Our Purpose

Our vision is a fair social security system in Australia.

Graphic of a pyramid. Top of pyramid reads “An equitable society where everyone can participate at their full potential” Second highest level reads “A responsive and robust social security system that acts as a safety net and enables people to move from crisis to a place where the can thrive” Third highest level reads “Access and just legal system. People understand their rights, how to use them and have a voice” Bottom of pyramid reads “EJA’s activities: Support member centres to deliver high quality legal services. Advocacy and advice to government on social security reform to strengthen the effectiveness and integrity of the social security system.”

Our theory of change
Our final goal is an equitable society where everyone can participate at their full potential. We believe that everyone has an equal right to receive economic support when we hit challenges along life’s journey. Further, we believe that everyone has the right to participate in the community.

For this to be achieved, we need a responsive and robust social security system that acts as a safety net (swiftly and effectively) and a life raft enabling people to move from crisis to a place where they can thrive.

For this, we need an accessible and just legal system that provides for and ensures rights and entitlements, and enables equitable access to social security for all community members.

For this to happen, people must understand their individual rights, know how to exercise those rights, and have a voice on their social security needs that is heard.

Economic Justice Australia’s role in this is to support member centres to deliver high quality legal services. Further, we advocate for positive change, providing advice to government on social security reform, as informed by the work and experiences of our members, to strengthen the effectiveness and integrity of the social security system.

Our Principles

Our work recognises the right to social security contained in article 9 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to which Australia is a party.

A fair social security system is based on:

  • the right of all people in need to an adequate level of income support which is protected by law;
  • the right of people to be treated with respect and dignity by Centrelink and those administering the Social Security and Family Assistance system;
  • the right to accessible information about Social Security and Family Assistance rights and entitlements, obligations and responsibilities;
  • the right to receive prompt and appropriate service and Social Security and Family Assistance payments without delay;
  • the right to a free, independent, informal, efficient and fair appeals system;
  • the right to an independent complaints system;
  • the right to independent specialist legal advice and representation; and
  • the right to natural justice and procedural fairness.

For more information see our strategic plan.

Our Key Values

EJA is committed to the following key values:

  1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the traditional owners of the land. We respect the experience and cultures of Australia’s First Nations peoples, and we will work with First Nations people and community-led organisations to overcome the systemic disadvantage faced by Indigenous people.
  2. We recognise the inherent dignity, and equal and inalienable rights of all human beings.
  3. We respect and value diversity and promote the need for a compassionate, fair and inclusive Australia.
  4. We value the voices of the people we serve and will work to ensure that these voices are heard by our own organisations, by government and by the wider society.
  5. We represent the interests of disadvantaged people in Australia and fearlessly promote and defend those interests through evidence-based, non-party political advocacy.
  6. We act with honesty, openness, integrity and impartiality.
Three people waving