Government Cuts $2m from Crisis Aid Directory

The Albanese government’s decision to end $2 million a year in funding for Ask Izzy has prompted almost 200 charities and community organisations to campaign to restore the money. The free online directory connects people in crisis with food, housing and emergency assistance. Last financial year, it recorded a record 9.1 million searches, up 7 per cent.

Who depends on the service

Food accounted for almost a third of Ask Izzy requests last financial year. Financial assistance, housing and mental health support came next. Women make up 63 per cent of users, and one in five people searching for housing assistance are escaping family violence.

The not-for-profit Infoxchange operates the directory, which lists more than 500,000 charities, government programs and community organisations. People turn to it for help with housing, food and other urgent needs.

In the Victorian electorate of Mallee, home to about 88,000 people, residents made approximately 28,000 searches for assistance last year. Coalition MPs in regional Queensland have requested detailed figures by electorate ahead of Senate estimates hearings later this month.

The campaign has grown from 24 participating organisations at launch to almost 200. More than 2,000 Australians have contacted politicians seeking action. During the next parliamentary sitting week, a delegation of frontline workers and people with lived experience of homelessness, family violence and financial hardship plans to travel to Canberra.

The funding decision

Services Australia confirmed that its funding agreement with Ask Izzy ended on June 30. The agency cited alternative government referral services that don't require additional licensing or subscription costs.

No federal government minister has publicly explained the decision beyond referring to government processes. Infoxchange chief executive David Spriggs said the government helped establish Ask Izzy, and its agencies, funded services and vulnerable Australians rely on it. “The government should restore the funding,” he said.

The campaign is seeking $6 million over three years. Organisers estimate Ask Izzy delivers $83.1 million in annual public value. They warn that cutting emergency assistance during a cost-of-living crisis could leave vulnerable Australians without help.

A cross-party campaign

The campaign has support in Canberra from the Coalition, Greens, One Nation and crossbench MPs. One Nation and crossbench independents have indicated support in discussions with organisers, though they haven't made formal commitments.

The office of Tasmanian Liberal senator Claire Chandler told a constituent that the Coalition supported restoring the funding. “When in government, the Coalition always provided financial support to the Ask Izzy service,” the office said in correspondence. It added: “Labor must explain why it has stripped funding away from a service helping 9.1 million Australians seeking assistance in hard times.”

Independent MP Allegra Spender has also urged the government to keep supporting the directory. “Ask Izzy is a fantastic service connecting the most vulnerable members of our community to support when they really need help,” she said. “Our office uses it when we're trying to find emergency assistance for people in our electorate.”

The dispute centres on a government-funded service facing record search demand, a campaign to restore its funding and the government’s reference to alternative referral services. The agreement ended June 30; campaign organisers are asking politicians to restore support.