{
  "id": 16819623,
  "title": "I couldn’t afford food on jobseeker after bills and rent. Is this really what ‘no one left behind’ looks like? | Travis Gilbert",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/i-couldnt-afford-food-on-jobseeker-after-bills-and-rent-is-this",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T00:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian Australia",
    "slug": "the-guardian-australia",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/28/jobseeker-food-affordability-bills-rent-no-one-left-behind-ntwnfb"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The plight of those who receive jobseeker payments in Australia is highlighted by the fact that many are struggling to make ends meet on around $58 a day. In 2022, Labor's platform made a promise of a new social contract, proclaiming \"no one held back and no one left behind\". However, as reported by Foodbank in their recent food insecurity study, up to 900,000 people in Australia are forced to support themselves on this meager daily allowance. For those in social housing, this daily struggle is particularly severe, with those in the private rental market facing an even tougher reality. The pressure is further increased by the \"conditional welfare\" requirements imposed on recipients, including regular compliance appointments with job agencies, maintaining internet and phone connections, and attending frequent texts about meeting monthly \"points targets\". With only $46 a week, a significant portion of this goes towards meeting essential expenses such as internet, mobile phone, and electricity. There is no room left for crucial needs like contents insurance, food, GP visits, medication, or public transport to and from mandatory appointments with compliance officers. This financial squeeze becomes even more acute when considering that a round trip of 16km to these appointments is beyond the physical capabilities of many recipients. Despite the existence of a \"safety net,\" it is only able to cover the most basic expenses, leaving recipients vulnerable without contents insurance, food, medical care, or the means to get to appointments. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that many recipients must endure temporary employment to make ends meet, a reality not shared by all. This temporary assistance is often insufficient, as half of those on jobseeker rely on it for more than two years. In the case of the author, living in suburban Canberra, the jobseeker payment falls short by $120 a week, failing to cover the cost of food, medical appointments, medication, and insurance. Consequently, food pantries and charities become essential for those on jobseeker, as they struggle to afford basic necessities and avoid predatory lenders. The author's hope is that the current government will recognize the overwhelming evidence from welfare rights advocates, business groups, community legal centers, the OECD, and parliament's economic advisory body. This evidence clearly indicates that a substantial and permanent increase to the jobseeker payment is long overdue to ensure that it serves its intended purpose as a safety net that helps individuals re-enter the workforce. Only by raising the rate can the dignity of recipients be restored and their lives transformed.",
  "summary": "Trying to make ends meet on around $58 a day is a cruel joke bestowed upon those who find themselves unemployed in the ‘lucky country’ In 2022, when Anthony Albanese was making his pitch to voters to change the country by changing the government, I was briefly encouraged by one aspect of Labor’s platform. Albanese pledged a new social contract for Australia, with “no one held back and no one left…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}