$1bn cut from disabled, parents' welfare - National - theage.com.au: "THE Government will slash $1 billion from welfare to single parents and the disabled over the next three years, it has confirmed just before the start of its new Welfare to Work regime today."
Make no mistake, the Government is spending $37 billion dollars on tax cuts for the rich, while robbing the poor. There is no need for these cuts which will create a deeper poverty trap for 150,000 Australians. The Government not only has the capacity to reduce poverty, but also the capacity to make a difference.
Instead, John Coward has chosen the path of poor bashing, and shown his true colours. The tragedy is that the Labour party has been silent in speaking out for the poor, instead focusing it's energy on bribing "middle Australia".
There is a way to make a difference, but neither major party has the political will or guts to claw back money from the rich to improve the situation of the poor by training, affordable education and bribing greedy employers to do what is morally and socially right.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Monday, December 05, 2005
The Australian: Mike Steketee: Built-in contradictions [December 01, 2005]
Mike Steketee from the Australian highlights the contradictions built into the IR and Welfare Reform.
Moreover, the closer wage levels come to government benefits, the smaller will be the incentive to take jobs. Although this should not be a serious barrier for people to move into full-time work, because their incomes will rise substantially, it could be a real factor for the many who can only pick up casual or part-time jobs.
Even the welfare-to-work legislation has contradictory incentives. In future, people with disabilities assessed as being able to work as few as 15 hours a week will no longer qualify for disability support pensions. Instead they will go on to Newstart if they do not get a job, and face a cut in income of $46 a week or more, depending on their circumstances. Single parents whose youngest child turns eight will face a similar situation, with cuts in their income of at least $29 a week. These are the sticks designed to make people look seriously for jobs.
Of course, who are the people who will be seeking part time work because they are UNABLE to work full-time. Who is it who will be forced into low paid jobs? It is people with disabilities. Instead of workplace justice for people with disabilities, we will continue to face limited choices, ongoing abuse and discrimination, and now Howard's big stick.
Moreover, the closer wage levels come to government benefits, the smaller will be the incentive to take jobs. Although this should not be a serious barrier for people to move into full-time work, because their incomes will rise substantially, it could be a real factor for the many who can only pick up casual or part-time jobs.
Even the welfare-to-work legislation has contradictory incentives. In future, people with disabilities assessed as being able to work as few as 15 hours a week will no longer qualify for disability support pensions. Instead they will go on to Newstart if they do not get a job, and face a cut in income of $46 a week or more, depending on their circumstances. Single parents whose youngest child turns eight will face a similar situation, with cuts in their income of at least $29 a week. These are the sticks designed to make people look seriously for jobs.
Of course, who are the people who will be seeking part time work because they are UNABLE to work full-time. Who is it who will be forced into low paid jobs? It is people with disabilities. Instead of workplace justice for people with disabilities, we will continue to face limited choices, ongoing abuse and discrimination, and now Howard's big stick.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
The Australian: Welfare changes 'won't save money' [November 24, 2005]
As one of those people the Government has done nothing to help, and is planning on doing nothing to help, I fully agree with the following quote.
"'Despite the Howard Government complaining for years about the 'problem' of having 700,000 people stuck on the disability support pension, it has admitted that its plans do nothing to help them into work,' said Labor family and community services spokesman Chris Evans. 'These 700,000 Australians have been abandoned by the Government, with officials today confirming that the Government's package provides no new assistance to help those who want to work.'"
What would really help is providing incentives (bribes) to employers to employ people like me, and providing structural incentives to promote part-time work, especially in Gobernment Positions. Hats off to DEWR who have done this in thier recent advertisements.
I hope when they actually make decisions that they WILL employ some disabled people who can only work part time.
"'Despite the Howard Government complaining for years about the 'problem' of having 700,000 people stuck on the disability support pension, it has admitted that its plans do nothing to help them into work,' said Labor family and community services spokesman Chris Evans. 'These 700,000 Australians have been abandoned by the Government, with officials today confirming that the Government's package provides no new assistance to help those who want to work.'"
What would really help is providing incentives (bribes) to employers to employ people like me, and providing structural incentives to promote part-time work, especially in Gobernment Positions. Hats off to DEWR who have done this in thier recent advertisements.
I hope when they actually make decisions that they WILL employ some disabled people who can only work part time.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Devil in detail deprives disabled of welfare - National - smh.com.au
lthough the Government has consistently said people would have to look for 15 hours of work a week, a parliamentary inquiry into the new system heard yesterday that people could be required to work up to 25 hours a week.
'There is no upper hours, part-time work limit in the legislation,' the executive director of the National Welfare Rights Network, Michael Raper, told the inquiry.
'If they refuse a suitable job offer of up to 25 hours a week when they are working at, say, 13 hours a week, they can be hit with an immediate eight-week no-payment penalty and will lose in excess of $2000 [in welfare payments].'"
'There is no upper hours, part-time work limit in the legislation,' the executive director of the National Welfare Rights Network, Michael Raper, told the inquiry.
'If they refuse a suitable job offer of up to 25 hours a week when they are working at, say, 13 hours a week, they can be hit with an immediate eight-week no-payment penalty and will lose in excess of $2000 [in welfare payments].'"
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
ACOSS and the New Regime
“ACOSS supports the Government’s goal of transitioning more people into work but urge all Members of Parliament to amend the welfare package to ensure rules are applied fairly and no one is left financially worse off.”
I fully support the following ACOSS statement.
“We know that one of the main pathways out of poverty is secure employment. However, areas that are job-rich are often the most expensive to live and many jobless people have a low level of experience and skills with which to find work.”
“These barriers to work that people with disabilities and single parents have are not those that can be solved by changes to payment rules. The payments system must be part of assistance to ensure that single parents and people with disabilities have access to appropriate education, training and support so they can get jobs in today’s economy.”
What is needed is real, positive, affirmative action to tear down the barriers and attitudes that block the disabled from getting a job. A DEWR employee told me that their own modelling shows 98% of a disabled person's chances of getting work are beyond their control once they are disabled.
If the Government wants to focus on ability, it must lead the way in providing positions suited for people with disabilities.
I fully support the following ACOSS statement.
“We know that one of the main pathways out of poverty is secure employment. However, areas that are job-rich are often the most expensive to live and many jobless people have a low level of experience and skills with which to find work.”
“These barriers to work that people with disabilities and single parents have are not those that can be solved by changes to payment rules. The payments system must be part of assistance to ensure that single parents and people with disabilities have access to appropriate education, training and support so they can get jobs in today’s economy.”
What is needed is real, positive, affirmative action to tear down the barriers and attitudes that block the disabled from getting a job. A DEWR employee told me that their own modelling shows 98% of a disabled person's chances of getting work are beyond their control once they are disabled.
If the Government wants to focus on ability, it must lead the way in providing positions suited for people with disabilities.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
The Advertiser: Rural areas 'lose out' on welfare [26oct05]
"'ACOSS figures are biased and can never be trusted, as has been seen time and again over the last 12 months. Unfortunately, this undermines the credibility of ACOSS's argument,' he said in a statement.
'I don't share ACOSS's view that people who have a capacity to work are better off on welfare rather than in a job.
'There are thousands of people who will be infinitely better off under the Government's $3.6 billion investment in employment services and support.'"
'I don't share ACOSS's view that people who have a capacity to work are better off on welfare rather than in a job.
'There are thousands of people who will be infinitely better off under the Government's $3.6 billion investment in employment services and support.'"
My Comment
OK folks, do the maths. As far as I can see, no-one will be infinitely better off. Some may be 5-10% better off. So is it ACOSS figures we can't trust, or the Government?Sunday, October 16, 2005
Disabled people stopped from working
Discrimination and inflexible workplaces are preventing disabled people from working, a new report shows.
The report, commissioned by the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS), has found most disabled people would like to work part-time, but think it is unlikely employers will give them the flexibility they need.
They also say that Centrelink is largely unhelpful and that moving from the Newstart Allowance - when they are required to look for work - onto the Disability Support Pension (DSP) is a great relief.
'Most felt that they would be able to cope with formal part-time employment if employers were more flexible,' the report's authors said.
'This would involve employers taking account of their disability and allowing them to rest during the day when they needed to and to take whole days off when they could not contemplate going to work,' they said."
Its not rocket science is it? I hear this report from motivated people I interview every day I work. The problem is employer attitude.
The report, commissioned by the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS), has found most disabled people would like to work part-time, but think it is unlikely employers will give them the flexibility they need.
They also say that Centrelink is largely unhelpful and that moving from the Newstart Allowance - when they are required to look for work - onto the Disability Support Pension (DSP) is a great relief.
'Most felt that they would be able to cope with formal part-time employment if employers were more flexible,' the report's authors said.
'This would involve employers taking account of their disability and allowing them to rest during the day when they needed to and to take whole days off when they could not contemplate going to work,' they said."
Comment
Its not rocket science is it? I hear this report from motivated people I interview every day I work. The problem is employer attitude.
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