I couldn’t afford food on jobseeker after bills and rent. Is this really what ‘no one left behind’ looks like? | Travis Gilbert
News Source
•Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:12 GMT
📰 What Happened
Writer Travis Gilbert describes trying to live on the jobseeker payment. After paying rent, he had just $45.95 a week left. He could not afford food for himself.
He says up to 900,000 Australians are trying to get by on about $58 a day. That is already hard for people in public housing. For renters, he calls it a cruel joke in a country often called the lucky country.
🔍 The Backstory
In 2022, Anthony Albanese promised a new social contract, with no one held back and no one left behind. Gilbert says his own time on jobseeker made him feel both.
His piece follows a Foodbank report on food insecurity released on Monday. The report put the daily struggle of poverty back in the spotlight.
🎯 Why It Matters
Jobseeker is meant to help people look for work. If it does not cover rent and food, it traps people instead of helping them.
Writer Travis Gilbert describes trying to live on the jobseeker payment. After paying rent, he had just $45.95 a week left. He could not afford food for himself.
He says up to 900,000 Australians are trying to get by on about $58 a day. That is already hard for people in public housing. For renters, he calls it a cruel joke in a country often called the lucky country.
In 2022, Anthony Albanese promised a new social contract, with no one held back and no one left behind. Gilbert says his own time on jobseeker made him feel both.
His piece follows a Foodbank report on food insecurity released on Monday. The report put the daily struggle of poverty back in the spotlight.
Jobseeker is meant to help people look for work. If it does not cover rent and food, it traps people instead of helping them.