Research by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling shows a rise in social services has helped boost the average income for the lowest income earners by 19 per cent over the past seven years.
The rise for median-income families has been 18 per cent.
But ACOSS has warned the Federal Government that more needs to be done to ensure benefits are flowing through to poorer families.
ACOSS says not all families have had increases in family payments, especially those with older teenage children.
ACOSS president Andrew McCallum says the Government now needs to make sure it implements all its election promises for families to make sure those on low incomes do not go backwards.
"You know 2.2 million Australians people live in poverty," he said.
"Payment systems, better payment systems can lead to addressing some of those inequities in that system but we still need to do more."
By Golden Age posted 19 October 04
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