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Over 700,000 Australians could get a dole pay hike under Labor

A win for Labor at next year’s federal election could mean a win for 705,000 Aussies. <em>Photos: Getty</em>
A win for Labor at next year’s federal election could mean a win for 705,000 Aussies. Photos: Getty

If the Labor government wins the federal election next year, Aussies receiving Newstart payments could be set for a $75 increase.

The Australian Labor party will weigh up a “two-step proposal” to increase the government-funded allowances in its national conference held this weekend.

Currently, 705, 658 people across Australia receive Newstart allowances. Single adults with no children will have to make ends meet with $275.10 a week, which comes to less than $40 a day.

A $75 increase would mean $350.10 a week, or $50 a day.

However, this still falls short of covering the basic costs of living such as housing, food, transport, energy and clothing, which costs around $433 a week based on figures by the University of New South Wales.

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The proposal will be put forward by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), a community services lobby group, which has been campaigning to have the Newstart allowances raised.

A number of trade unions will back the proposal, such as the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association as well as Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne.

Labor has committed to reviewing the Newstart rate in its first term of government, but ACOSS is pushing for the party to deliver an increase in its first term of government.

Ahead of the conference, briefing materials were circulated to delegates and obtained by the Guardian.

“We don’t need a review to know that this is overdue or that there is already widespread support, including from almost 70 per cent of the Australian community, leading economists such as Chris Richardson and Saul Eslake, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, most crossbench MPs and the philanthropic community,” ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie said.

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