UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS – GOVERNMENT POLICY – AUSTRALIA

No surplus sacrifice for dole boost

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Jul-19

The federal government is resisting pressure from welfare groups and unions to increase the Newstart allowance by $75 a week. The Treasury estimates that this would cost $12.5bn over four years and $39bn over a decade, and it would slash the projected Budget surplus for 2019-20. Labor has also called for Newstart to be increased, although it has not nominated a figure. Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says the government’s priority is getting people off welfare and into the workforce, and notes that Labor has opposed or criticised all of the Coalition’s employment programs.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, NATIONAL SENIORS AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Labor flags the end of Work for Dole

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Eryk Bagshaw
The Age – Page: 8 : 2-Nov-18

Labor’s employment services spokeswoman Terri Butler has queried whether the $65 million spent each year on the "Work for the Dole" program is money well spent. There are claims that the program does not have a high success rate in terms of participants finding jobs, and that participants have been put into unsafe workplaces. As well as signs that Labor may scrap the scheme if it wins the next federal election, there are indications that it may cancel employment services contracts under the federal government’s $7.3 billion Jobactive program.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICES ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS

Rise for $38-a-day Newstart ruled out

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-Sep-16

It is estimated that about 770,000 people currently receive the Newstart payment, and the Australian Council of Social Service advocates increasing it by $A53 a week. However, Social Services Minister Christian Porter has rejected calls for an increase in Newstart, arguing that while the base payment is set at $A38 per day, the majority of recipients also receive other welfare payments. Porter has also defended the Budget measure which requires people to wait four weeks before being eligible to claim the Newstart allowance.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

PM wavers on benefits

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 31-Jul-14

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey have signalled their willingness to make changes to the proposed reform of unemployment benefits. The original proposal has been criticised as too harsh. Peter Strong, CEO of the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia, said the requirement for 40 job applications per month would create an administrative nightmare

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED