Media Call Out

Australian Council of Social Service | 5 June 2012

DEADLINE – 15 June 2012

Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) are seeking single parents working, or attempting to find work

The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) has been speaking out against the Federal Government’s plan to force single parents off Parenting Payment Single (PPS) and place them onto the lower paying Newstart Allowance when their youngest child turns eight years of age. Even with the other announcements in this Budget of an increase to Family Tax Benefits, School Kids Bonus and a new Supplementary Allowance, ACOSS estimates that around 100,000 sole parents will still be around $30 to $40 worse off. This is grossly unfair and we need your help to convince the Government to change its mind. We are currently lobbying all federal parliamentarians and Senators to make them aware of the full impact of this proposal to convince them to vote against the legislation in parliament. We need your help!

ACOSS has been receiving a lot of media interest from journalists wanting to hear from single parents. We want to hear from single parents who are already doing some form of paid work, but also from those who have been out of the workforce and experiencing difficulties getting into work. If you face barriers such as inflexible hours of workplaces, discrimination for being seen as a ‘single mum’ or your age, or simply haven’t had a long work-life experience because you have been busy doing the most important job in the world: raising your child, then please contact us.

Please contact Fernando@ACOSS.org.au or 02 93106209

We would also like to let you all know that there will be a Senate Inquiry very soon with submissions sought, probably by the end of next week (June 15, 2012). It is very important that single parents make their voices heard. Please start writing down your story about how tough it is being a single parent, the difficulties you are currently facing, and how the cut in payments will affect you. Stay tuned to the ACOSS website for details
www.acoss.org.au