Media

During the past decade, as CEO of the South Australian Council of Social Service, I have spoken to hundreds of people who are unemployed and underemployed. And many people working at, and leading, the services that support them.

I’ve repeatedly heard first-hand what the cruelly low rate of income support has meant for people as they’ve searched desperately for work to put food on the table, keep a roof over their families’ heads, buy medicine and pay bills.

The 2020 annual reports from the SA Department for Child Protection and the SA Guardian for Children and Young People highlight concerning statistics on the number of children in state care in South Australia. Taken together with news reports in recent weeks that highlight just how vulnerable children in state care can be, they provide a compelling case for action. 

SACOSS yesterday held its ‘Working to Make Ends Meet’ Conference, with a focus on the challenges faced by waged poor households – a group that is often overlooked, and is also less likely to seek help. 
 
“What our research actually identifies is that one in four households living below the poverty line rely on wages as their main source of income,” stated SACOSS CEO Ross Womersley.

Do you use your personal phone or internet services for work? A recent survey commissioned by SACOSS found that 70% of the workers surveyed used their own phone or internet services for work. There were casual workers checking rosters online or being notified about work by phone, photographers and care workers navigating to different worksites, and delivery drivers phoning ahead to organise pick-ups or drop-offs.