Poverty on the rise

Healthy economy can’t curb poor

THE Federal Government is being urged to increase Newstart payments after a damning new report revealed more than 2.26 million people are living in poverty.

It marks an increase on the poverty rates recorded in 2003 — evidence that successive mining booms and sustained economic growth have not improved the lives of the nation’s poorest.

The figures show that 575,000 children are living in poverty, and women are more likely to suffer poverty than men.

The Australian Council of Social Service ( ACOSS) released the findings yesterday in its Poverty Australia report, said to be the most comprehensive snapshot of the nation’s poor since 2006.

‘‘Australia is now measured as the wealthiest country in the world when it comes to median wealth — we rank above Switzerland,’’ ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie said.

‘‘Yet this report we’re re- leasing says we have 2.2 million people who are living below the poverty line. If you’re a single person, that means you have just over $50 a day to cover everything.’’

Single people with two children had $80 a day to attempt to live on, Ms Goldie said.

ACOSS demanded the Federal Government increase dole payments — $492.60 per fortnight for a single unemployed person – and index them to inflation.

Ms Goldie said boosting Newstart rates, which she says have not increased in real terms for 20 years, would help to lift thousands out of poverty.

ACOSS also urged the nation’s billionaires, including mining magnates Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer, to pay more tax and called on both federal and state governments to address expensive housing costs.

‘‘We would be delighted if this afternoon the wealthiest people in Australia came out and said, ‘We are prepared to pay more tax’,’’ Ms Goldie said.

The ACOSS report, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 2009 and 2010, says the number of people living in poverty has increased by about one-third of one per cent since 2003, despite the mining booms and years of economic growth.

NSW has the highest number of people in poverty (835,000), followed by Victoria (526,700), Queensland ( 430,900), Western Australia (211,300), South Australia (165,200) and Tasmania (56,000).

More women are said to be living in poverty than men.

The report defines the ‘‘poverty line’’ as 50 per cent of the median average national household income.