Due to Coalition-era cuts to SRSS and tightened eligibility, the amount paid had fallen from $300m in 2016-17 to $15m for 2022-23, he said. The number of people receiving the payment had decreased from 29,000 six years ago to just 1,500.“There are more than 100,000 people on bridging visas. They don’t have access to any safety net at all. Many are working, but our greatest concern is the 10 to 15,000 who have no income at all, who are homeless or at serious risk of homelessness,” Power said.
Jana Favero, the director of advocacy at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, said “it is positive that the Albanese government is taking commonsense and compassionate measures to get people out of the rotten detention regime”. “There is a national housing and cost-of-living crisis, which is particularly felt by those most marginalised in our community, including people seeking asylum.”
A government spokesperson said the SRSS support “may include financial, accommodation, healthcare, education for school aged children and case worker support”.