Australians have been warned it’s unfair to say “get a job” to Centrelink recipients – as the debate over welfare payments resumes with another increase in benefits.
From this week, five million Australians will receive cash support of up to $20 per fortnight on Centrelink payments.
Centrelink payments are indexed every six months to inflation, with the 1.8 per cent increases that took effect on Wednesday reflecting the combined rise in the Consumer Price Index in the September and December quarters.
Amid rising benefits, many of those benefiting from Centrelink have heard the words ‘unemployed bludger’ or ‘get a job’ – but experts say these comments unfairly characterize those receiving help social.
Elise Klein, senior lecturer in public policy at the Australian National University, recently detailed the four main reasons why getting a job is not as simple as it seems to many on Centrelink.
She said many recipients are hampered by other volunteer commitments, have health problems, face financial difficulties or are impacted by the area where they live.
Finding a job with Centrelink payments is not as simple as it seems, experts say (stock image)
“Many people on Social Security do enormous amounts of unpaid work, particularly unpaid care work,” Dr. Klein told ABC News late last year.
“Another important thing is that many people registered on JobSeeker are disabled or ill, so there has been a tightening of disability pension eligibility.”
The tightening of disability pension criteria 12 years ago meant that people on Centrelink cancer benefits and those with disabilities deemed to have partial capacity to work were forced to benefit from the disability pension. JobSeeker allowance, which is lower paid, she explained.
Dr. Klein requested that the system be reclassified.
“When you’re battling cancer or know you have a disability, you’re not looking for work,” she added.
“You can’t look for work; you’re trying to stay alive.
“The whole logic behind JobSeeker is a complete mismatch with people’s circumstances.”
Location is also another important factor, especially in remote areas where there are not enough jobs.
The policy also poses a barrier to jobseekers and youth benefit recipients who have mutual obligations to actively seek work, attend interviews, appointments and receive training, says -She.
Dr. Klein believes that mutual obligations should either be removed or revised.
“Benefits are so low that people are falling below the poverty line, and this is a major barrier to people being able to get out and look for work,” she said.
“There is a lot of Australia-specific research that shows mutual obligations work against people.
“People who are actually subject to mutual obligations don’t want them and say they’re really harmful and hurt their confidence and their ability to go out and get work.
“They take up people’s valuable time and are completely at odds with reality.”
Dr Elise Klein, senior lecturer in public policy at the Australian National University, recently revealed that Centrelink recipients on JobSeeker have outstanding commitments, have health problems, are facing financial hardship or are affected by the region where they live.
The Australian Council of Social Service has launched calls for the federal government to increase income support payments following routine indexation increases.
Jobseeker’s Allowance, Youth Allowance and associated payments should be increased to the new pension rate of $80 a day so recipients can afford the essentials, according to chief executive Cassandra Goldie.
“The changes will still leave more than a million people dependent on JobSeeker and associated payments struggling to survive, with JobSeeker only increasing by 96 cents a day to $55 a day,” Ms Goldie said this week.
“This is totally insufficient for people who are barely surviving, who are forced to ration food and medicine or who suffer from stifling heat because they cannot afford to air-condition their homes.
“With unemployment expected to rise this year, removing income support is not only the right thing to do; it provides an essential buffer against falling living standards and increasing job losses.
Australians on JobSeeker receive $344.80 less per fortnight than those on Superannuation and Disability Pension (stock image)
Five million Australians to receive fortnightly cash bonus from this week due to indexation