Anti-Poverty week is 16-22 October
The SA Anti-Poverty Week Facilitation Group (of which SACOSS is a member) welcomes the release today of ACOSS' groundbreaking Poverty Report 2016 which shows the alarming extent of poverty across Australia.
According to the report, 3 million Australians, or 13.3% of the population, live below the poverty line*. Even more alarming are the statistics on child poverty which shows a rate of 17.4% of children (731,000 in total) living in poverty.
For SA the rate of poverty is 12.6%, which is slightly under the national rate. SA is the only state in which the rate of poverty has increased since the release of ACOSS's last Poverty Report in 2014 (the figure in the 2014 report for SA was 11.7%).
We are concerned that nearly 200,000 people across South Australia are struggling on a daily basis to pay for essentials like food and utilities bills.
(the exact figure for SA according to the ACOSS Report is 199,400* people living in poverty)
This reinforces why it is essential that we urgently increase basic allowances including Youth Allowance and Newstart by at least $50 a week.
Today marks the beginning of National Anti-Poverty Week - a week where all Australians are encouraged to organise or take part in an activity to highlight or overcome issues of poverty and hardship.
Anti-Poverty Week was established in Australia as an expansion of the UN's annual International Anti-Poverty Day on October 17
For more about National Anti-Poverty Week, visit the website www.antipovertyweek.org.au/
For a list of Anti-Poverty Week activities in each state: www.antipovertyweek.org.au/calendar-of-activities-2016
ACOSS is today launching their Poverty Report 2016 to coincide with the start of Anti-Poverty Week and it will be available at www.acoss.org.au
* All figures are from the ACOSS Poverty Report 2016 and are for people living below the National Poverty Line which is based on a take-home income at less than 50% of the Australian median income, after housing costs. These figures are based on ABS statistics for 2013/14.
Interview opportunities:
Rosalie Pace, Co-Chair of the SA Anti-Poverty Week Facilitation Group, and State Manager Community Services, Red Cross on 0419 805 988.
Ross Womersley, CEO of SACOSS, on 0418 805 426.