A viewer on ABC’s Q&A program exposed the stark truth that numerous individuals in their middle years and beyond often encounter.
attempting to secure employment in Australia
.
During Monday evening’s show dedicated to Tuesday’s federal budget, Charlotte—who introduced herself as ‘someone in their 50s’—highlighted the prevalent age discrimination in the employment sector.
“I’m really struggling to find a job. Unfortunately, no one seems willing to hire me due to my age,” she stated.
Charlotte mentioned she was receiving a Jobseeker benefit of $500 weekly, including a rental subsidy, however, her rent costs alone exceed this amount.
$450 a week.
‘I am supposed to survive on $50 per week,’ she stated.
And I’m quite ordinary. It’s really tough to secure employment when you’re a woman above 50.
I was told to update my CV — perhaps omitting about 10 or 15 years of experience.
Nevertheless, that guidance resulted in an embarrassing incident.
I attended a job interview and the man conducting it looked shocked upon seeing me,” she stated. “It was completely evident.
Charlotte is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling while she looks after her 18-year-old twins.
“We need to combine our funds,” she stated, mentioning further that her former spouse was “quite reasonable” and assisted the household with covering electricity costs.
Charlotte’s narrative mirrored that of Vanessa, another elderly lady present, who expressed that the budget ought to allocate more funds to assist individuals like herself.
Vanessa expressed her hope that politicians and the forthcoming federal budget would ‘truly take action for the well-being of all senior citizens in Victoria and Australia at large.’
“I have become the only provider now. We won’t be able to manage buying a house in Australia on our own,” Vanessa stated.
‘This implies that moving forward, we have a significant concern looming over us.’
‘Elderly Australians face greater rent strain and also have an increased risk of severe homelessness.’
Q+A host Patricia Karvelas mentioned that she frequently encounters such tales and believes journalists come across these narratives daily.
‘Actually, your narrative conveys an essential tale about individuals in their later life stages.’
When we discuss the topic of living costs… it often feels somewhat detached from our daily reality.
But these tales abound, and individuals such as yourself await funding or chances for real transformation, yet it seems progress is consistently gradual.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers will
pass along his fourth budget at 7:30 pm on Tuesday.
The Daily Mail Australia will cover all the announcements and offer analyses throughout the evening.
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