Earn
What’s it like living on Newstart?
Skipping meals, living in cars and a lack of access to essential medical services are all common experiences for youth on Newstart, new research has revealed.
What’s it like living on Newstart?
Skipping meals, living in cars and a lack of access to essential medical services are all common experiences for youth on Newstart, new research has revealed.
According to the latest Australian Council of Social Service survey, after paying their rent, 60 per cent of respondents have less than $14 a day.
Newstart provides recipients with $280 a week, while Youth Allowance for single without children is $225.10 a week.
Co-founder of Young Org Cat Nadel believes living a normal healthy life is impossible on these lower wages.
“Newstart and Youth Allowance is supposed to be a safety net that allows us to focus on our studies or on finding paid work. Instead, it is holding us in poverty,” she explained.
The report found that, to get by, over half of respondents couch-surf or use other unstable forms of accommodation.
More than nine in 10 have reported skipping meals as a way to save money, while one in three has withdrawn from studies due to a lack of funds.
In addition, 73 per cent of participants said they struggled accessing essential services, such as filling prescriptions, or seeing much-needed specialists. Meanwhile, 74 per cent of participants said it had been over a year since they saw a dentist.
“We are hearing stories of young people skipping their antidepressants and birth control because they can’t afford it on Youth Allowance,” Ms Nadel said.
One respondent, a 19-year-old on Youth Allowance, said: “I am currently on a waiting list to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed via surgery as they were causing an immense amount of pain. The medication prescribed for this was very expensive, but the surgery itself exceeded $4,000. Which I couldn’t pay, so I now have to wait a minimum of 1.5 years.”
About the author
About the author
Salary
Employers scrambling to prevent workplace brain drain
As workplace managers face a swiftly evolving employment market that’s increasingly favouring the demands of white-collar employees and jobseekers, bosses are falling under mounting pressure to pres...Read more
Salary
Unions back Albanese’s pledge to close gender pay gap
An electoral promise from Labor to make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act has been hailed as a “watershed moment” from industry peak bodies who have traditionally advocated for s...Read more
Salary
Coles asked to disprove $115m in alleged wage theft
One of Australia’s biggest supermarkets faces allegations that it underpaid more than 7,500 employees a total of $115 million. ...Read more
Salary
Gen Z left behind in progress to gender equality
Women under 25 may emerge from the pandemic in a worse financial position than when it began, new research has shown. ...Read more
Salary
Show me the money: I deserve a COVID recognition payment, and so do you
Staff are currently in high demand. But they’re also mostly overworked, overtired, underplayed and underpaid. ...Read more
Salary
Is Australia headed for the ‘Great Resignation’?
A wave of resignations from Australian workers is expected in the next six months. ...Read more
Salary
Earnings surge in lockdown, but is a slump ahead?
A new report from CBA has shown that it may actually pay to be in lockdown, as growth in household income surged ahead in NSW and Victoria. ...Read more
Salary
RBA sets sights on 4% unemployment
The RBA has updated its key objectives in order to jolt the Australian economy into growth, including a two-decade low unemployment rate of 4 per cent. ...Read more
Wrapping up an eventful 2021
Listen now
What Omicron means for property, and are units right for first-time buyers? What is equity crowdfunding? Are industry super funds tapping into member funds to save their skins?
Listen now
Will housing affordability improve in 2022? Will buy now, pay later become the norm? Why are Aussies staying in failing super products?
Listen now
Who really benefits from crypto ETFs? How will the RBA respond to rising inflation? Could a mandate help address unpaid super?
Listen now
Salary
Employers scrambling to prevent workplace brain drain
As workplace managers face a swiftly evolving employment market that’s increasingly favouring the demands of white-collar employees and jobseekers, bosses are falling under mounting pressure to pres...Read more
Salary
Unions back Albanese’s pledge to close gender pay gap
An electoral promise from Labor to make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act has been hailed as a “watershed moment” from industry peak bodies who have traditionally advocated for s...Read more
Salary
Coles asked to disprove $115m in alleged wage theft
One of Australia’s biggest supermarkets faces allegations that it underpaid more than 7,500 employees a total of $115 million. ...Read more
Salary
Gen Z left behind in progress to gender equality
Women under 25 may emerge from the pandemic in a worse financial position than when it began, new research has shown. ...Read more
Salary
Show me the money: I deserve a COVID recognition payment, and so do you
Staff are currently in high demand. But they’re also mostly overworked, overtired, underplayed and underpaid. ...Read more
Salary
Is Australia headed for the ‘Great Resignation’?
A wave of resignations from Australian workers is expected in the next six months. ...Read more
Salary
Earnings surge in lockdown, but is a slump ahead?
A new report from CBA has shown that it may actually pay to be in lockdown, as growth in household income surged ahead in NSW and Victoria. ...Read more
Salary
RBA sets sights on 4% unemployment
The RBA has updated its key objectives in order to jolt the Australian economy into growth, including a two-decade low unemployment rate of 4 per cent. ...Read more
More articles
Website Notifications
Get notifications in real-time for staying up to date with content that matters to you.
