Dear supporter,

Last night’s Federal Budget was a letdown for people struggling to get by - and for Welfare Rights Centre. There was no increase to JobSeeker or other working-age payments, leaving millions trapped in poverty. Worse still, nothing was announced to help people access the Centrelink payments they’re entitled to - Welfare Rights Centre’s core work.

We are proud to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of people each year. But for every person we help, there are hundreds more we simply don’t have the resources to assist. In a cost-of-living crisis, it is unacceptable that people are being left without the income support they need to survive.

Our peak body, Economic Justice Australia (EJA), is calling for a dedicated $5 million funding stream to ensure specialist social security legal services like ours can continue this essential work. As we approach the federal election, we urge the government to recognise the overwhelming demand for our services and commit to proper funding. This is more urgent than ever, given the devastating systemic errors leaving thousands of Centrelink recipients without support.

We will keep fighting for fair access to Centrelink. Thank you for standing with us.

In our experience, yes

Over the past six months the number of refugees families approaching us for help accessing Centrelink payments has skyrocketed!

Many of these families have been wrongly turned away without even applying for a payment. New migrants to Australia generally have to wait 4 years until they can get an income support payment from Centrelink under the Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period (NARWP). That doesn’t apply to refugees and partners and dependent children of refugees who may be able to get a payment immediately.

Refugees and dependent family members of refugees whose claim for a Centrelink payment has been rejected can ask for a formal review of the rejection by an Authorised Review Officer at Centrelink. It’s important to do this within 13 weeks of the rejection so that they receive back pay to the date of the original claim.

We have been advocating to Services Australia to ensure that Centrelink staff are aware of the social security rights of refugees and they have made changes to their system, but these appear not to have been effective. We have been working with EJA to get this problem resolved. Meanwhile we keep advocating to ensure these families have enough support to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

Over the years EJA has raised concerns about the fairness and legality of mutual obligations, particularly their impact on vulnerable groups, including people experiencing homelessness, First Nations people, and people with disabilities. The penalty zone system - where jobseekers face payment cancellations after five demerits - has caused significant hardship.

Together with EJA, we seek an immediate suspension of the penalty zone system and automatic compensation to those affected, and we advocate for the abolition of Mutual Obligations. See EJA's Media Release

Centrelink miscalculates debts again

We are eager to see the outcome of a key test case currently before the Federal Court on income apportionment - Centrelink’s past practice of calculating and raising welfare debts. A 2023 Commonwealth Ombudsman report found this practice to be unlawful, with up to two million Australians affected, and many facing serious financial and emotional distress.

This case will address important questions: when can Centrelink lawfully raise a debt, and how should debts be properly calculated?

We believe that Centrelink must have clear, robust processes and strong standards of evidence when determining whether a debt is owed. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences for millions of Australians who rely, or have relied, on social security - many of whom face financial hardship and depend on these payments to live safely, with dignity, and fully participate in society.

The Robodebt Royal Commission made it clear that that a fair and transparent approach is essential to maintaining public trust in the government’s administration of social security.

Allienttia Weldon-Oti, our First Nations Access Officer regularly attends the Aboriginal Tenants list at NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) where we support clients who have issues with tenancy and social housing and are in need of Centrelink support.

We're pleased to be running a series of face to face workshops for Aboriginal community workers supporting clients at the intersection of family and domestic violence and Centrelink. Our next workshop will be on the Central Coast hosted by Gudjagang Ngara li-dhi Aboriginal Corporation in May. 

First Nations FDV & Centrelink Workshop

Our work has provided financial relief to hundreds of people navigating the complexities of social security payments. In just six months our dedicated efforts have led to:
• Ensuring clients have access to annual payments amounting to $512,260.90
• Securing payment errors exceeding $227,500
• Eliminating Centrelink debts totalling $30,686