Thread by @antipovertycent

Back from lunch.

We've got National Council for Single Mothers and their Children represented by @AradiaSayner and @Terese_NCSMC

@Foodbank_SA represented by Sarah Davies

@JFAPurpleOrange represented by Cathy Cochrane, Elizabeth Farrant and Tracey Wallace.

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1602438563945385986

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange “37% of single-mother families live in poverty. 42% in a sole parent family are in poverty. It is gendered.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange “Half a million women who fled gendered violence now live in poverty. The choice is safety or poverty. 90,000 people wanted to leave but couldn't because of money. 10,000 a year leave and return for financial reasons.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange “We join the call to increase income support. We particularly need to restore access to Parenting Payment Single.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange “There is a ParentsNEXT inquiry at the moment. When it started out it was supposed to be a light touch pre employment program. Since 2018 159,000 payment suspensions have been handed out.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange “We need to value unpaid work. It's worth 43% of GDP. We need to stop telling mothers they are not contributing. From where I sit, it's stolen wages.” – @AradiaSayner #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange Sarah Davies from @Foodbank_SA says 2 million people experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months. 500,000 households are experiencing some level of food insecurity every day. #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange nb: @Foodbank_SA recently went on a PR blitz with Labor politicians – who could actually stop the poverty that Foodbank is profiting from.

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange Now it's time for @JFAPurpleOrange. They raise the problem of disabled folks being paid $3 per hour in ADEs & issues with segregated employment. They call for improvements to Disability Employment Services and eligibility for the Disability Support Pension. #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange “Living with a disability means people view you differently. Add on the fact that you're in poverty and it affects your self worth, to make social connections that may lead to work. Your world shrinks.” – @JFAPurpleOrange #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange How have things changed over the past decade? @janet_rice

Problem: “The amount of time you spend dealing with Centrelink. Job agencies. Attitudes towards people in poverty have become progressively worse, as if it's a choice people make.” – @JFAPurpleOrange #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “Society uses poor people as a scapegoat.” – @AradiaSayner #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “Policy isn't based on evidence anymore. It's based on prejudice and political ideology.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “Just putting money in people's pockets, giving them a living above the poverty line, would change things. Charities were there for people who had completely fallen through the net. Now it's a standard part of stretching income support.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “ParentsNEXT gets a 4% job outcome rate, but I think that's erroneous. It's lower than that.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “We are now in a worse position from a hunger perspective than ever before. When people are being hungry bad decisions are being made.” – @Foodbank_SA #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Thanks for the degrading comment about hungry people Sarah 🙄

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice What difference did the COVID supplement make in 2020? @janet_rice

“Isn't it sad that for single mothers their brightest spot is when we hit a pandemic?” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “Women were sending me pictures of what they were buying for the first time. Small things like going to the fruit market, buying pyjamas. That's why I started the #550ReasonsToSmile campaign, so that people could show what it meant.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “For 6 months we had families with a life similar to others.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “For people I work with it was a sense of relief. I could see it in their physical being, a whole change. They coped with things better than previously because there wasn't that stress about not being able to eat etc.” – @AradiaSayner #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “We saw a reduction in food insecurity. People weren't buying cars or TVs. They were buying essentials. They became less reliant on FoodBank and our services. They were able to shop at supermarkets.” – @Foodbank_SA #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “COVID isn't over, especially for people with disability. It means it's harder for lots of people to get back into the employment market, due to increased risk. People were safer during that time of crisis than they are now.” – @JFAPurpleOrange #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice What changes do we need? @janet_rice

“When you don't have money you lose autonomy.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Terese has been trying to help a single mum with cancer who has 3 kids. They had no food. Terese spoke to service after service and none could offer money.

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice This ended in a warning that mandatory referral was necessary because she could not feed her children.

If @Terese_NCSMC had not gone above and beyond this mother would have lost her children because of poverty.

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “We need to look at the Nordic model. They live in a society, not an economy. I don't want to live in such an unjust society. I don't want to live where my only worth is measured is what I 'earn'.” – @AradiaSayner #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “There must be funding so that no one falls through the cracks. We don't want people to go hungry.” – @Foodbank_SA #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Hasn't occurred to them that if people have higher Centrelink payment ... that might help? Would hate to miss such an obvious recommendation!

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice We are now hearing a quote about FoodBank is 'life and survival'. Reading a quote as an advertisement for your service without sharing what the person actually would like in their life... great choice from @Foodbank_SA #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “A lot of people fear losing their DSP. The rules about what you can earn on DSP. There should be increased thresholds for what you can earn on the DSP.” – @JFAPurpleOrange #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice Errr @JFAPurpleOrange just called for "income averaging" 😳 #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Not sure they are up to speed with the #RobodebtRC

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice “People in ADEs should access to the same award wages as the rest of us. A lot of those work programs don't actually lead anywhere.” – @JFAPurpleOrange #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice What should we be doing to measure poverty? @MsMarielleSmith

We are hearing from @JFAPurpleOrange that we need better disability employment data.

The problem? Employment data doesn't give you info about poverty... #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith “We need a monetary measure. That's only part of the picture, we need a deprivation measurement. That cold be a role for the Economic Inclusion Committee that was recently established.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith “We need an independent commission to set income support payment rates because I've lost confidence in government's ability to set it at a fair and reasonable amount.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith Foodbank has expanded in SA. What are the challenges in regional locations? @msmariellesmith

“Our mission here is to get the most food to the most people in the most efficient way possible.” – @Foodbank_SA #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Wrong answer. Your mission should be to not exist.

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith We again have lots of chortles in the room from the politicians who decide to leave us in poverty and the poverty profiteers who get contracts from them.

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith Do they realise we are literal human beings who can hear them or do we only exist in the abstract?

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith “People in a regional area are 33% more likely to need foodbank support than in the city in South Australia.” – @Foodbank_SA #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith “I left abuse only to have ParentsNEXT. It's the same as coercive control.” – @Terese_NCSMC quoting a mum she supports. #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith “If a person gets an exemption from Workforce Australia it's for a maximum of 4 months because of gendered violence. I don't know any woman who's ready to go back to work in that time.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith What's the value of "mutual" obligations? @janet_rice

“It's actually cruel. It's out of step with what's required. It's based on a belief that if you're poor you are bereft of future aspirations. It should be condemned.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

🔥❤️

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith “This is very personal for me. I am currently facing homelessness. My lease has just been terminated. I am highly educated. I am planning my retirement around what white collar crime I can commit to get myself put into prison.” – @AradiaSayner #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith “The representation here today is very gendered. Poverty has a woman's face.” – @AradiaSayner #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith There are people 2 points short of being eligible for DSP. How does that impact people? @TammyTyrrell_

“We're hearing there are a lot of people on JobSeeker that a reasonable person would expect to be on the DSP.” – @JFAPurpleOrange #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ “What we're hearing is that who you have advocate on your behalf matters a lot about whether you're successful with DSP or NDIS. It shouldn't come down to that. That inevitably leaves people behind.” – @JFAPurpleOrange #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ “A lot of people feel so beaten down by the system that they give up. And that entrenches depression which entrenches poverty.” – @AradiaSayner #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ Ok, final group! We'll hear from:

Aboriginal Sobriety Group represented by Uncle Moogy Sumner, Ngarrindjeri Elder

@salvos represented by Janet Emmins

Murray Bridge High School represented by Leah Waye and Duncan Emmins

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “I've been a financial counsellor for 8 years. I've come to value what people experiencing poverty are bringing to our community. It often goes unnoticed.” – @salvos #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Apparently we need to "walk our journey" through poverty?

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “Much of our society does not understand poverty and that is a big issue facing this inquiry.” – @salvos #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “A number of struggle to attend school due to lack of food or uniform. Whilst we encourage them to attend anyway there is often a shame associated with poverty, and a desire not to be labelled as poor.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “This has seen students stealing food and having interactions with the police. Shame is evident within parents too. No parents want to feel they cannot provide, and some parents have mental ill health and a sense of hopelessness.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “This last year homelessness has become an especially large issue. Rents have gone from $150 a week to $300–400 a week. Parents and kids are living in tents, cars or couch surfing.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “When kids come to school we expect them to learn. They've probably had no dinner, definitely no breakfast, might be dealing with trauma and had little/no sleep. And we want them to study hard. That's a middle class expectation.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos What changes have you seen? @janet_rice

“During COVID when there were extra payments it made a huge difference. There were parents who were proud that their kids could have a new uniform and shoes.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “But I've seen an increase in poverty over time. The amount of food we provide students has increased probably 100% over the 7 years I've done this job.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “The increase in mental ill health has been huge. Poverty is a huge cost to mental health.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos What other changes do you think are needed aside from money? @janet_rice

Duncan from Murray Bridge High School is listing a lot of good and relevant things but they are all just a lack of money – license, car, etc #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “We see so much more mental ill health. I guess financial hardship does tend to escalate mental ill health, but we're seeing more complex situations. We've seen payday lenders and buy now pay later become really prominent.” – @salvos #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “People are using buy now pay later as a safety net.” – @salvos #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “At a conference recently I asked energy providers what they're going to do. Someone's gotta start talking to them about this.” – @salvos #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “When the COVID supplement was in place people were able to pay bills on time.” – @salvos #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos How are young people breaking the poverty cycle? @msmariellesmith

“Besides providing the essentials, providing relationships that support the student is vital. Getting them food, clothing, a license. Trying to instil some hope.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “I asked a student today what does not having enough money mean to you. He said, 'It's just a real sense of hopelessness. I can't do this, I can't do that. Will it ever change?'” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “A lot of kids don't believe in themselves because they just feel that they're a mouse on a treadmill that the government feeds a piece of cheese once in a while just to keep them going.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos Outside school., what opportunities are there for young people? @msmariellesmith

“Regional areas will always struggle to find stuff for young people to do. Social media influences them to stay in their bedrooms.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Um which is it?

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “The problem with NILS (loans) is people have to bring a lot of information. People will often enquire but not come back.” – @salvos #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “There's a budget to provide food through the school every year. That budget's blown. We are getting about 25 students coming to get food at recess club every day, but about 75 for whom it's too much shamejob.” – Murray Bridge High School #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos This community is stretching itself so very thin to try and keep people going at the most basic level.

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos “We hear of people who haven't been out of home in a long time. As a community we have to figure out ways to support people to come out. If parents don't do it how do children learn? People feel like they fail & become frightened of trying again.” – @salvos #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos At Murray Bridge High School every student is provided with a laptop.

What's great about this is that every student has *the same* laptop. No poor kid laptop! 👍 #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange @janet_rice @MsMarielleSmith @TammyTyrrell_ @salvos That's it for today folks. Sadly Uncle Moogy could not make it so we didn't get to hear from him.

There are no more #PovertyInquiry hearings scheduled for this year but we'll keep you updated as soon as the next ones are announced.