Antipoverty Centre

Employment secretary admits to questionable legality of Centrelink payment penalties, refuses to pause suspensions

March 21, 2025

Today the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations secretary Natalie James has revealed there are legal questions over tens of thousands of decisions – decisions that reduced or cancelled people’s Centrelink payments – made under the Targeted Compliance Framework.

TONIGHT: Talking About Poverty with Rick Morton and Fiona Moore (online)

March 17, 2025

Antipoverty Centre

Update

Welfare recipients, supporters and media are invited to attend the first online session of the People Against Poverty Summit.

Government must wipe energy debts – shopping around for cheaper energy won’t help

March 13, 2025

Antipoverty Centre

Update

Only 42% of the 132,000 customers on a hardship plan with their energy company are able to repay more than they use

Antipoverty Centre rejects shameful report from economic “inclusion” committee

March 11, 2025

Antipoverty Centre

Update

Another report that excludes poor people – the real experts in poverty – causes more harm than good.

Senate estimates hearing shows Minister Watt must do whatever is necessary to end “mutual” obligations

February 27, 2025

Antipoverty Centre

Update

Further revelations that this system may not even be lawful is enough to end "mutual" obligations once and for all.

Report calls for energy debt amnesty

January 30, 2025

Antipoverty Centre

Update

The Antipoverty Centre is calling on energy retailers to wipe debt from their books using their massive greedflation profits

IT outage chaos: “Mutual” obligations must be suspended to stop distress and confusion for welfare recipients

January 16, 2025

Antipoverty Centre

Update

Since last Monday, IT issues have plagued government systems that welfare recipients must use to receive their Centrelink payment on time.

Advocates deliver $173 million bill to Origin Energy, call on energy companies to wipe customer debt

December 2, 2024

Antipoverty Centre

Update

Energy companies must Stop the Bill Shock by wiping debts and making prices fair

Debt forgiveness urgently needed as poor people suffer from high energy costs

November 7, 2024

Antipoverty Centre

Update

The Antipoverty Centre is calling for immediate intervention from energy companies and government in response to today’s annual electricity and gas markets report published by the Australian Energy Regulator.

In Anti-Poverty Week support poor people not poverty profiteers

October 13, 2024

Antipoverty Centre

Update

Another year, another Anti-Poverty Week, and still the poverty industry fails to prioritise the expertise of people in poverty.