Packet noodles or leftover pizza: the harsh reality of Christmas for Australians on welfare

For many struggling to survive on jobseeker payments, the yuletide celebration is just another day

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Justin Seymour tries to switch off this time of year. “Around big holidays like Christmas, I try to shut it all out,” he said. “I see ads on YouTube … ‘I’m going to be spending Christmas with my family, I’m going to be having this amazing time.’ It makes me depressed.”

Seymour, 28, is one of about 3.3 million people in Australia, including 761,000 children, who will likely spend Christmas in poverty, according to the latest research from University of New South Wales and the Australian Council of Social Service.

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