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Why is Financial Health and Wellbeing an advocacy priority?
UnitingCare Australia believes that emergency relief and financial counselling services are a critical part of the social fabric of Australia. They were first funded by the Australian Government in response to the economic downturn of the 1970s, and more than thirty years later it is time that these services are reconfigured and strengthened so they are able to meet the contemporary and emerging needs of people experiencing deprivation, hardship and financial exclusion and build their financial stability, capacity, capability and wellbeing.
Demand for emergency relief and financial counselling services has been growing over the past decade or more of economic prosperity. This increase in demand has been coupled with an increasing level in the complexity of needs being exhibited by people seeking assistance. To be effective over the long term, service responses must be tailored to diverse needs and capabilities and support people to engage with opportunities to enhance their financial health and wellbeing. People need access to information, advocacy and options, presented in a way that they understand, to deal with their current needs, identify their strengths and the barriers they face and build their capacity in the longer term for financial stability and wellbeing.
Key advocacy actions
- Welfare reform
- Income support justice (including the adequacy of income support and opposing conditional welfare)
- The reform of emergency relief and financial counselling programs
Media Releases
Indexation of Income Support Payments welcome - 5 September 2010
Compulsory widespread income management will not address disadvantage - 28 July 2010
Vulnerable Australians miss out because of red tape - 31 May 2010
Major parties ignore evidence in decision to extend compulsory income management - 16 March 2010
Social services get better value for money and produce better outcomes than involuntary income management - 25 February 2010
UnitingCare Australia Opposes Involuntary Income Management - 25 November 2009
Pension increases - why do some miss out?- 19 June 2009
UnitingCare Australia welcomes Pension Review but says entire system needs re-examining - 12 August 2008
Major Church Providers welcome meeting with Deputy Prime Minister - 27 January 2009
Major Church Providers call for crisis response now - 26 November 2008
Submissions
Evidence prepared by UnitingCare Children, Young People & Families and tabled by UnitingCare Australia at the Senate Inquiry into the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform and Reinstatement of Racial Discrimination Act) Bill 2009 - 26 February 2010
UnitingCare Australia submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Pension reform and other 2009 Budget measures) Bill 2009 - June 2009
+ tabling statement - 19 June 2009
Major Church Providers recommendations to the Minister on the financial health and wellbeing of disadvantaged and vulnerable Australians - Melbourne Forum, 30 March 2009
The forum provided a unique opportunity for the participants to share best practice in delivery of services that promote the financial health and wellbeing of disadvantaged and vulnerable Australians. The report provides a framework and recommendations for how the funding allocated to Emergency Relief and Financial Counselling programs in the February economic stimulus package would be best used to build a strong and stable suite of financial health and wellbeing services.
UnitingCare Network submission to the Conditional Adjustment Payment review - 22 October 2008
UnitingCare Australia submission to the Pension Review - 26 September 2008
+ cover letter
Position statements and resources
UnitingCare Australia’s position on involuntary income management - Article written for the Uniting Church's Assembly Update - 15 February 2010
Building a sustainable financial health and wellbeing system - Keynote address by Lin Hatfield Dodds at WACOSS Emergency Relief Conference - 25 November 2009
A decent life in supportive and inclusive communities - UnitingCare Australia position paper, October 2007
UnitingCare Emergency Relief and Financial Counselling service providers
To find an agency in your state that provides local services and advocacy on this advocacy priority, please contact the UnitingCare Synod office in your state. You can find their contact details here. |
