While the indexation rise to welfare payments marks the largest increase in more than 30 years, for those on the receiving end it will barely scratch the surface.
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For Rebecca Reale, a Uniting Ballarat Street 2 Home program participant - a committee aimed at championing the voices of those who have experienced or are experiencing homelessness - and age pensioner, the increase "won't really do anything".
Ms Reale, from western Victoria, said the estimated rise of her age pension, her only source of income, by $38.90 a fortnight would help her with paying her power bill but was not enough to help her manage soaring cost of living pressures.
"Anything is great but it's definitely not going with the cost of living," she said.
"I still think it's a long way behind that and it's definitely not measuring up to what we're paying for the cost of everything at the minute."
Ms Reale, who was homeless for a period of three years due to family turmoil before finding government housing with the assistance of Uniting Ballarat, said she had found it extremely difficult to keep herself afloat and was still in the same situation.
"I know how hard it is for people on Centrelink because we have to spend every single cent and we have no emergency fund and it's not fair," she said.
Similarly, for Uniting Ballarat Street 2 Home peer support worker Jeremey Gunning, who was homeless for 18 months during the pandemic before securing employment with Uniting Ballarat, said he welcomed the increases but believed it was not enough.
"It's just bloody ridiculous," Mr Gunning said.
"You can't pull yourself out of homelessness (with this money); it's forcing people into homelessness."
Uniting Ballarat Private Rental Assistance Program support worker Amiee Whelan said she felt the increase in JobSeeker payments to $677 fortnight exemplified the disparity between one's income and today's expenses.
"When we're looking at our clients on JobSeeker around about $160 to $180 is what they can afford in a rental but when you look at the rentals, you're lucky to find a $200 a week rental - most of them are $250 to $300," Ms Whelan said.
"The balance between income and living expenses is off. When we look at the rentals and look at the fact, they've got to survive, they got to have food and pay the bills and petrol - the balance is completely out of whack.
"It's just not sustainable and affordable."
Ms Whelan said the proposed increase to JobSeeker was still inadequate and would continue to contribute to the stress her clients were facing in trying to secure stable housing.
"They're (Uniting Ballarat clients) having to look at other options such as 'do they get in a housemate?' And if so, 'what problems are there going to be?'," she said.
"How do they manage that when they're already in such a difficult spot?"
However, Ms Whelan said she felt the boost in the age and disability pensions were slightly more promising.
"Disability support is better funded and it's not as drastic as a JobSeeker but they're right on the line of the balance being out of whack," she said.
SACRIFICING SLEEP AND MEDICATION TO STAY AFLOAT
Ms Reale said she had to make a number of sacrifices including forgoing her sleep and her bipolar medication in order to survive.
"I have to stay up overnight to do washing because if I do it during the day, it's about $2.40 a load whereas overnight it's about $1 a wash," she said.
"I can't even get my own medication because I just can't afford it."
Mr Gunning said he had to make similar adjustments when he was without work.
"When I was on the pension and wasn't working I was literally housebound," he said.
"I had to learn to live off nothing; I grew a lot of vegetables and I never used my heater or conditioner."
Mr Gunning said he empathised for those who relied solely on welfare payments as a source of income.
"I struggled so much on an income and I just I have so much empathy for these people because it's just not enough," he said.
"I can live off the sniff of an oily rag but some people can't because they don't have a spare cent."
Ms Reale said it would have been more beneficial to have pension payments increased by at least $50 a fortnight for an individual to accommodate rising expenses, particularly for food.
Similarly, Ms Whelan agreed a larger rise was needed in all welfare payments as well as the creation of more public housing to keep up with skyrocketing rental prices.
The government's welfare payment increases also include the Parenting Payment, ABSTUDY and Rent Assistance. This rise is set to come into effect on September 20.
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Malvika Hemanth
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
Malvika has a strong interest in covering stories on welfare, cost of living pressures and the arts. She works on the unceded lands of the Wadawurrung people and pays her respect to elders past, present and emerging.
