PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET – BENEFIT RECIPIENTS

Conditional Welfare: A Comparative Case Study of Income Management Policies

We invite you to take part in a study comparing compulsory income management in Australia and New Zealand. The purpose of this document is to provide you with detailed information about this study, so that you can decide if you would like to take part.

Who is conducting the research?

o Professor Greg Marston (School of , University of , [email protected]; tel: +61 7 3365 2248) o Associate Professor Philip Mendes (Department of Social Work, , [email protected]; tel: +61 3 9903 1132) o Dr Shelley Bielefeld (Griffith Law School, , [email protected]; tel: +61 7 3735 6471) o Dr Louise Humpage (Department of Sociology, The , New Zealand, [email protected]; tel: +64 9923 5115) o Dr Michelle Peterie (School of Social Science, , [email protected]) o Dr Zoe Staines (School of Social Sciences, University of Queensland, [email protected]) o Mr Steven Roche (Department of Social Work, Monash University, [email protected])

What is the research about?

This study seeks to understand the experiences of individuals and communities who are directly affected by compulsory income management policies in Australia and New Zealand. It also explores how these policies have been developed and implemented.

Income management quarantines a proportion of social security payments, placing these funds in a special account that can only be used to pay for essentials such as food and bills, and cannot be used to purchase alcohol or tobacco. This study will provide evidence about how income management has developed as a policy, how it is being implemented by service providers, and how it affects the lives, choices and autonomy of benefit recipients such as yourself.

Who can participate?

You are invited to participate in this study if you are 18-years-old or older, and have experienced compulsory income management in Australia.

What does the research involve?

We would like to ask you about your experiences with compulsory income management. Your interview will take around 45 minutes, and can take place in person or over the phone, at a time that suits you. During your interview, you can decline to answer any question that you do not wish to answer, and can stop the interview at any time.

With your consent, your interview will be audio recorded so that we can accurately capture your thoughts. If you do not want your interview to be recorded, the researcher will use a notebook to take detailed notes instead. Personal information that is not relevant to the project will not be collected, and only members of the research team will have access to your interview and personal details.

After your interview has taken place, your interview will be transcribed (typed up) so that it can be read and analysed by the researchers. If you would like to receive a copy of your transcript, please tick the relevant box on your consent form and we will send you a copy to check for accuracy.

Your interview – as well as those of the other study participants – will help the researchers to better understand compulsory income management in Australia. Your experiences and insights will inform research reports, academic publications and/or media pieces. Your identity will be kept confidential at all times and you will not be personally identifiable in any research findings.

After the completion of the study, all interviews and personal information will be archived in de-identified form in accordance with the University of Queensland’s data management policy.

How do I consent to participate?

If you are interested in this study, please read this Participant Information Statement carefully and ask any questions that you have. If you are happy with the information provided and would like to be interviewed, you will then need to sign the Consent Form and return this to the researchers. The researchers will then contact you to arrange your interview.

Can I withdraw from the study?

You have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without repercussions. To withdraw from the study, please contact one of the researchers listed above. If you choose to withdraw from the study, you can ask to have your files and information deleted.

What are the risks?

There is minimal risk associated with this study. Some individuals, however, may find it upsetting to talk about their experiences of compulsory income management. If you feel discomfort or distress at any stage during the interview, please inform the researchers immediately. You can skip any questions that you do not wish to answer, and can stop your interview at any time.

If you experience distress as a result of this study, you may like to seek counselling support. Confidential 24hr telephone counselling is available through Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).

What are the benefits?

By participating in this study, you will be contributing to a project that may help improve policy approaches to welfare support. We hope that the interview process will also be a positive experience for you, providing an opportunity for you to share and reflect upon your experiences with compulsory income management.

If you choose to participate in the study, you will also be compensated for your time with a $30 Coles-Myer gift voucher.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

We encourage you to ask any questions that you may have about the study. You can do this at any time by contacting a member of the research team.

Complaints

Research involving humans in Australia is reviewed by an independent group of people called a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). The ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the HREC of the University of Queensland (Approval Number 2018001271). As part of this process, the researchers have agreed to carry out the study according to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007). This statement has been developed to protect people who agree to take part in research studies.

2 of 4 Version No: 3.0 Dated: 22/03/2019 If you have any complaints or queries that the researchers have not been able to answer to your satisfaction – or if you would like to speak with someone independent from the research team – you may contact a staff member of the University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee (Tel 07 3365 3571; [email protected]).

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PARTICIPANT CONSENT FORM – BENEFIT RECIPIENTS

Conditional Welfare: A Comparative Case Study of Income Management Policies

I, ...... [PRINT NAME], agree to take part in this research study.

In giving my consent I state that:

 I understand the purpose of the study, what I will be asked to do, and any risks/benefits involved.  I have read the Participant Information Statement and have been able to discuss my involvement in the study with the researchers if I wished to do so.  The researchers have answered any questions that I had about the study and I am happy with the answers.  I understand that being in this study is completely voluntary and I do not have to take part.  I understand that I can withdraw from the study at any time.  I understand that I can stop the interview at any time if I do not wish to continue. I also understand that I can decline to answer any questions I don’t wish to answer.  I understand that the results of this study may be published, but that these publications will not contain my name or any identifiable information about me.

I consent to:

 Being interviewed over the phone YES  NO   Audio-recording YES  NO   Reviewing transcripts YES  NO 

Would you like to receive feedback about the overall results of this study?

YES  NO 

If you answered YES to reviewing transcripts or receiving overall study results, please indicate your preferred form of feedback and address:

 Postal: ______

 Email: ______

...... Signature

...... PRINT name

...... Date

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