NACCHO calls for the Government to increaseNewstart payments, welcoming the recent support for the same from Labor, the Greens, most Nationals and the majority of Crossbenchers.
"A very high number of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander people across Australia struggle to make ends meet and urgentlyrequire the additional assistance," says Acting NACCHO Chair, Donnella Mills.
"Many of our people face a daily decision ofwhether to pay their bills or feed their family, as they are unable to affordboth."
According to a 2018 report produced by Deloitte andcommissioned by ACOSS, after paying their household expenses and bills many Newstart recipientssurvive on as little as $17 a day.
"Missing meals, sleeping rough, struggling throughwinter without electricity and suffering financial stress all has a deep impacton physical and mental health," says Ms Mills.
It is people living in rural and remote communitiesthat are most affected by high living expenses and low employment opportunities.
The report by Deloitte found that a $75 per week increaseto Newstart would assist families and boost wellbeing in regional communitiesdoing it the toughest - including by delivering 12,000 new jobs.
"It is unacceptable that while over the last 25years there has been a drastic increase in living costs there has been noincrease to Newstart," says Ms Mills.
"IncreasingNewstart by at least $75 per week would assist in breaking the cycle ofpoverty, reduce income disparity and provide better opportunities for all Australiansdoing it tough.
"Government shouldnot need to wait for a Parliamentary Inquiry to confirm the urgency of anincrease."
NACCHO is the national peak body representing 145 Aboriginal CommunityControlled Health Organisations across the country on Aboriginal health andwellbeing issues. NACCHO represents over 6,000 ACCHO staff - of which 3,500 areIndigenous - and is the largest employer of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander people in Australia.
ManyNACCHO members have almost 50 years of experience in the delivery of comprehensiveprimary health care. Services are delivered through fixed, outreach and mobileclinics operating in urban, rural and remote settings across Australia.
