Fed: Welfare groups challenge MPs to experience poverty

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Fed: Welfare groups challenge MPs to experience poverty

Welfare organisations have issued a challenge to MPs to swap places with people battlingpoverty for 48 hours to deepen their understanding of the hardships faced by the poor.

A group of 13 leading charities and welfare representatives, have met in Canberra todiscuss new ways of defining poverty.

They include the Smith Family, Anglicare, Mission Australia and St Vincent de Paul.

The meeting follows a recent public spat between the Smith Family and the conservativeCentre for Independent Studies over where the poverty line should be drawn.

It also comes after Family and Community Services Minister AMANDA VANSTONE outlinedher plans against welfare cheats.

Uniting Care Australia national director LIN HATFIELD DODDS says he wants a nationalapproach to poverty looking at the root causes and solutions.

AAP RTV rft/wz/jh/psm/

KEYWORD: POVERTY (CANBERRA)