From welfare recipients to Labor without love: a response to the Albanese government’s first budget - part 1

In the wake of the budget, the Antipoverty Centre asked people on Centrelink payments – the real social policy experts – for their reactions. This is the first in a short series. Contributions are attributed using Twitter handles. We encourage readers to follow each person to increase your knowledge through their expertise. 

All I've got is an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. – @Pewnack 

How are those of us who live in regional Australia with chronic illness going to fair. Medical is woeful in the regions and travel multiple times a year for specialist appointments and medical imaging necessary. Try 1600kms trips and accommodation on the DSP. – @FordfgFalcon

How would Albanese's mother fare under this budget? She'd be on Jobseeker, as Gillard changed the rules for DSP, on a long wait list for social housing, paying market rent, going without meals, medication, hot water. How can Albanese sleep, knowing that people are going hungry? Labor can't afford to raise the rate for people with disabilities who can't afford essential medication but can afford to 'subsidise' (pay almost all) the childcare fees for people earning half a million, like Labor MPs. I want to riot. – @HMMurti

End mutual obligations and redirect billions going to job service providers, Australians don't want their taxes being used to torture people. – @zeroxcliche

The budget provides the cost of living release for particular groups which is great but the painful sharing of the pain falls on the most vulnerable. Yes, the budget focuses on mostly women but ignores other women contributing to society in many different ways. The fastest growing group of marginalised women being those 55+…The budget has proved again that the government favours some groups of the population but neglects and excludes the most vulnerable. We all know that neglected groups are used as a saving measure. The fact that the budget creates winners and losers is a painful reminder of improving one life but destroying another. – @vesna2001

As a poor disabled person I have completely given up being supported by this country, it will never happen in my lifetime as far as I'm concerned, they hate us far too much for that. – @bang3r 

Poor people once again becoming the bumper bar for the economy. – @booticca_ 

Having Jim Chalmers up there, declaring how good his budget is for families (extra 5% discount on childcare [pfft]), why knowing that they have not taken the opportunity to re-instate LMITO, is a kick in the teeth to the poorest amongst us by "the worker's party". – @zakmckrakken 

This budget is an exercise in austerity & cruelty for the poorest, most vulnerable Australians, but for the wealthiest Australians it's an exercise in gov handouts. So, not very different to the LNP in those regards. – @MadderQueen123 

Please speak to a poor person once in your life and stop confusing JobSeeker with anything else. It’s inexcusable by now. – @raquela036

My heart aches at how much misery thousands are now condemned to endure. People on welfare are not just "doing it tough". We are drowning. – @CatherineCaine

This budget condemns Australia to follow the US down the same path of societal degradation and ultimate collapse. There will be tent slums in our cities before Labor see out their term. – @briefasphotos

Don’t worry, folks, covid will probably get me anyway. – @Chopsie_Murphy

Why has Labor’s first budget have $42 BILLION of subsidies to the fossil fuel sector in it. Too poor for cost of living relief but not too poor for handouts to big polluters – double betrayal. – @WLabschin 

"Fuck y'alls." – Anonymous 

This budget came promising something for everyone, especially the extremely poor, who got exactly what the ALP had promised them; a whole heap of nothing. They promised to leave nobody behind, so we are all nobody. – @CeriCat 

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A number of people on Centrelink payments have also written longer reflections, which you can access below, or read the messages we delivered to social services Amanda Rishworth at a protest held to mark Anti-Poverty Week here. 

Can’t eat resilience – Labor’s Budget had no pleasant surprises by @phonakins 

This Twitter thread from @CuddlyCaracal (you don’t need to have a Twitter account to read it) 

My budget reply by @artistaffame  

The Antipoverty Centre was established by welfare recipients in 2021 to counter problems with academics, policymakers and other members of the political class making harmful decisions on behalf of the people they purport to represent. Sign up to receive their updates here.