"The money just simply does not stretch": living on Jobseeker as rent, energy and food costs soar

This week's posts are being sourced and moderated by the Antipoverty Centre (@antipovertycent) to spark thinking and discussion about poverty in Australia in the lead up to the delivery of the Federal budget in May. In today’s article, a person describes the challenges of living on Jobseeker and looking for work as rent, food and energy costs rise, and calls for more practical interventions and financial support before people like him reach a crisis situation. The author has asked to remain anonymous.

I'm a 42 year old male currently on Jobseeker, having been forced to leave the gig worker industry.

Survival has been tough, on Jobseeker with rent assist I get $375 Per week ($751 lump sum a fortnight). $300 goes to my rent each week, leaving me with $150 a fortnight spare for Bills, Food and Jobseeking, Bills work out to be about $150 a month (Power, Water, Internet), so after I'm left with $150 a month ($37.50 a week) for everything else, I've also been working on side income streams to bring in more money, but business has been sporadic and certainly not enough to cover my shortfalls.

The money simply just does not stretch....... and just surviving is the least of my concerns.

My largest point of concern is my lease, due to expire in 5 months, if it was just a case of renewal, I could work something out, however we are in the opening phases of the worst housing crisis experienced here in Australia and rents are skyrocketing. Seven months ago, rents in the area I am in were $300 a week. Two months ago when I went looking to see if there was a way to get out of my lease and move in somewhere cheaper, rents had risen to $350. A week ago when I checked the rents again, the same apartments were going for $400, translating into a whopping 33% increase in just under 7 months! And we're not talking the top of the line apartments, these are the shoeboxes built in the 70's-80's, unfurnished, without aircon and crawling with roaches.

If my rent increases when my lease comes up for renewal, I will have to leave my apartment and will likely have to seek out additional help..

Unemployed people need to be able to pay the bills and have enough money to be able to seek out and get to job interviews. When the rents and food are jumping far beyond the official rate of inflation, it will be only a matter of time until something breaks.

I would like to see the government raise the rate at the budget, as well as provide rental assistance and a job search stipend that people who are using Workforce Australia to self manage Jobseeker can get the assistance they need, without having to go to the Job Search Providers, who frankly don't have the best reputation.

However, I’d also like to note that this is just a bandaid. The government has to tackle the problems of ineffective Job Search Providers, expensive housing and the rate of income support while people look for work, before they are forced into situations where they need more help. Jobseeker is not keeping up with rent rises and food price rises. Without firm action like freezing rent rises and evictions, businesses and property investors will continue to increase prices, leaving people like myself and my generation to pay the price.

Content moderator: The Antipoverty Centre