Raise the Rate

Funding area: Inclusive economy

Australian Council of Social Services is an Australian organisation that advocates for action to reduce poverty and inequality, and is the peak body for the community services sector in Australia.

Visit website: acoss.org.au

Grants

2021 Rapid Response Grant, $20,000

2020 Signature Grant, $125,000

Responsive funding

Mannifera supported a partnership campaign between ACOSS and the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children advocating for increased income support in the lead-up to the election. The advocacy included mobilising 21,000+ campaign supporters to speak with election candidates, assisting people (particularly women) directly affected to speak in the media and at election forums, commissioning national polling that showed that a majority of people supported lifting income support payments, used in the media and advocacy with major political parties.

Core funding

Mannifera, with a consortium of funders, provided two separate grants to the ACOSS-led Raise the Rate Campaign in 2020.

Following the federal government’s COVID19 economic stimulus response that doubled unemployment payments in 2020, the campaign shifted to become Raise the Rate For Good. The campaign used evidence, data and stories describing the impact the higher JobSeeker payments were making on people’s lives and for local economies. Raise the Rate for Good’s economic argument for keeping the new JobSeeker rate was supported from the Reserve Bank of Australia and Treasury.

Following months of hard campaigning, the Australian Government permanently increased the pre-pandemic rate of JobSeeker by $25 a week, but more is needed. Fundamentally, the campaign has changed the narrative about people seeking income support, with growing public and political support for greater reform.