18 November 2024
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is disappointed the Senate Select Committee on Cost of Living Final Report does not include immediate actions that would address key areas of stress for people with disability who are experiencing Australia’s cost of living crisis most acutely.
In response, the national disability rights and advocacy organisation has reiterated their calls for an increase to the Disability Support Pension and funding for accessible social and affordable housing to be prioritised by the Australian Government.
PWDA Deputy CEO Megan Spindler-Smith has expressed concern that the report’s recommendations are not targeted towards people with disability.
“People with disability are some of the most economically marginalised people in Australia and many are feeling the cost of living crisis more acutely than most. Kicking the can down the road and focusing on measures that will do little to ease the pressure for those in our community experiencing poverty and at risk of homelessness is simply not good enough.
“This was a missed opportunity to back the measures we know would bring immediate and long-term relief to those at greatest risk in this crisis including the introduction of a $65 a week disability and illness supplement for people with disability on the JobSeeker payment and the Disability Support Pension to meet additional living costs.
“The report and dissenting reports’ housing measures do little to address the increased risk of homelessness for people with disability driven by a lack of accessible social and affordable housing. While rent control measures in the Australian Greens report could provide some relief we need long-term investment and a Targeted Housing Action Plan for people with disability to increase housing options for our community,” Spindler-Smith said.
PWDA will be writing to the Australian Government urging immediate action to address the cost of living crisis for people with disability.
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The Government’s “reforms” and lack of clarity from the NDIA severely impact the everyday reasonable and necessary costs of PWDs in a time of cost of living crisis.
It should be evident that people with disability struggle to maintain economic participation and income. Continualised marginalised treatment of persons with disabilities exacerbates existing hardships and fails to recognise the unique contribution people with disabilities can make to their communities and the nation.