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Hidden Costs: an Independent Study Into Income Management in Australia

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Hidden Costs: an Independent Study Into Income Management in Australia Hidden Costs: An Independent Study into Income Management in Australia February 2020 Greg Marston, Philip Mendes, Shelley Bielefeld, Michelle Peterie, Zoe Staines and Steven Roche School of Social Science Level 3, Michie Building 9 St Lucia Campus The University of Queensland QLD Australia 4072 w. social-science.uq.edu.au/ / incomemanagementstudy.com e. [email protected] t. +61 7 336 53236 Funding: This report is an output from a larger study of Compulsory Income Management in Australia and New Zealand, funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC). Suggested Citation: Marston, G., Mendes, P., Bielefeld, S., Peterie, M., Staines, Z. and Roche, S. (2020) Hidden Costs: An Independent Study into Income Management in Australia. School of Social Science, The University of Queensland: Brisbane, Australia. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and may not reflect those of the ARC, The University of Queensland, Monash University or Griffith University. Research Team Prof Greg Marston, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland (UQ) A/Prof Philip Mendes, Department of Social Work, Monash University (Monash) Dr Shelley Bielefeld, Griffith Law School/Law Futures Centre, Griffith University Dr Michelle Peterie, School of Social Science, UQ Dr Zoe Staines, School of Social Science, UQ Mr Steven Roche, Department of Social Work, Monash 2 Contents List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... 6 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 7 Background ............................................................................................................................ 7 Summary of Research Findings ............................................................................................. 8 Practical Experiences including Financial Management .................................................... 8 Socio-Emotional Impacts of IM ....................................................................................... 10 Resisting IM ..................................................................................................................... 13 Overall Attitudes Towards IM .......................................................................................... 14 Policy Implications ............................................................................................................... 16 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 17 1.1 Study Background and Rationale .............................................................................. 17 1.2 Mixed Methods Survey ............................................................................................. 19 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 19 Sampling Approach and Sample Characteristics .............................................................. 19 Survey Analysis ................................................................................................................ 21 1.3 Qualitative Case Studies............................................................................................ 23 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 23 Participant Recruitment and Interviewee Characteristics ................................................. 23 Interview Analysis ............................................................................................................ 25 1.4 Limitations and Quality Assurance ........................................................................... 26 Survey ............................................................................................................................... 26 Qualitative Interviews ....................................................................................................... 27 2. Survey Findings .............................................................................................................. 28 2.1 Financial Expenditure and Management ................................................................... 28 Expenditure Patterns and Financial Challenges ............................................................... 28 Financial Management Behaviour .................................................................................... 33 2.2 Practical Experience of IM ........................................................................................ 34 Difficulties Providing for Children and Families ............................................................. 35 Difficulties Participating in the Cash Economy ............................................................... 35 Difficulties Paying Rent and Other Bills .......................................................................... 36 2.3 Socio-Emotional Impacts of IM ................................................................................ 36 Mental Health and Wellbeing ........................................................................................... 36 Stigma and Shame ............................................................................................................ 37 3 2.4 Locus of Control........................................................................................................ 40 2.5 Resisting IM .............................................................................................................. 44 Seeking Exemption from IM ............................................................................................ 44 Circumventing IM ............................................................................................................ 45 2.6 Overall Attitude Towards IM .................................................................................... 46 3. Case Study A: The BasicsCard in Playford ................................................................. 49 3.1 Playford ..................................................................................................................... 49 3.2 Playford Policy Justifications and Introduction ........................................................ 50 3.3 Playford Policy Specifics .......................................................................................... 51 3.4 Playford Interview Findings: Welfare Recipients (CIM) .......................................... 52 Practical Experiences Using the BasicsCard .................................................................... 52 Socio-Emotional Impacts of the BasicsCard .................................................................... 55 Overall Attitude Towards the BasicsCard ........................................................................ 56 3.5 Playford Interview Findings: Welfare Recipients (VIM) ......................................... 58 Rationales for Using the BasicsCard ................................................................................ 58 Practical Experiences Using the BasicsCard .................................................................... 58 Socio-Emotional Impacts of the BasicsCard .................................................................... 59 3.6 Playford Interview Findings: Stakeholders ............................................................... 60 Stakeholder Perspectives .................................................................................................. 60 4. Case Study B: The BasicsCard in Shepparton ............................................................ 65 4.1 Shepparton ................................................................................................................. 65 4.2 Shepparton Policy Justifications and Introduction .................................................... 66 4.3 Shepparton Policy Specifics ...................................................................................... 67 4.4 Shepparton Interview Findings: Welfare Recipients (CIM) ..................................... 68 Practical Experiences Using the BasicsCard .................................................................... 68 Socio-Emotional Impacts of the BasicsCard .................................................................... 71 4.5 Shepparton Interview Findings: Welfare Recipients (VIM) ..................................... 73 Rationales for Using the BasicsCard ................................................................................ 73 Practical Experiences Using the BasicsCard .................................................................... 73 4.6 Shepparton Interview Findings: Stakeholders........................................................... 77 Stakeholder Perspectives .................................................................................................. 77 5. Case Study C: The CDC in Ceduna .............................................................................. 80 5.1 Ceduna ....................................................................................................................... 80 5.2 Ceduna Policy Justifications and Introduction .......................................................... 82 5.3 Ceduna Policy Specifics ...........................................................................................
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