The submission profiles the most significant and regularly occurring issues raised by Citizens Information Services (CISs). These are grouped into three overarching areas: work and welfare; disability, illness and caring; and housing supports. MABS concerns relating to financial inclusion, housing, and energy poverty are also highlighted. We acknowledge the positive impact of the measures provided by Government in recent budgets to alleviate pressures on households acutely impacted by sustained levels of inflation. However, we note that services continue to evidence that many people face significant financial hardship and struggle to meet increasing housing, food and energy costs. We suggest that the broadly positive macro-economic outlook provides Government with an opportunity to move beyond ad-hoc provision of supplementary budgetary measures towards an approach that embeds greater support into the system.
