Consultation and Research undertaken to support the Report for the 2025-26 Budget

Consultations

In preparing its report for the 2025-26 Budget, the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee is holding consultations with lived experience living on benefits and others who interact with the social security system in different ways. The Committee is grateful to those who participate in these consultations, who help to guide advice and recommendations.

Consultations are being undertaken with a range of people with lived experience of the social security system or economic exclusion including First Nations peoples, young people, people with disability, carers of children and adults, people experiencing long term unemployment, older people, people experiencing homelessness, people living in regional and remote areas, and women who have experienced family violence.

The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) has been selected through a competitive tender process as the lead organisation to coordinate and deliver consultation services to support the 2025 Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Report to Government. BSL is working with partner organisations to engage and support participants in the consultations.

In addition, the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee is holding hearings with stakeholder organisations to hear their ideas and proposals to boost economic inclusion and to share policy insights, research, analysis and experiences of people affected by the social security system. The following organisations were invited to participate in hearings to support the 2025 Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee Report to Government, to cover a range of areas relevant to the Committee's deliberations:

  • e61
  • Australian Youth Affairs Coalition
  • Grattan Institute
  • Centre of Policy Development
  • The Paul Ramsay Foundation
  • Economic Justice Australia
  • The Committee for Economic Development of Australia
  • People with Disability Australia
  • Single Mother Families Australia
  • Council for Single Mothers and their Children
  • Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia
  • Coalition of Peaks

Organisations interested in engaging with the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee and being considered for future hearings can contact eiac@dss.gov.au to register their interest.

Research

The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has funding allocated to commission research and analysis to support the work of the Committee. Research is procured by the Department of Social Services in line with Commonwealth Procurement Rules to support priority research areas for the Committee.

For its 2025-26 Budget report, the Committee has commissioned research on the following matters. Organisations procured by the Department of Social Services are listed with the research topic.

  • Cost of children estimates – Australian National University.
  • Updated budget standards estimates – University of New South Wales.
  • Impact of Job Seeker Payment and Parenting Payment on Victim-Survivors Escaping Domestic Violence – Social Ventures Australia.
  • An investment-based (actuarial) case for a rise in JobSeeker, including quantitative analysis of the costs and benefits from a rise in JobSeeker – Mandala.
  • Impact of Poverty – University of New South Wales. This research draws on a literature review to quantify the economic and social cost of poverty in Australia.

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