South Australian Council of Social Service

24/06/2026

The Not-for-Profit Advisory Group is seeking a regionally based NFP organisation to join the group and help represent the interests of regional communities across South Australia.
Meetings are held bi-monthly, with options to attend in person or via Microsoft Teams.
Expressions of Interest close 11pm, Sunday 26 July 2026. Details here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=9yilvan8L0O8mL1-kNQJBvpE06Ioc2ZOoiYcOBWOQnNURFlET09WWERaOE1POUhIRTQ1UlJUSFUzWS4u

23/06/2026

The state budget might look healthy but there’s a growing pressure we can’t ignore.

Interest payments on SA’s debt are now higher than funding for key social services.

In this opinion piece for InDaily South Australia, SACOSS CEO Catherine Earl explains why the real issue isn’t debt itself, but what it means for funding services and support for those who rely on them most.

It’s time for a broader conversation about fairness, revenue, and priorities.

Read more: https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/opinion/2026/06/23/why-state-government-debt-matters-to-struggling-households

While the government wants its most recent budget to be in our rearview mirror, objects in that mirror are closer than they appear and can’t really be left behind.

18/06/2026

The AEMC had a chance to end the energy “loyalty tax” — and missed it.
Instead of fair prices for all customers on the same plan, households and small businesses are being told to shop around harder in an already complex market.
Consumers don’t need more information — they need a fair deal. Read our joint media release: https://sacoss.org.au/loyalty-tax-inaction-a-massive-missed-opportunity-consumer-and-business-groups-say/

Leading bodies SACOSS and Homelessness SA have welcomed today’s election commitment by the Labor Party of $6m to address homelessness in Adelaide’s CBD.

17/06/2026

SACOSS CEO Dr Catherine Earl, along with SACOSS Chair Nicole Chaplin and Senior Policy Officer Greg Ogle had the privilege of speaking at the Senate inquiry into intergenerational housing inequity before Chair Barbara Pocock, pointing out the dire state of housing for young people and outlining how capping rents in line with inflation and building more public housing could help alleviate the housing crisis.

SACOSS tabled a Briefing Note which details our position on this issue: https://sacoss.org.au/notes-for-senate-committee-on-intergenerational-inequality-and-housing/

16/06/2026

The Australian Council of Social Service Raise the Rate Survey for 2026 has just launched.
Income support payments in Australia remain well below the poverty line. To push for real change, we need to show government and media what life on these payments actually looks like.
If you receive JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment, Austudy, Abstudy, or Special Benefit, please take 10 minutes to share your experience. Take the survey:

Welcome to the Raise the Rate for Good Survey 2026. This survey is for people receiving the lowest working-age payments, including JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment, Austudy, Abstudy, or Special Benefit. Your experience helps us push the government to increase these rates to a liveable a...

12/06/2026

Our State Budget Analysis 2026-27 is now live! https://sacoss.org.au/sacoss-2026-27-state-budget-analysis/

Thanks to the many peak bodies whose contributions have strengthened the breadth and depth of our analysis:

Carers SA
Mental Health Coalition of South Australia
YACSA
South Australian Financial Counsellors Association
South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network
National Disability Services
Community Centres SA Inc.
Embolden
Multicultural Communities Council of SA
COTA SA

09/06/2026

Heads up: A national emergency alert test is coming.
On 27 July 2026, a test of Australia’s new warning system, AusAlert, will send a Critical Alert to compatible mobile devices nationwide.
The alert may:
• Play a loud siren sound
• Vibrate
• Activate even on silent or “Do Not Disturb”
To help organisations prepare, stakeholder sessions will be held on 16 June in Adelaide.
These sessions will explain what to expect and how to support your community through the test. For organisations unable to attend the Adelaide metro session there is this form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=9Hq7StU21Ey2qxDSHzWlkeslgXHD5pVOgZP8RQAUk0pUN1kzRUc2WTE4RFZLSkNNNVA4OElET0hEQy4u&route=shorturl
Register by 10 June www.ausalert.gov.au

AusAlert is a new national warning system that uses the latest technology to send emergency messages to compatible mobile devices.

05/06/2026

There are some welcome investments in this year’s State Budget—but also some big concerns.
• Big housing investments and free public school fees
• Extra indexation (3.3%) for some community services, but…
• Less money going to social and community welfare overall
At a time when more people need support, we need stronger investment in essential services.
Check out our Budget Snapshot for the full picture:

Our budget day snapshot looks at the most relevant budget measures for people on low incomes and the community sector.

04/06/2026

SACOSS CEO Dr Catherine Earl responds to today's SA State Budget and you can find our Budget Snapshot here: https://sacoss.org.au/sacoss-2026-27-state-budget-snapshot/

04/06/2026

The State Budget is being delivered today. SACOSS is hoping to see an appropriate increase in funding for the community sector so that we can continue to deliver essential services to our society. Our Budget Submission is here: https://sacoss.org.au/2026-27-budget-submission/