Beyond Housing says it wonders how people living on welfare payments will be able to survive, after the Federal Government did not increase the rates in the budget.
Beyond Housing is a not-for-profit group that helps people into stable housing, and said the decision not to increase the Jobseeker payment from its current $48 per day condemned more people to poverty.
“I am deeply concerned,” Beyond Housing chief executive Celia Adams said.
“It’s simply not enough for people to survive on.”
Ms Adams said Treasurer Jim Chalmers laid out a strong case for an increase in the payment in his budget speech, with references to rising inflation, energy costs and interest rates.
“I think what it does is place them in further poverty,” Ms Adams said.
“Rental assistance has had no real increase in more than 20 years.
“There’s risk in the economic environment for unemployment to increase, for it to become more difficult to maintain housing, more difficult to maintain energy costs.”
Ms Adams also said she had concerns the Federal Government did not intend to maintain the Equal Remuneration Order payment, which helps lift the pay for many community sector employees.
“It’s not clear if it is included in the budget,” Ms Adams said.
“If it isn’t, it will equal a reduction in staff providing critical services.”
Ms Adams said the budget also had many positive aspects, including the National Housing Accord, funding relief and recovery from disasters, paid parental leave and childcare measures, and the funding of 500 frontline family violence workers.