DOCSLIB.ORG

Welfare – Putting a Price on Dignity

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Welfare – Putting a Price on Dignity 1 Welfare – Putting a Price on Dignity Prepared as a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the Adequacy of Newstart and related payments and alternative mechanisms to determine the level of income support payments in Australia September 2019 For more information, please contact: Major Brad Halse Head of Government Relations The Salvation Army Australia 0 Table of Contents Statement of Recognition .............................................................................................................................. 1 Living with Dignity ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Adequacy of Income ..................................................................................................................................... 3 The Poverty Trap ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Maria’s Story* ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Meeting basic needs .................................................................................................................................. 5 A response from the Newstart Inquiry Survey ....................................................................................... 7 The story over time .................................................................................................................................... 8 A response from the Newstart Inquiry Survey ....................................................................................... 8 Value in Society .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Social and Economic Participation .......................................................................................................... 12 A response from the Newstart Inquiry Survey ..................................................................................... 12 Barriers to Employment ........................................................................................................................... 13 A response from the Newstart Inquiry Survey ..................................................................................... 15 Isolation from Community and Loneliness .............................................................................................. 15 Mental Health .......................................................................................................................................... 16 A response from the Newstart Inquiry Survey ..................................................................................... 17 Inherent Dignity ........................................................................................................................................... 18 The Complexity of Centrelink .................................................................................................................. 18 A response from the Newstart Inquiry Survey ..................................................................................... 18 Matt’s Story* ......................................................................................................................................... 19 Melanie’s Story* ................................................................................................................................... 19 Mutual Obligation ..................................................................................................................................... 20 The Cashless Debit Card ........................................................................................................................ 21 Mandatory Drug Testing .......................................................................................................................... 22 Jane’s Story* ........................................................................................................................................ 22 Practical Actions .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Setting Welfare Levels ............................................................................................................................. 23 Avoiding the Trap .................................................................................................................................... 23 Government Services .............................................................................................................................. 24 About The Salvation Army .......................................................................................................................... 25 Appendix A – The Lived Experience 1 Statement of Recognition The Salvation Army acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters throughout Australia. We pay our respect to Elders, past, present and emerging, acknowledging their continuing relationship to this land and the ongoing living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. Welfare – Putting a Price on Dignity Inquiry into the Adequacy of Newstart and related payments and alternative mechanisms to determine the level of income support payments in Australia The Salvation Army 2 Living with Dignity The Salvation Army welcomes the opportunity to share our experience and the stories of the people with whom we work with the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs. The Salvation Army provides a wide range of services and support to people across Australia as part of realising our vision and living our values. Fundamental to the ethos of The Salvation Army is the idea that every single human being has inherent worth and every person should be able to live with dignity. For some time now we have known that the inadequacy of Newstart, Youth Allowance and related payments is a major driver of disadvantage in Australia. We are grateful that the Senate is undertaking this review and we hope that it can provide a catalyst for the many parties interested in this issue to work together to address payment inadequacy. This submission does not contain everything The Salvation Army would like to say on this topic. This has been a key advocacy area of ours for a very long time and so we have tried to keep our submission to the elements that are most within The Salvation Army’s experience. It is also very important to us that we amplify and do not crowd out the voices of those who are actually experiencing hardship. Consequently, this submission focusses on providing that lived experience with commentary only where it can add value. This submission is broadly in five parts: Adequacy of Income – examining how people spend their allowances and how this has changed over time concluding that Newstart and related payments are inadequate. Value in Society – discussing how people we work with view welfare, employment and themselves concluding that the inadequacy of Newstart and related payments is itself a barrier to employment and a contributor to social isolation and poor mental health. Inherent Dignity – sharing how the systems and process of Centrelink and the welfare model more generally impact on individuals concluding that the way welfare is conceived needs reconsideration. Practical Actions – offering recommendations for government action to address hardship. Lived Experience – as an appendix to this submission, 249 stories from our request for people on Newstart to tell us what they think the Committee needs to know. Welfare – Putting a Price on Dignity Inquiry into the Adequacy of Newstart and related payments and alternative mechanisms to determine the level of income support payments in Australia The Salvation Army 3 Adequacy of Income The Poverty Trap Newstart and related payments are intended to be temporary measures. They are designed to operate as a safety net while a person transitions to a new job (or prepares for their first job). At their current levels and configurations, income support payments are not achieving their purpose. Newstart is not a safety net. The current level of Newstart is too low to allow a person to avoid poverty. While a person living with extreme frugality may be able to ‘make do’ for a short period of time, even the slightest disruption can lead to financial trouble. Ordinary, everyday occurrences such as an electricity bill, a compulsory school excursion, or a broken household appliance, become unmanageable when reliant on Newstart. This precarious income level can operate like a trap. A person reliant on Newstart borrows money to make ends meet, but then the servicing of that debt adds to their expenses. A person reliant on Newstart terminates their mobile device and internet plans, but then finds that lack of connectivity affects their ability to find jobs and schedule interviews. A person reliant on Newstart has no funds for education, but then is not competitive for jobs. A person reliant on Newstart moves to cheaper accommodation, but then expends more in transport costs in seeking employment and keeping their child in schooling. A person reliant on Newstart sacrifices transport costs, such as fuel and public transport fares, but then cannot participate
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Revised Proof
    Housing Policy in Australia “Australia has avoided a recession in its economic system for nigh on 30 years. Good management our political leaders claim. But Australia’s housing system has failed throughout this time: homelessness has risen; insecure and unaffordable rental are common-place; the over-valuing of homeownership has escalated; and a massive shortage of social and affordable housing has been allowed to develop. How is such neglect or mismanagement of Australians’ housing dreams possible? This book explains why and what to do about it. Pawson, Milligan and Yates carefully document compelling evidence on these issues to provide a contemporary and robust analysis of the when, where, how and why of housing problems in Australia. Moreover, the authors provide the policy solutions and actions to be taken by Federal, State and local governments, as well as the development, fnance and property management industries. Pawson, Milligan and Yates are Australia’s foremostPROOF housing analysts. This book is essential reading for anyone with an interest or a care in reforming Australia’s housing system to be once again ft for all Australians.” —Ian Winter, Housing consultant, and Director, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute 2000–17 “Housing policy and housing systems are rapidly changing and profoundly reshaping access to affordable and high quality housing across all Australia’s cities and regions. Housing Policy in Australia superbly harnesses international evidence and more than two decades of experience to not only analyse but also provide potential solutions to the current housing policy impasse. The book’s comprehen- sive canvassing of housing system diversity—tenures, social differentiation, histor- ical trends—will become necessary reading for housing practitioners and students.
    [Show full text]
  • Centrelink's Compliance Program
    Centrelink’s Compliance Program Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs 31 October 2019 Telephone +61 2 6246 3788 • Fax +61 2 6248 0639 Email [email protected] GPO Box 1989, Canberra ACT 2601, DX 5719 Canberra 19 Torrens St Braddon ACT 2612 Law Council of Australia Limited ABN 85 005 260 622 www.lawcouncil.asn.au Table of Contents About the Law Council of Australia ............................................................................... 3 Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 5 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 8 Background ..................................................................................................................... 9 Previous Centrelink debt collection practices................................................................. 9 Function of the Online Compliance System ..................................................................10 Application in practice .................................................................................................. 11 Previous inquiries and advocacy ..................................................................................12 Commonwealth Ombudsman....................................................................................12 Senate Standing
    [Show full text]
  • Family History Kit Contents Before You Start
    Family History Unit Freecall: 1800 352 553 Fax: 02 6261 4287 Email: [email protected] Family History Kit contents Before you start Stolen Generations Proof of Aboriginality Understanding the challenges Indigenous names Thinking about place Researching one ancestor Past caring: barriers to research Research step-by-step Develop your research plan Get organised Start with yourself Background reading Search for records Put it all together Family history sources Sources at home Interviews Photographs Birth, death and marriage records Adoption records Burial and cemetery records Newspapers Tindale genealogies Military service records Mission and institution records Electoral rolls and voter records Police gazettes, court and gaol records Maps Land and pastoral station records Dawn and New Dawn Magazine Other records and collections Where to get help Link-Up services Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Western Australia Family History Kit and Toolkit contents AIATSIS Family History Unit www.aiatsis.gov.au Page 2 of 2 Family History Unit Freecall: 1800 352 553 Fax: 02 6261 4287 Email: [email protected] Family History Kit – Before you start – contents Stolen Generations Proof of Aboriginality Understanding the challenges Indigenous names Thinking about place Researching one ancestor Past caring: barriers to research Family History Unit Freecall: 1800 352 553 Fax: 02 6261 4287 Email: [email protected] Stolen Generations The Stolen Generations are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who, when they were children, were taken away from their families and communities as the result of past government policies. Children were removed by governments, churches and welfare bodies to be brought up in institutions, fostered out or adopted by white families.
    [Show full text]
  • Reform of Australian Government Administration
    Institute of Public Administration Australia National Council Submission to the Advisory Group on Reform of Australian Government Administration November 2009 ii TABLE of CONTENTS National President’s Introduction iii Executive Summary iv Recommendations vi 1. The Australian Public Service: Reform Traditions, Renewal and the Uncertainties of the Future 1 2. The Australian Public Service: Professionalism, Values and Roles 6 3. Service Delivery and Citizen‐Centred Services 11 4. Policy‐Advising 15 5. APS Workforce and Professional Development 19 6. Governance of the Australian Public Service 24 7. Conclusion 31 iii NATIONAL PRESIDENT’S INTRODUCTION The institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) welcomes the Review of Australian Government Administration and the Prime Minister’s commitment to strengthen the capacity and performance of the Australian Public Service. The Institute appreciates this opportunity to make a submission to the Review. This submission has been prepared by a group of IPAA members with substantial experience and expertise in public administration, mostly at the national level but also at the level of States and Territories, and internationally. The views expressed have not been formally endorsed by the IPAA National Council or any of IPAA’s Divisional Councils, but it has benefited from National Council and ACT Divisional Council deliberations. Final responsibility for the submission lies with me as National President. IPAA is the professional association for those who identify public service, public sector management and the study of public administration as their profession. Its vision is to be “the professional face of a confident public sector.” In addition to its professional development activities, IPAA publishes research and reports of practical experience in public administration, promotes networks across jurisdictions and universities in Australia and internationally, and draws on its members’ expertise and experience to contribute to government and public discussion on national public administration issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Rethink Robo-Debt Building a Fair and Accurate System People Can Trust
    Rethink Robo-debt Building a fair and accurate system people can trust Submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee Inquiry into Centrelink’s Compliance Program 27 September 2019 National Legal Aid Secretariat GPO Box 1422 Hobart TAS 7001 [email protected] 03 6236 3813 Table of Contents Executive summary .................................................................................................................. 3 Ten recommendations for a fair and accurate system people can trust ................................ 5 National Legal Aid, legal aid commission clients and robo-debt ............................................. 8 1. Hardship and distress for people and families ........................................................... 10 2. The inaccuracy of robo-debt: people are paying money they don't owe .................. 13 2.1 Robo-debt’s inaccuracy and the lack of transparency ............................................... 14 2.2 Confusing, unclear correspondence and time pressure ............................................. 16 2.3 Power imbalances and challenges dealing with Centrelink ....................................... 19 3. Robo-debt’s systemic impact ...................................................................................... 22 3.1 Impact on community services and the legal assistance sector ................................. 22 3.2 The cost of robo-debt and the strain on Centrelink ................................................... 23 3.3 Undermining public confidence in the social
    [Show full text]
  • The Australian Dictionary of Biography and Its Related Corpora Melanie Nolan
    5 USING LIVES: THE AUSTRALIAN DICTIONARY OF BIOGRAPHY AND ITS RELATED CORPORA MELANIE NOLAN TheAustralian Dictionary of Biography (ADB) is one of many biographical dictionary projects developing advanced biographical functions. The ADB is the largest and longest-running project of national collaboration of social scientists in Australia, having started in the late 1950s. Over 4,500 authors have contributed to its 13,500 entries. In 2006 the ADB made the cultural journey from a printed book to an online digital research resource. Since then staff have created companion biographical websites: Obituaries Australia, which reproduces published obituaries; and People Australia, which features other biographical material such as records from Who’s Who and out-of-copyright compendiums of biography. People Australia also acts as a Biographical Register. These companion websites now give us the technical capacity to register all deceased Australians in our websites. Since 2011 we have also begun to comprehensively index all entries, which, in turn, allows us to automatically generate visualisation tools, such as family trees. In my history of the ADB, I argued that three main activities have laid at the heart of the ADB project since 1957: publishing books of concise entries, the Biographical Register, and indexes of entries. The ADB’s core activities remain well-researched concise articles, a Biographical Register, 79 ‘TRUE Biographies of Nations?’ and being able to navigate around both.1 A fundamental transformation of the project, however, has been concomitant with the digital redesign. We are now able to identify and add whole groups of ‘missing persons’, create bigger data and manipulate it—lump and split groups of articles for research purposes and link them to other digital resources.
    [Show full text]
  • Reform of Australian Government Administration Building the World’S Best Public Service
    Reform of Australian Government Administration Building the world’s best public service Advisory Group on Reform of Australian Government Administration October 2009 © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 You may copy, distribute and otherwise freely deal with the material in unaltered, complete form, for any non-commercial, personal, or educational use, or use within your organisation (retaining this notice). Requests for use outside of these terms should be directed to: Commonwealth Copyright Administration Attorney-General’s Department 3 – 5 National Circuit BARTON ACT 2600 or http://www.ag.gov.au/cca National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data: Reform of Australian Government Administration: Building the world’s best public service ISBN 978-1-921385-73-5 (PDF) ISBN 978-1-921385-74-2 (RTF) Disclaimer The Advisory Group has released this discussion paper to generate debate on future reform directions for Australian Government administration. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth, or any of the individual members of the Advisory Group, or indicate a commitment to a particular course of action. While the review secretariat has consulted and researched widely and made every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of the information in this discussion paper, users should be aware that the Commonwealth accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any material contained in the paper and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. Published by: Australian
    [Show full text]
  • Family History Kit Contents
    Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Family History Unit 51 Lawson Crescent, Acton, ACT 2601 GPO Box 553, Canberra ACT 2601 P 1800 352 553 E [email protected] aiatsis.gov.au Family History Kit Contents Before You Start ________________________________________________________________ 3 Stolen Generations ______________________________________________________________ 4 Proof of Aboriginality ____________________________________________________________ 8 Understanding the Challenges ___________________________________________________ 11 Indigenous Names _____________________________________________________________ 13 Thinking about Place ___________________________________________________________ 17 Researching one Ancestor ______________________________________________________ 20 Past Caring ____________________________________________________________________ 25 Research Step-By-Step ________________________________________________________ 28 Indigenous Family History Research in Seven Steps _______________________________ 29 Develop your Research Plan _____________________________________________________ 31 Get Organised _________________________________________________________________ 34 Start with Yourself _____________________________________________________________ 39 Background Reading ___________________________________________________________ 42 Search for Records _____________________________________________________________ 46 Put it all Together ______________________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Legislative Assembly
    6663 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Wednesday 9 April 2008 __________ The Speaker (The Hon. George Richard Torbay) took the chair at 10.00 a.m. The Speaker read the Prayer and acknowledgement of country. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Notices of Motions General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices) given. PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS Question—That private members' statements be noted—proposed. NEW SOUTH WALES RAIL TRANSPORT MUSEUM Mr PHILLIP COSTA (Wollondilly) [10.02 a.m.]: The New South Wales Rail Transport Museum is located at Thirlmere in my electorate. The museum is an independent, non-profit company established in 1962 for the purpose of collecting, preserving and presenting railway heritage of New South Wales for the benefit of the community. Former Commissioner McCusker officially opened the original New South Wales Rail Transport Museum on Sunday 22 October 1972 at the Round House at Enfield. This was one of the former commissioner's last official duties. In 1973 it was announced that the museum at the Round House at Enfield would be demolished, and after much negotiation with the Public Transport Commission the museum was transferred to a space made available on the Commission's property at Thirlmere. In 1974 the Thirlmere site began its transformation when exhibits were transferred, and the museum was opened on 1 June 1976. The New South Wales Rail Transport Museum has more than 2,000 members, including an active volunteer workforce of over 300 and a small number of full-time staff who are the driving force that keeps the museum open every day of the week. A voluntary board and a management committee administer the museum.
    [Show full text]
  • Job Services Australia Individualised Assistance for Job Seekers
    JOB SERVICES AUSTRALIA INDIVIDUALISED ASSISTANCE FOR JOB SEEKERS JOB SERVICES AUSTRALIA Job Services Australia providers are PROVIDES ONE-ON-ONE organisations contracted by the ASSISTANCE AND TAILORED Australian Government to provide employment services and are EMPLOYMENT SERVICES FOR available across Australia in more AUSTRALIANS. IT PROVIDES than 2000 locations. They can provide ALL THE SUPPORT YOU or connect you to a wide range of REALLY NEED TO HELP FIND government initiatives that will give AND KEEP A JOB. you the skills and training you need. With Job Services Australia you’ll receive personalised help, services that are tailored to your needs and access to training opportunities and work experience. CALL FOR MORE 13 62 68 INFORMATION OR VISIT deewr.gov.au/jobservicesaustralia 1C10625JSA Help to get a job Extra help Your Job Services Australia provider will work with you to create Your Job Services Australia provider can offer you specialised an Employment Pathway Plan, tailored to your individual needs. services if you are assessed as being highly disadvantaged. This plan will set out the services and training that will help you Depending on the type of disadvantage you face, you can find and keep a job. This may include help: receive specific services to help you find a job. Higher levels of z writing a résumé funding and more assistance are available to help you if you are z accessing work experience opportunities highly disadvantaged. z gaining new skills or qualifications If you are homeless, a person with disability, an at-risk young z overcoming other barriers to employment. person, or experience mental health issues, your provider will Your Job Services Australia provider will work with you every help you to get the support and assistance suited to your step of the way by getting to know you and your individual circumstances.
    [Show full text]
  • Pensioner Concession Application Form for Each Pensioner Owner, and a Copy of Both Sides of the Applicable Pensioner Concession Card/S Or DVA Health Card/S
    TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL APPLICATION FOR PENSIONER CONCESSION ON RATES AND CHARGES Important Information ▪ A separate pension application form is required for each pensioner owner. ▪ All applications are to be completed in full, IN BLOCK LETTERS, and shall be treated as confidential. ▪ All applications are subject to approval under the provisions of council's Pensioner Concession Policy and/or Queensland Government Pensioner Rate Subsidy Scheme. ▪ All applications are subject to confirmation. ▪ All applications require a photocopy or scanned and emailed copy of both sides of the pensioner’s current signed Queensland "Pensioner Concession Card” or DVA Health Card (All Conditions within Australia) or DVA Health Card (Totally & Permanently Incapacitated). ▪ Seniors Cards and Health Care Cards are not applicable. ▪ Outstanding rates and charges will be recovered in accordance with council’s Debt Recovery Policy. Property Details Property Number: Assessment Number: Property Address: Pension Details Pension Type: _________________________ PCC/Gold Card No.: _________________________________ Personal Details Surname: _____________________________ Given Names: __________________________________ Date of birth >> _____/_____/_____ Phone no.: ___________________________ Email address: Postal Address (as shown on pension card): ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Postal Address (as shown on rating records): ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Do you reside in this Property? Yes / No (if no refer below *) A Statutory Declaration (available from Townsville City Council) is required to be submitted with this application in the following situations: >> (*) The owner/applicant is residing in a nursing home or with friends or family due to ill health or infirmity and the property is not rented. >> The co-owner of this property is my spouse, and this person does not reside at the property.
    [Show full text]
  • Paying the Price of Welfare Reform
    PAYING THE PRICE OF WELFARE REFORM The experiences of Anglicare staff and clients in interacting with Centrelink TERESA HINTON MAY 2018 PAYING THE PRICE OF WELFARE REFORM The experiences of Anglicare staff and clients in interacting with Centrelink TERESA HINTON MAY 2018 Acknowledgments Many people have been part of the journey which has led to this report. The author would like to thank all those who gave up their time to participate in this research. Thanks go to the many busy frontline workers who generously gave up their time to participate in face-to-face interviews and in completing the staff survey. In particular heartfelt thanks go all those Anglicare clients who generously decided to participate in the research and add their voices to the call for change. Without them the report would not have been possible. The research findings, conclusions and recommendations of this report are those of Anglicare. Any errors in the report are the responsibility of the author alone. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Hinton, Teresa, author. Paying the Price of Welfare Reform: The experiences of Anglicare staff and clients in interacting with Centrelink Teresa Hinton. ISBN: 9871921267512 (ebook) A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia. Other Creators/Contributors: Anglicare Tasmania, issuing body. Cover illustration: Sam Lyne, adapted from artwork by z_wei, iStock. Graphic design: Kelly Eijdenberg. Copy-editing: Selina Claxton. © Anglicare Tasmania 2018 For further information
    [Show full text]