Street address: 155 Easey Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066
Postal address: As above
Telephone number: (03) 9416 1111
Fax: (03) 9419 3552
TTY: None
Email: wru@welfarerights.org.au

• Services provided: The Welfare Rights Unit (WRU) is an organisation which advocates for the right of people to have adequate income security and the rights of people in relation to the system, which provides this income security. It links with consumers, self-help groups and community agencies that provide assistance to people with Social Security problems, and to those concerned with income security policy. WRU is an independent organisation that provides specialist information, training, coordinated advocacy and casework support in the area of Welfare Rights and Social Security law, policy and practice.
  The Welfare Rights Unit is unique in that it is the only independent specialist organisation in Victoria with expertise in Social Security.
  
  
• The Welfare Rights Units aims are:
  
  • To work towards a guaranteed adequate income for all people in the community;
  • To promote the rights and raise the status in the community of all people in receipt of Social Security;
  • To work towards an adequate standard of living for every member of the community, including the provisions of and access to good quality housing, health, education and legal services;
  • To promote the redistribution of wealth through the welfare and taxation system;
  • To work towards a Social Security system that is accessible; that provides high quality services; and that recognises and protects the privacy and civil liberties of all people; and
  • To develop management and control of the Welfare Rights Unit by recipients of Social Security.

• The Unit provides the following services:
  
  • A casework service for recipients and workers acting as advocates for Centrelink recipients;
  • Community legal education to raise community awareness about income security issues affecting Social Security recipients; and
  • Information to the community through regular newsletters, policy papers, pamphlets and other resource materials.
  • The Unit also lobbies at various levels for improvement and change in Social Security policy and administration.

• Geographical area covered by Centre: Victoria
  
  

For more information on the Welfare Rights Unit, Melbourne see the following publication: