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Welfare to Work update
National backbenchers are taking credit for today's changes to the Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Welfare to Work and other Measures) Bill 2005. Others are claiming the backdown on welfare 'doesn't go far enough'. Webdiarists, add to this update with your information, links and comments.
Hon Kevin Andrews MPMinister for Employment and Workplace Relations Hon Peter DuttonMinister for Workforce Participation 08 November, 2005 Joint Media Release Providing parents with the support and assistance they need to workThe Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews, said today single parents claiming income support from 1 July 2006 can stay on Parenting Payment for an extra two years before they switch to Newstart Allowance or other appropriate payment. Parents will still commence their part time participation requirements when their youngest child turns six, but will remain on Parenting Payment until their youngest child turns eight. "Along with an extra 86,000 child care places and an additional $283 million for employment related services, the Howard Government is confident these new eligibility rules will support the transition of parent from welfare to financial independence", Mr Andrews said. The Government’s welfare to work reforms will provide parents with the support and practical assistance they need to combine work and their family responsibilities. The Minister for Workforce Participation, Peter Dutton said moving from welfare to work helps people achieve higher incomes and a better standard of living, participate in mainstream social and economic life and achieve a better future for their families. As originally announced, recipients on Parenting Payment Single immediately before 1 July 2006 can remain on that payment until their youngest child turns 16, so long as they remain eligible for that payment. The eligibility rules for Parenting Payment are unchanged. |
Hon Kevin Andrews MPMinister for Employment and Workplace Relations Hon Peter DuttonMinister for Workforce Participation 08 November, 2005 Joint Media Release Parents with exemptions to receive special income supplementThe Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Kevin Andrews and the Minister for Workforce Participation, Peter Dutton announced today automatic participation exemptions for principal carers who are registered and active foster carers and those providing home schooling or facilitating distance education. In granting an automatic exemption to these parents, the Howard Government is recognizing the special contribution they are making in their community. Sole parents in these categories will also receive a higher rate of Newstart Allowance/Youth Allowance payment, that tops up their income support payment to the equivalent of the Parenting Payment Single rate. This supplement recognises that these parents are not in a position to undertake paid work. Exemptions will be reviewable at least every 52 weeks and parents will still be required to register with an employment service. If they wish to voluntarily seek work while exempt, they will be able to access the same assistance and employment services as other parents. "The exemptions and supplement are in recognition of the fact that these single parents are choosing to perform ongoing and significantly valued tasks over and above those normally involved in parenting and caring", the Ministers said. |
Hon Kevin Andrews MPMinister for Employment and Workplace Relations Hon Peter DuttonMinister for Workforce Participation 08 November, 2005 Joint Media Release Suitable jobs test for parentsThe Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews and the Minister for Workforce Participation, Peter Dutton, confirmed today that under Welfare to Work measures, parents will not have to accept unsuitable jobs. As well as the current safeguards for all jobseekers spelt out in social security law on the issue of what constitutes an unsuitable job, there will be extra safeguards in law and policy guidelines for parents who are jobseekers. From 1 July 2006 those principal carer parents with part time requirements will have to seek work of at least 15 hours a week. Working for 15 hours per week fully meets participation requirements. Parents will not have to accept a job if there is no appropriate schooling or outside school hours care available at the times they are expected to undertake the work, or if the costs of outside school hours care make the job financially unviable. Nor will parents have to accept a job if the travel to and from the place of employment is unreasonably difficult, that is, if it is too long or expensive. The guidelines to the Act will state that a general travel time rule of more than 60 minutes is to be considered unsuitable for commuting between home and work and vice versa. The job seeker will be not be required to accept job offers exceeding the 60 minute travel rule. Job seekers will also not be expected to take a job if their travel costs are likely to exceed 10% of their gross wage. It is ridiculous for Labor to claim that parents will be told to accept jobs where their children will be left unsupervised, or where the costs of caring for their children or travelling means the job results in very low or negative financial gain. This will not be the case.
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National Council of Single Mothers and their Children Inc.Media Release Fairness requires no single parent payment cutsSingle parents should not be forced onto lower payments because their child is eight, or because they are not foster parents or home-schoolers or distance educators. The Convenor of National Council of Single Mothers and their Children, Dr Elspeth McInnes called on the government to be fair to all single parent families and retain current payment levels rather than dividing families in similar circumstances into groups marked out for higher and lower payments. Dr McInnes welcomed today's announced adjustments, which will bring relief from payment cuts for some sole parents, but noted that many families would receive less support than others in similar circumstances for arbitrary reasons, such as the date of payment claim. 'NCSMC calls on the government to maintain current rates and conditions for sole parents and people with disabilities, and to further invest in access to education and training for people with outdated or undeveloped skills to demonstrate good faith in the claimed agenda to help people from welfare to work,' said Dr McInnes. 'The protections from being forced into a job without suitable care or schooling for children are welcome, as are the caps on travel costs and time and childcare costs, but there are still real concerns about the cuts to payments and reduced allowable retained earnings for many families who won't fit neatly into the protections as defined,' said Dr McInnes. Vulnerable families and individuals should not be used as 'policy canaries' to highlight circumstances of unfairness and hardship, she said. The Newstart Allowance was designed for the short-term income support of individuals without significant caring or health or disability issues seeking full-time employment, said Dr McInnes. Trying to make the payment fit the needs of people with family obligations, health and/or disability issues and with part-time or intermittent availability linked to these circumstances is going to be a continuing problem. ENDS |
National Foundation for Australian WomenMedia Statement Welfare to Work changes: and that's all there is?'Women's organisations are astonished and shocked that the Government has decided to proceed with its harsh income security changes with absolutely no reference to the needs of women with disabilities', NFAW spokeswoman Marie Coleman said today. "The changes announced today for modifications for sole parents go no further than the earlier announcements by the Prime Minister. "Clearly the arrangements for finding suitable work, and finding suitable child care, do reflect the lobbying of the National party" Mrs Coleman added. 'We are nonetheless appalled at the lack of regard of these policies for the increase in child poverty which will inevitably follow. "The Government is unbelievably heartless when it comes to people with disabilities. Failure to address income losses in the order of 20% is absolutely astonishing. This is the more so when questioning in Senate Estimates has made it clear that the development to date of the work capacity assessment tool leaves the way open for inappropriate and unjust treatment of people whose disabilities are complex and unstable. " We know the governments of Australia have demonstrably failed people with mental health problems. This policy will compound that failure. "The refusal to address the issue of the newly approved disincentive to work- that it, the high Effective Marginal Tax rates is almost beyond belief. 'We have no doubt that taking today's announcements into account alongside the changes already announced to Industrial relations laws, including the abolition of unfair dismissal provisions, we can now see a bleak future indeed for Australian women with special needs.' The What Women Want consortium, representing over 60 national women's organisations, with a constituency of around 3 million women, will be considering these issues at its workshop on November 11, in Canberra. Further information: Marie Coleman, NFAW |
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re: Welfare to Work update
From WA Greens Senator, Rachel Siewert:
re: Welfare to Work update
Good to see the Right Honourable Judi Moylan sticking up for the battlers her/our fearless leader claims to champion - see Liberal MP still unhappy with welfare-work plan and Coalition brawl over welfare-to-work bill.
Go Moylan. I say it (albeit to the wind) again: JUDI MOYLAN FOR PRIME MINISTER.