Media Release
20 August 2024
Welfare Rights Centre Overwhelmed by Desperately Poor Refugee Families—Urgent Need for Increased Funding
In the past four weeks, Welfare Rights Centre's intake system has been overwhelmed by the urgent and complex needs of multiple refugee families who have reached out for help. These families are living on the brink of homelessness because they are relying on a single income which is being swallowed up by rent, leaving them with little for food, utilities, and other basic needs.
The situation is dire. These individuals, many of whom are mothers caring for young children and students completing their education, are facing immense financial hardship, exacerbated by the complexity of navigating Centrelink’s system. Many are not receiving the family support and other payments they may be eligible for, with some being told by Centrelink not to even bother applying for a payment, despite the possibility that they may be eligible. The families are dealing with language barriers, as most have limited English proficiency, requiring interpreters to facilitate communication.
Welfare Rights Centre’s intake team is grappling with the enormity of these cases. Each family member over 16 needs to be individually interviewed to understand their situation and determine their eligibility for Centrelink payments – a process that is time-consuming and resource-intensive. The sheer volume of work forced us to temporarily close our intake to other people seeking assistance.
"This situation is a stark reminder of the vulnerable position that many refugee families find themselves in, and the immense pressure it places on organisations like ours," said Katherine Boyle, CEO of Welfare Rights Centre. "We are doing everything we can, but without additional funding, we simply cannot meet the growing demand for our services. We need immediate support to continue providing the critical assistance that these families and many others like them rely on."
Welfare Rights Centre is urgently calling for increased government funding to ensure that refugee families and other vulnerable families and individuals can access the support they desperately need. Without this support, more families will slip through the cracks, potentially facing homelessness and further financial destitution.
Welfare Rights Centre receives 11,000 calls year but has the capacity to answer only half of these calls. Only 1500 individuals get through, with over a 1500 more turned away because Welfare Rights does not have enough solicitors to advise them.
Katherine Boyle is currently in Canberra along with her colleagues from the community legal sector calling for an extra $35 million to top up funding to the sector for the remainder of the year and a commitment of at least $270 million in the new National Legal Assistance Partnership.
For further information or to arrange an interview contact:
Katherine Boyle at: [email protected].
or call 0430 306 823
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