Pre Budget Submission 2013
Issued: September 2012
Summary
The VPSJ is very aware of the financial challenges facing the country; nevertheless, our research demonstrates that many of those in receipt of social welfare transfers are unable to afford a MESL, including pensioners living alone, households with children and unemployed single adults of working age.
Without social welfare transfers, there would many more households experiencing poverty and social exclusion. In the years when social welfare rates were increased in the early 2000’s, our research demonstrated an increase in the number of households that could afford a minimum essential standard of living. It is therefore inevitable that decreases in social welfare rates cannot but create hardship for already struggling low income families. For that reason, the VPSJ is calling on the Government to maintain social welfare transfers at the present rate.