Vinnies WA shines light on poverty during Anti-Poverty Week

According to the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) Poverty in Australia 2025 report, more than 3.7 million Australians, or around 14 per cent of the population, are living below the poverty line.

For someone living below the poverty line, this means their overall household budget is just half the average Australian household income.

According to the report, people in households below the poverty line have an average household income of $390 per week, after deducting housing costs.

While it is believed that as many as 70 per cent of Australians will experience financial hardship at some point in their life, the key triggers for poverty include unemployment, illness, disability or a relationship breakdown.

But what are some of the solutions to help end poverty?

A series of national campaigns have highlighted what we can do in this space - address Australia's housing crisis by providing more safe, secure and affordable social housing, implementing nationally-consistent protections for renters and raising Government social security payments.

According to experts, the recommendation is to increase the JobSeeker and other income payments to at least 90 per of the age pension.

As part of the Raise the Rate for Good campaign, supporters are calling on the Federal Government to raise payments by at least $82 a day to help lift people out of poverty. 

At Vinnies WA, the demand for our services has never been greater, as many people struggle to make ends meet.

That’s why we believe raising awareness of poverty in Australia during Anti-Poverty Week is deeply important – and we are doing all we can to help struggling West Australians get back on their feet through our homelessness, mental health, youth engagement and emergency relief support services.

If you want to join our efforts to end poverty and help support vulnerable people in need, you can donate to our Spring Appeal here.

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