In the lead-up to the federal budget, there’s much focus on what the government will do to address cost-of-living pressures for households amid rising inflation and interest rates.
Research shows where those cost-of-living stresses are greatest. It’s not the vast bulk of middle-income Australia, but working-age welfare recipients.
It’s against this backdrop that the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee recently handed its 2026 report to government. It’s the fourth report in a row to recommend a substantial increase to JobSeeker: the payment that around 900,000 mostly unemployed, working-age Australians receive.
