drop out before they graduate. The rate of Youth Allowance remains much lower than other forms of income support. A young person aged 18 or older with no children who lives away from home to study can receive the full rate of just under $332 a week. That's a yearly income of $17,245.80. "Youth Allowance is just $48 a day … To put that into perspective, that's just 35 per cent of the minimum wage," program director of social security at the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), Charmaine Crowe, told Hack. ACOSS has been calling on the government to raise the rate of payments like Youth Allowance for several years. "We think these payments should be lifted to at least $82 a day so that students can cover the costs of essentials like food, energy, housing and focus on completing their course," Ms Crowe said. "The risk is that unless the government strengthens the safety net and lifts Youth Allowance, young people on low incomes may either decide not to go to uni or … they may end up giving up their education part way through simply because they don't have enough money," she said. Professor Norton said the data showed there had been "attrition" in student numbers over the years. "Exactly what's causing that isn't entirely clear, but I think a lot of it is due to the cost-of-living issues, which require people to drop out," he said. Professor Norton noted a "modest increase" in the number of people taking up Youth Allowance in recent months. "It has gone up a bit, at this stage probably about 20,000 more than it was this time last year," he said. That could be due to a higher number of domestic student enrolments than at any other time except for the brief COVID spike. "The number of Australian students starting an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree this year looks set to be the highest on record," federal Education Minister Jason Clare announced in June. The Universities Accord, a blueprint for the tertiary education sector in the decades ahead, said Australia must hit 80 per cent of its working age population with a tertiary education by 2050 to be globally competitive. The document notes that to do that the government must make university more accessible to people from low socio-economic backgrounds as well as First Nations and rural and regional students, sections of society that are currently under-represented in the tertiary education sector. Raising the rate of payments like Youth Allowance has been the top priority of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee for three consecutive years. Hack asked Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek if the government had plans to raise the rate of Youth Allowance in its coming term, but did not receive a response.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Centrelink cash boost for Australians arrives July 1: How to claim & who's eligible
Live Events What's Changing & When From July 1, payments and thresholds across many social services will rise by 2.4%. The increase follows earlier payment raises made in January and March this year. Who Gets More Money in this Cash Boost JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Parenting Payment, and Special Benefit Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, and Carer Payment Family Tax Benefit Part A & B, Paid Parental Leave, Newborn Supplement, and Multiple Birth Allowance How Much Will You Receive? Families with children under 13 in Family Tax Benefit A will gain about $5 extra per fortnight. Families with children aged 13+ will see the rate climb to $295.82 per fortnight. Newborn Supplement recipients receive roughly $48 more over 13 weeks. Triplet parents pick up an extra $120 over the year. The Paid Parental Leave income cap rises, too; the individual limit is $180,007, and the family cap is $373,094. What Isn't Included This Round Youth and student payments were already adjusted in January, so they won't see another rise now. JobSeeker and similar payments go next in March and September indexation cycles. How to Access the Cash Boost No action is needed; eligible recipients receive the extra cash automatically after July 1. Ensure your myGov–Centrelink account is up to date, especially bank details and personal information [you can update key changes online]. Check the Department of Social Services website for new rates and eligibility thresholds. Government Perspective (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Around 2.4 million Australians who rely on Centrelink and Services Australia support will receive a small increase in their payments starting July 1. This cash boost for Australians is part of the government's recent increase in social services by 2.4%, offering some relief to families, job seekers, students, pensioners, and automatic indexation means eligible recipients of JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Parenting Payment, and Special Benefit will receive more money in their bank receiving paid parental leave, family tax benefits (Parts A and B), newborn supplements, or multiple birth Allowances will also addition, pensioners and carers, those on the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, and Carer Payment, will see modest increases as income and asset thresholds are regular adjustment is made to keep payments in line with the cost of 2.4 million people will benefit, including recipients of:Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said this indexation reflects the rising cost of living. She noted, 'From 1 July, millions of recipients of social security payments will see more money in their bank accounts.'If you receive a Centrelink or Services Australia payment listed above, expect a modest automatic boost from July 1. No action needed, just keep your details current and check your account. For complete rate breakdowns, visit the Department of Social Services website.
