The following residents of the ACT draw to the attention of the Assembly:
The Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union Canberra writes on behalf of all ACT unemployed workers and residents who rely on social security payments.
It is unconscionable that anyone should live in poverty in an affluent country’s most affluent city. Yet 50,000+ Canberrans are forced to rely on social security payments that are well below the Henderson Poverty Line. Worse still, 90% of low-income Canberrans are locked out of federal COVID disaster payments (Source: Australian Council of Social Service), and 100% are locked out of ACT test-and-isolate payments.
A significant body of new research finds people in poverty are unable, not unwilling, to comply with COVID guidelines. We are forced into making unsafe choices because better options are unavailable. These include having to shop more frequently and in person rather than using delivery and continuing to work in high-risk situations because we cannot afford to lose income. This jeopardises public health and puts everyone at risk.
Your petitioners, therefore, request the Assembly to call upon the Government to support people on social security and protect our whole community by disbursing, from the Territory budget, disaster payments of $200/week - backdated to the beginning of lockdown 12/08/2021 - to all ACT residents surviving on federal Income support until such a time as their payments are raised above the Henderson Poverty Line (currently $83/day) .