Charities and opposition rally to restore $2 million funding for Ask Izzy service

A growing alliance of nearly 200 charities and community groups, together with the Coalition, Greens, One Nation and several crossbenchers, is pressing the Albanese government to restore a $2 million-a-year grant that was withdrawn on June 30 for Ask Izzy, a free online directory linking people in crisis with essential services. Operated by the not-for-profit Infoxchange, Ask Izzy recorded a record 9.1 million searches last financial year, with food, financial aid, housing and mental-health support among the top requests.

Organizations such as Mission Australia, Foodbank, OzHarvest, St Vincent de Paul, The Smith Family and UnitingCare Australia have signed on, and more than 2,000 Australians have contacted their representatives. No minister has publicly explained the cut beyond a bureaucratic reference to standard processes, and Services Australia points to alternative referral services. Opposition figures, including Senator Claire Chandler and MP Allegra Spender, have voiced support for reinstating the funding, warning that the loss could leave vulnerable people without help during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. A delegation of frontline workers plans to travel to Canberra during the next parliamentary sitting week to lobby directly.