Justice, Opportunity and Shared Wealth for all South Australians
Read our latest media releases, catch up on anything you missed from the our radio program Small Change, and comment on issues and ideas in our blog.
SACOSS has welcomed the State Government’s announcement today to expand the Retailer Energy Efficiency Scheme, which should see approximately 20,000 extra households eligible for free home energy audits.
“Before the election SACOSS had called for an expansion of the REES to help 'the working poor’ so we applaud this decision,” says Jo De Silva, SACOSS Senior Policy Adviser in Energy.
This week is both Anti-Poverty Week and Get Online Week in Australia, so it’s a good time to ask how anyone can get by spending just $12 a week on telecommunications.
There’s no doubt telecommunications are essential in an age where government services, businesses, employment and education are all online, and much of our contact with friends and family rely on social media and digital communications. Recent SACOSS research shows that the average SA household spends $46 on telecommunications each week, equivalent to 3.2% of their disposable income. That was more...
Report shows raising Newstart & Youth Allowance will boost jobs, state taxes
South Australia’s total disposable income would increase by $288 million if the Federal Government raised Newstart, Youth Allowance and related payments by $75 per week. This is according to a report by Deloitte Access Economics, released today by The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), with support from SACOSS and the state and and territory councils of social service.
Mahatma Gandhi famously said that a society can be measured by how it treats its most vulnerable.
While it follows from this maxim that lifting people out of poverty should be a priority, the reality is that governments rarely shine a light on this issue.
The issues are complex, and political life cycles often result in short term policy settings and programs which don’t give real and lasting solutions.
So we applaud the SA Parliament which is currently examining the extent of poverty in South Australia.
SACOSS is today releasing a substantial piece of research into poverty in SA. This includes the calculation of a brand new and more accurate poverty line specific to SA. This is the first time SA-specific data has been used in this way.
A Fact Sheet released by the South Australian Council of Social Service shows that 15% of South Australians don’t use the internet, 17.5% of South Australian households don’t have internet access at home, and South Australia lags behind the Australian average in most categories of internet use. The Fact Sheet is based on the latest ABS data on household internet use.
Key findings:
LAST week there was another appalling, anonymous attack on a vital inner-city homelessness service, with fake Hutt St Centre expansion letters sent to neighbours. It is heartening to see though that, by and large, most local residents and businesses aren’t being been swayed by these scare campaigns, lies and misinformation.
But uncertainty remains over cuts to services
