Economic Justice Australia

What Economic Justice Australia does

Economic Justice Australia (EJA) is the national peak body for community legal centres providing specialist advice on social security issues and rights in Australia. Founded in 1984 (originally as the National Welfare Rights Network, later NSSRN before rebranding to EJA in 2022), the organization coordinates a member network of community legal centres across every Australian state and territory that deliver free and independent legal advice, education, and representation to people facing Centrelink and social security problems. EJA itself operates with a remote team of 14 staff, led by CEO Kate Allingham and Deputy CEO Tori Edwards, supplemented by a Board of Directors drawn from member centres.

EJA's core outputs are non-software public goods: a Factsheets Resource Hub covering Centrelink payments, debt recovery, disability support pensions, and related topics; a Member Centre Directory enabling referrals to free legal help nationwide; a Share Your Story advocacy platform; annual reports; and a research and policy function that produces submissions, briefing papers, and multi-part reports such as the Social Security for Women Outside Our Cities series (with 160+ service provider interviews and 63 policy recommendations). The organization also publishes a Framing Social Security Message Guide co-developed with Common Cause to support sector-wide messaging that reduces stigma.

EJA's business model is a non-profit professional services model funded through federal and state government grants (secure peak-body funding confirmed through FY 2024-25), member centre contributions, and philanthropic partnerships including the Snow Foundation. All services delivered by EJA and its member centres are free of charge to end-users; the organization has no software product, SaaS offering, or paid customer base. Distribution occurs entirely through the member centre network, the website, media releases, report launches, and coalition advocacy with peer organizations such as ACOSS, National Legal Aid, and the Antipoverty Centre. EJA's go-to-market motion is community-led, with reach generated through member referrals, government advocacy, research influence, and earned media rather than commercial sales.

Name

Economic Justice Australia

Legal name

Economic Justice Australia

Website

https://ejaustralia.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Economic Justice Australia is the national peak body for Australian community legal centres providing specialist free legal advice on social security and Centrelink issues. It coordinates a national member centre network, conducts research and policy advocacy, and influences federal social security reform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Legal Services / Social Security Advocacy

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Social security advocacy
• Community legal services
• Welfare rights advice
• Legal aid policy research
• Centrelink legal support

Headquarters

HQ city

Remote/Australia-Wide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant and Government Funding: Economic Justice Australia operates as a not-for-profit peak organization funded through grants and government funding arrangements, including secure funding for EJA as a peak organization confirmed in FY 2024-25 annual report.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Economic Justice Australia is the peak organisation for community legal centres providing specialist advice on social security issues and rights in Australia. It coordinates a national network of member centres that deliver free legal advice, education and representation to people with Centrelink and social security problems, and conducts research, policy submissions, advocacy and publications to influence social security reform.

Product overview

Economic Justice Australia offers a suite of information resources and advocacy services focused on social security rights in Australia. The core offerings include a comprehensive Factsheets Resource Hub providing free guidance on Centrelink payments and social security issues, the Social Security for Women Outside Our Cities three-part report series examining barriers for women in regional and remote areas, a Member Centre Directory connecting people with legal help across Australia, a Share Your Story program for advocacy, Annual Reports documenting organizational activities, a Framing Social Security Message Guide for advocacy messaging, and a Strategic Plan 2026-28. The organization does not operate a software product or SaaS platform but provides public goods in the form of legal information, research publications, and advocacy resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Factsheets Resource Hub A comprehensive collection of free factsheets providing guidance on Centrelink payments, social security rights, entitlements and obligations. Topics include appealing Centrelink decisions, Carer Payment and Carer Allowance, Centrelink Debts, Compensation Preclusion Periods, Disability Support Pension, Income Reporting, medical exemptions, Newly Arrived Residents Waiting Period, and relationship status. Intended for individuals navigating Centrelink and social security issues.
• Social Security for Women Outside Our Cities Report Series A three-part research report series examining barriers preventing women in regional, rural, remote and very remote Australia from accessing social security entitlements. Includes Report 1 on Service Delivery Barriers, Report 2 on Issues of Eligibility, and Report 3 on Intersectional Issues. Aimed at policymakers, government, community legal centres and advocates for women in 4R Australia.
• Member Centre Directory (Find Help Near You) A nationwide directory service helping people find free legal help from specialist community legal centres across all Australian states and territories for Centrelink and social security issues. Used by individuals seeking free specialist social security legal assistance.
• Share Your Story Program A community engagement platform inviting people to share their Centrelink experiences to help shape EJA's advocacy efforts and improve the social security system. Used by individuals with lived experience of Centrelink issues.
• Framing Social Security: Message Guide A messaging guide developed in partnership with Common Cause providing evidence-based guidance on language for advocacy, policy work, journalism and community discussions to avoid reinforcing stigma while advancing social security policy goals. Used by advocates, policymakers, journalists and community organisations.
• Annual Reports Annual transparency publications documenting EJA's key achievements, challenges, advocacy impact and the work of member centres across Australia. Available for fiscal years 2020-21 through 2024-25. Intended for stakeholders, funders, government and the community.
• Strategic Plan 2026-28 A strategic plan outlining EJA's vision, purpose, principles, priorities and key advocacy focuses for the period 2026-28. Intended for member centres, funders, government and the community to understand the organisation's strategic direction.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 160 interviews with service providers conducted for research on women in 4R Australia
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Common CausecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Common Cause to develop the Framing Social Security Message Guide, providing in-depth message research on language that is powerful and persuasive in advancing policy goals while not reinforcing stigma.
• University of WollongongsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner for the Debts, Duress and Dob-Ins research examining Centrelink compliance processes and domestic violence.
• University of SydneysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner for the Debts, Duress and Dob-Ins research examining Centrelink compliance processes and domestic violence.
• University of QueenslandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner for the Debts, Duress and Dob-Ins research examining Centrelink compliance processes and domestic violence.
• Antipoverty CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint briefing partner on Australia's employment services research, producing the Perfect Storm report on employment services harms.
• National Legal AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in welcoming the Federal Government's new administrative review body (Administrative Review Tribunal) to restore trust in government decisions post-Robodebt.
• Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint statement partner on social security payment cancellation laws, representing the community sector on social security reform advocacy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT): Specialist Aboriginal community legal service delivering culturally safe legal help. Comparable as a sector-funded specialist legal service working with disadvantaged populations, although with a distinct cultural mandate.

Direct peers

• Financial Rights Legal Centre: Specialist community legal centre focused on financial services, debt, and consumer law. Financial Rights is a comparable specialist CLC with similar structure, and an EJA board member (Bettina Cooper) currently works there, showing close ecosystem ties.
• Justice Connect: Australian not-for-profit that connects pro bono lawyers with people experiencing disadvantage. Justice Connect is a direct peer; EJA's Deputy CEO Tori Edwards joined from Justice Connect after seven years, indicating organizational and operational similarity.
• Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS): Australian peak body for community welfare and social services. ACOSS is a direct counterpart to EJA in the broader community sector; both produce research, submissions, and joint statements on social security reform.
• National Legal Aid: National peak body for legal aid commissions in Australia. Both organizations are federally recognized peak bodies convening legal assistance providers, and EJA is formally collaborating with National Legal Aid on the new Administrative Review Tribunal.
• Anti-Poverty Centre: Grassroots advocacy group campaigning on income support adequacy and employment services reform. EJA has co-published research (Perfect Storm report) with the Anti-Poverty Centre, indicating very close mission alignment and methodology overlap.
• Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC): Independent, non-profit legal advocacy organization working on systemic change for people experiencing disadvantage. PIAC is a direct peer in mission and operating model; both undertake litigation, policy work, and impact reporting.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Human Rights Commission: Federal statutory body promoting and protecting human rights. Overlaps with EJA's advocacy on disability, family violence, and economic rights but operates at a broader mandate and government-aligned scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/economic-justice-australia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Economic Justice Australia