Welfare Rights Centre News
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Message from our CEO

Six months ago, we asked you to stand with us as we faced a funding crisis. You rallied and provided messages, donations, signatures and support to raise our profile and underscore just how vital Welfare Rights Centre is to the community. Thank you!

With your help, we highlighted the essential role we play in supporting vulnerable Australians. We were visible, we were noticed. We believed we had a backer.

Since then we've been planning our future with an understanding that we would receive Commonwealth Government funding to establish a Community Worker Hotline. In disappointing news, we have recently been informed that no additional funding will be provided this financial year.

Now again, we are at a critical turning point. This terrible funding news puts us at risk of reducing essential services, laying off staff, and losing capacity to help those in crisis - from women escaping violence to Aboriginal people facing homelessness and individuals denied the payments they urgently need.

The Robodebt Royal Commission underscored the importance of services like ours in holding Centrelink accountable. Now, just over a year later, the funding needed to act on the Commission’s recommendations remains uncertain. We continue to raise these concerns with the Federal Attorney-General. We also ask for his support for Economic Justice Australia's request for a $5 million funding stream for CLCs that specialise in social security law as part of the new National Access to Justice Partnership.

In the meantime, we urgently need your help. Please consider making a donation to help us bridge this gap. 

Every dollar makes a difference, enabling us to continue supporting Australians at risk of slipping through the cracks and advocating for a fairer, more just social security system.Together, we can build a stronger safety net for all.

Thank you for standing with us.

Katherine Boyle, CEO

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A life transformed - meet Grace Stals, former WRC client

We recently connected with Grace when we discovered her story about how Welfare Rights Centre changed her life. As a teenager in desperate need, Grace turned to the Centre for help and successfully accessed income support, thanks to our dedicated team. The experience left such a profound impact on her that she decided to pursue a career in law.
In her moving speech, Grace reflects on the life-changing importance of free legal support, being heard, and the power of justice. Her story is a testament to the far-reaching impact of justice and advocacy.

 
 Thank you for another year  

Last week we held our Annual General Meeting, and acknowledged our supporters with a Thank you event. It was uplifting to see so many familiar faces come together to celebrate the resilience and impact of Welfare Rights Centre. You can read our CEO's  speech, which set the tone for the evening. We welcomed two new members to the Board, Maxine Sharkey and Claire Thurstans and farewelled Nicole Hibberd-Smith. Our host Gilbert + Tobin generously provided a fabulous venue and catering. Thank you.

Today we are proud to share our Annual Report. Here we demonstrate the work we do with hundreds of people throughout NSW, our partnerships with community organisations and our advocacy priorities. Take a look!

 
Reaching First Nations Communities 

This year with your support we were able to maintain our First Nations Access Program and increase it's impact. We worked to deliver a suite of resources and workshops focussed on supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples navigate Centrelink. We presented workshops for First Nations community workers about family and domestic violence and Centrelink, in Nyngan, Dubbo and Mount Druitt with more to follow next year, funded in part by Ecstra, Mercy Foundation, Alinta Energy, ANZ Foundation  and the Give Together Giving Circle.

See our First Nations resources here.

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Our office is located on Gadigal land. We pay our respects to Gadigal Elders past and present, Gadigal and Gadigal Country. We acknowledge that First Nations People are the traditional owners and custodians of the lands on which we live and work and that sovereignty was never ceded.
We are committed to safe and inclusive workplaces, policies and services for First Nations Peoples and for LGBTQI+ communities and their families.

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