Would you benefit from the nine cost-of-living report recommendations?

Key points:

• The Senate Select Committee has recently released its Cost-of-Living Final Report, with nine recommendations to reduce the impact of Australians’ cost-of-living concerns
• People With Disability Australia Deputy CEO Megan Spindler-Smith expressed concern that the report was a ‘missed opportunity’ to better support people with disability
• Before the final report was released, the State Senate Commission received 245 submissions from organisations including People With Disability Australia and Women With Disabilities Australia

The Senate Select Committee has released its final report on the cost of living, but disability advocates are concerned about the impact of some missed recommendations.

Nine recommendations were made in the Cost-of-Living Final Report including:

• introducing measures to reduce super-market price-gouging to ensure Australians aren’t paying too much for food and other essentials;
• targeting excessive public spending occurring in all levels of government, which is keeping inflation high; and
• reducing the cost of building new homes in Australia.

People With Disability Australia Deputy CEO Megan Spindler-Smith emphasised how the recommendations could impact people with disability in Australia.

“People with disability are some of the most economically marginalised people in Australia and many are feeling the cost-of-living crisis more acutely than most,” she said.

“[…] Focusing on measures that will do little to ease the pressure for those in our community experiencing poverty and at risk of homelessness is simply not good enough.”

Ms Spindler-Smith continued to highlight ways in which people with disability could be better supported if certain recommendations had been made in the final report. 

“This was a missed opportunity to back the measures we know would bring immediate and long-term relief to those at greatest risk in this crisis, including the introduction of a $65 dollars a week disability and illness supplement for people with disability on the JobSeeker payment and the Disability Support Pension to meet additional living costs,” she said.

Approximately 769,000 Australians aged 16 years and over received the Disability Support Pension in 2023.

Some Australians with disability may have an increased likelihood of financial hardship, compared to people without disability who earn the same amount of money. 

Factors contributing to this may include medical care costs, personal support and certain transport costs related to their disability needs.

Australians receiving the Disability Support Pension would have to spend an average of 81 percent of their weekly income on rent based on the current Australian rental market. The average weekly rent is $547 dollars for accommodation across Australia, according to the Priced Out report recently released by Everybody’s Home.

However, Ms Spindler-Smith also commented that not enough is being done to ensure people with disability have access to appropriate housing.

“The report and dissenting reports’ housing measures do little to address the increased risk of homelessness for people with disability driven by a lack of accessible social and affordable housing,” she said. 

“While rent control measures in the Australian Greens’ report could provide some relief, we need long-term investment and a targeted housing action plan for people with disability to increase housing options for our community.”

National minimum standards must be followed during the construction of a building to ensure the safety of all future occupants, regardless of their disability status.

The mandatory seven standards for the structure of new buildings are:

• entryways with level access;
• at least one entrance that doesn’t require steps;
• an easy-access toilet on the ground floor;
• a step-free shower recess;
• wide doorways and corridors with enough space for movement;
• suitably designed staircases if in a multi-level home; and
• reinforced walls around the toilet.

Older buildings and rental properties may not meet these minimum requirements and therefore not provide accessible housing for Australians with disability. 

However, the Disability Support Guide can help you find appropriate disability accommodation near you, including Specialist Disability Accommodation Services.

People With Disability Australia will be ‘writing to the Australian Government urging immediate action to address the cost of living crisis for people with disability.’

The Senate Select Committee received a total of 245 submissions from organisations such as People With Disability Australia, Beyond Blue, Women With Disabilities Australia and Inclusion Australia.

Approximately 5.5 million Aussies live with disability as per the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

If this article has raised any concerns and you’re worried about your mental health, don’t hesitate to reach out to Beyond Blue for 24/7 free counselling support on 1300 22 4636.

What are your thoughts on additional financial assistance for people with disability facing the cost of living crisis?

Let the team at Talking Disability know on social media. 

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