Charities rally to save crucial help directory after federal funding axed
National charities are rallying to save a lifeline digital directory for vulnerable Australians after the federal government axed its funding.
Ask Izzy – a free, anonymous platform connecting people to food, housing, mental health and domestic violence support – saw a record 9.1 million requests for help last year.
OzHarvest CEO James Goth. A Current Affair
OzHarvest CEO James Goth called the decision by Services Australia "hard to understand" during an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis.
"One in three households over the last year have experienced food insecurity," Goth said.
"If Ask Izzy goes away, hope for these people is really gone."
A coalition of 24 major charities sent an open letter to the Prime Minister urging a reversal.
Without the tool's 500,000 localised listings, advocates warn tens of thousands of people seeking help each month will be left stranded.
Ask Izzy is a free, anonymous platform connecting people to food, housing, mental health, and domestic violence support. Supplied
Media statement from Services Australia
Ask Izzy is a website used by a range of organisations, including other agencies, to help people identify local support services.
Services Australia’s two-year licensing agreement for the use of the Ask Izzy Service Finder website ended on 30 June 2026 and was not renewed.
Our staff use a wide range of available tools, professional judgement and freely available search platforms to ensure that customers are connected to services that provide emergency food, accommodation and other support services.
Customers continue to be connected to the support they need through a range of service and referral pathways without the agency needing to incur additional licensing or subscription costs.
This includes resources provided by state and territory governments, other Commonwealth agencies and national service providers.
The agency also has a publicly available Service Finder on our website, providing information about government and community organisation support available in each state and territory.
If Services Australia was to require a paid third-party service in the future, it would be subject to Commonwealth Procurement Rules and probity requirements.
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