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2014/14: Should it be made more difficult for young, unemployed Australians to access Newstart and Youth Allowance?
Introduction to the media issue
Video clip at right:On September 30, 2014, Channel Ten News ran a report on the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights’ finding that six months’ delay before receiving unemployment benefits breaches Australia’s human rights commitments. The report includes comments from those with a range of views on the issue. If you cannot see this clip, it will be because video is blocked by your network. To view the clip, access from home or from a public library, or from another network which allows viewing of video clips.
What they said...
'These changes are going to unleash terrible suffering. We are going to have more people begging in the streets'
Dr Alan Morris, sociologist in urban studies, University of Technology, Sydney
'There are no free lunches; that's what we must be saying to people in this space'
Ewen Jones, Coalition backbencher
The issue at a glance In May, 2014 budget the federal government foreshadowed a significant number of changes to the way in which the unemployed would be treated.
From January 2015, new jobseekers under 30 will have to wait up to six months before receiving unemployment benefits. After six months of benefits, if an unemployed person has still not found work, he or she will have to wait a further six months before benefits are restored.
The unemployed will also have to participate in an extended Work for the Dole scheme. From July 2015, unemployed people under the age of 30 will be required to do 25 hours of unpaid labour a week for six months. Those between 30 and 49 will do 15 hours.
The jobless will also be asked to apply for 40 jobs a month, double the current requirement.
Also from next year, unemployed people under 25 will no longer qualify for Newstart and instead will have to apply for the lower benefit rate of Youth Allowance. This reduces their allowance by approximately $100 a fortnight. Youth Allowance will also be accessed under these same six months off, six months on, six months off provisions.
The changes are estimated to save the Government $1.2 billion over the four-year forward estimates period.
They have met with immediate opposition from the Labor Opposition, the Greens, numerous Independents and a range of welfare bodies dealing with the unemployed.
On September 30, 2014, a joint parliamentary committee released a report stating that the federal government's budget proposal that those under 30 be denied unemployment or Youth Allowance payments for up to six months was in contravention of Australia's human rights undertakings.
The report states, '[T]he committee considers that the measure is incompatible with the right to social security and the right to an adequate standard of living.'
The same judgement was made regarding the proposal to have those aged between 22 and 25 access Newstart rather than Youth Allowance.