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Latest news: Welfare

Revealed: amount of NDIS spending lost to fraud, misuse

Revealed: amount of NDIS spending lost to fraud, misuse

About $3.7 billion is being lost annually from the NDIS through fraud or unintentional misuse of funds, the head of the scheme's fraud taskforce has warned.

'Exhausted': housing supply hit as affordability dips

'Exhausted': housing supply hit as affordability dips

'Exhausted': housing supply hit as affordability dips

'Exhausted': housing supply hit as affordability dips

Low-income earners are locked out of the private rental market, with JobSeeker recipients only able to afford one listing in Australia, a leading charity warns.

Revealed: secret robodebt scandal report made public

Revealed: secret robodebt scandal report made public

Revealed: secret robodebt scandal report made public

Revealed: secret robodebt scandal report made public

Investigations into politicians and public servants involved in the unlawful debt collection scheme have been finalised with the release of a secret chapter.

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Former PM cleared, two robodebt officials found corrupt

Former PM cleared, two robodebt officials found corrupt

Two bureaucrats won't face criminal charges despite a watchdog finding they carried out corrupt conduct through the unlawful robodebt scheme.

Grocery grace as subsidy helps bring down outback costs

Grocery grace as subsidy helps bring down outback costs

The cost of 30 essential grocery items will be cut drastically in 15 remote communities after the federal government expanded an outback store subsidy scheme.

Bureaucrats blasted over child support payment loophole

Bureaucrats blasted over child support payment loophole

Bureaucrats have been breaking the law by wrongly administering some child support payments in a saga reminiscent of the Robodebt scandal.

'Looks too high': net zero spotlight on Liberal leader

'Looks too high': net zero spotlight on Liberal leader

The federal Liberal leader has offered an olive branch to mounting internal pressure for her to walk away from Australia's climate targets.

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Robodebt payout could take years to flow to victims

Robodebt payout could take years to flow to victims

Robodebt payout could take years to flow to victims

Robodebt payout could take years to flow to victims

A years-long legal battle over the unlawful robodebt scheme has ended with a multimillion-dollar settlement, but victims could wait years to get payments.

Welfare debts waived for domestic violence survivors

Welfare debts waived for domestic violence survivors

Welfare debts waived for domestic violence survivors

Welfare debts waived for domestic violence survivors

Centrelink debt incurred through "insidious" family violence will be waived for survivors to stop further abuse from being inflicted on vulnerable people.

Relief at hand for unlawful social service debt victims

Relief at hand for unlawful social service debt victims

Relief at hand for unlawful social service debt victims

Relief at hand for unlawful social service debt victims

Welfare recipients with debts calculated using an unlawful method will have up to $250 wiped and also be eligible for resolution payments.

Robodebt ghosts loom large as AI use increases

Robodebt ghosts loom large as AI use increases

Robodebt ghosts loom large as AI use increases

Robodebt ghosts loom large as AI use increases

Human oversight of automated services is essential to ensuring there is no repeat of the unlawful robodebt scheme, an independent MP says.

'Crisis': animal shelters struggling to survive

'Crisis': animal shelters struggling to survive

'Crisis': animal shelters struggling to survive

'Crisis': animal shelters struggling to survive

Animal shelters around Australia are struggling financially, battling to keep their doors open or dealing with long wait-lists for surrenders.

Parenting payments to increase to match inflation

Parenting payments to increase to match inflation

Parenting payments to increase to match inflation

Parenting payments to increase to match inflation

A raft of social security payments will rise by 2.4 per cent from the start of July as part of indexation changes.

Girl 'frustrated' with care after murder charge dropped

Girl 'frustrated' with care after murder charge dropped

Girl 'frustrated' with care after murder charge dropped

Girl 'frustrated' with care after murder charge dropped

A girl, who had a murder charge withdrawn, wants more freedom to go outside and to go to the gym, expressing frustration with the lack of progress in her case.

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Surging number of Aussies stuck in 'prison of poverty'

New research highlights the desperation of Australia’s most vulnerable people, with more than half of those surveyed admitting to skipping meals.

Push to end 'doomsday' turning kids into homeless youth

Young adults are coming out of state care only to join the ranks of homeless, unemployed and mentally unwell due to a lack of pathways, welfare advocates say.

Full-time workers hit by 'worst ever' housing crisis

Even workers in full-time jobs struggle to meet rental costs, charities say, while those with less income are going without essentials.

New cohort of 'working poor' fronting food charities

Double-income families are among a new demographic of "working poor" Australians fronting up at food charities that are struggling to meet demand.

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Families forced to skimp on basic items to stay afloat

One in three people say cost-of-living pressures feel worse than last year as Australians struggle to afford shoes and other basic items.

Long-term homelessness grows amid housing cost crunch

Calls are mounting for more funding for homelessness services as data shows the number of people without a home long-term jumped.

Lifting unemployment benefit found to slow job hunting

Increasing the rate of welfare payments discourages unemployed people from looking for work, but that doesn't mean it's bad policy, a study has found.

Bulk billing dips with GP care more complex and costly

Patients who rely on Medicare have fewer options as more clinics stop taking new bulk-billed patients, according to a study prompting calls for more funding.

'Treat us like humans': rise in out-of-home care kids

A report has called for urgent change after finding one state has up to four times as many children in residential care than others.

Carer, student, youth support payments set to grow

Young Australians, students, carers and other who receive government support allowances will take home more as indexation increases their payments.

Calls for overhaul as welfare payments incorrectly axed

Welfare recipients may have had their payments illegally cancelled, prompting calls to suspend the tool used to enforce mutual obligations.

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