Emergency relief boost to support Aussies doing it tough

The Albanese Labor Government is providing an additional $11.7 million in funding to bolster emergency relief and financial counselling across Australia, including for communities recently impacted by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle.

$8.5 million will be distributed amongst 196 Commonwealth-funded Emergency Relief providers across the country, helping them meet the increased demand for their services as more families are feel the weight of cost of living pressures.

This funding represents a 15% boost in yearly base funding for each Commonwealth-funded Emergency Relief provider, making sure that families in financial stress - wherever they live in Australia - can access support including food parcels.

A further $1 million in additional funding will be shared across 30 Emergency Relief providers in areas impacted by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle, ensuring that families and communities in remote and urban areas in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland can access food, clothing and other essential items.

$2.24 million will also be distributed to Financial Wellbeing Hubs in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and northern Western Australia and the financial counselling sector across high-needs and high disaster-prone areas like North-Western Victoria and Bundaberg in Queensland.

This funding will help Australians in financial distress access supports for a range of issues, like being unable to pay their bills or being at risk of falling behind in their rent or mortgage.

More information on emergency relief and financial counselling, including how to find a provider, is available on the Department of Social Services website.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek:

"No Australian family should be faced with the choice of putting food on the table or paying their bills.

"Emergency relief and financial counselling providers already provide vital support and this funding boost will help them meet the increased demand that they're facing, making sure Australians can get the support they need.

"Combined with Labor's tax cuts, increased wages, increases to social security payments, cheaper medicines, big increases to Commonwealth Rent Assistance, cuts to student debt, Labor is making a real difference to help ease the cost of living."