>Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 23:26:55 +1000 (EST) >X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Unverified) >Mime-Version: 1.0 >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Bill Bartlett) >Subject: [workfare] welfare system penalties TRANSCRIPT >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >This is from yesterday... >(Bill) > >Australian Broadcasting Corporation > >The 7.30 Report Transcript > >27/03/00 > >ACOSS concern over welfare system penalties > >KERRY O'BRIEN: With hundreds of thousands of >unemployed Australians still relying on the >dole for basic food and shelter, the Federal >Government is keen to keep the system tight >and abuse to a minimum. > >But the Australian Council of Social >Services -- ACOSS -- has expressed concern >that in its zeal to do the right thing by >taxpayers, the Government is going too far, >with what it says is a harsh system of >monetary penalties for minor administrative >breaches. > >The penalties at times reach hundreds, even >thousands, of dollars for failure to perform >stipulated tasks, for people who are >struggling to make ends meet in the most >basic ways. > >ACOSS claims the Government is saving nearly >$70 million, but, in the process, hurting >the most vulnerable. > >The Government says it is just doing its bit >to protect taxpayers' funds. > >David Hardaker with this report. > >SUSAN: For the past three days, I've been >living on, say, $10 worth of food. > >DAVID HARDAKER: Susan lives literally from >one week to the next. > >SUSAN: I got my last $8 out on EFTPOS. > >DAVID HARDAKER: Between jobs, she relies on >the $380/fortnight she receives from the >Government. > >SUSAN: I pay $130 a week rent. > >DAVID HARDAKER: It's a fine line, as she >discovered when she was told she'd breached >her obligations and would have her payments >docked by 18 per cent. > >SUSAN: Minus $21.44. > >DAVID HARDAKER: You'd actually be in the red >if you were penalised? > >SUSAN: I'd be in the black zone. > >Like it doesn't even exist. > >Yeah, in the red. > >DAVID HARDAKER: There are hundreds of >thousands of people around Australia who, >like Susan, rely on Government assistance. > >They receive an unemployment benefit as long >as they're making a genuine effort to find >work or get themselves ready for work. > >If they don't make that effort, then the >Government agency Centrelink can rule >they've committed a breach. > >That means they lose a percentage of their >payments for a number of weeks. > >MICHAEL RAPER, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL >SERVICE: The penalties are far too severe. > >If you're going to have them, they ought to >be balanced with the offence that people are >committing. > >We're not talking fraud here, we're talking >about people who don't get to fulfil an >activity test requirement or don't turn up >at Centrelink on time for an interview. > >DAVID HARDAKER: ACOSS has completed research >which it claims has revealed a harsh regime. > >MICHAEL RAPER: Centrelink is currently >breaching very vulnerable people, unemployed >people in the system, at the rate of 220,000 >breaches per year. > >It shows that the most vulnerable people, >young people under 24 and Aborigines, are >breached much more often than anyone else. > >It shows that the fines are incredibly >disproportionate with the offence, double >what magistrates hand out for drink driving, >high levels of alcohol. > >LARRY ANTHONY, COMMUNITY SERVICES MINISTER: >A lot of this happens if you don't fill out >your job diary correctly, if you're not >declaring income, if you're not turning up >to appointments, and there's a consistent >pattern, yes, you will be subject to it. > >I don't think it's unreasonable that >taxpayers want to ensure there's integrity >in the system and that job seekers are >genuine. > >And there is flexibility within the system >by Centrelink to do that. > >TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT: Connecting the >right person with the right job hasn't >always been easy. > >DAVID HARDAKER: Questions about the fairness >of Centrelink's actions are now being asked >by others, including employment agencies, >who are concerned that some unemployed >people are being punished when they don't >fully understand the rules. > >DAVID THOMPSON, JOBS AUSTRALIA LIMITED: >Those people that are very clever at using >the system and flouting the system will >eventually, presumably, be caught by the >system, but there's a lot of innocent >bystanders getting caught at the moment. > >DAVID HARDAKER: One of those is Susan. > >To get her benefit, she had to a seminar on >putting together a resume. > >But she'd already had a resume so she was >given permission to skip the seminar. > >Despite this, Centrelink ruled she'd >committed a breach. > >DAVID HARDAKER: So how did that strike you? > >SUSAN: Absurd, because I understood >everything was OK. > >I saw it there in red felt pen, OK. > >So when I was breached later, six weeks >later, I didn't understand why. > >DAVID HARDAKER: The Minister, Mr Anthony, >says there is an avenue for appeal. > >LARRY ANTHONY: Well, you've got to >understand that with all the appeals, less >than 1 per cent of the appeals are >overturned. > >To me that indicates that the judgments that >Centrelink case officers are making are >correct. > >Now, if there is a problem that you have, >you go back to your Centrelink officer, you >speak to that person, there is then a review >within Centrelink by an authorised review >officer. > >DAVID HARDAKER: Susan eventually had the >decision changed, but it wasn't easy. > >SUSAN: I rang Centrelink straight away and >said I didn't understand. > >They said, "Well, you received a letter." > >I said, "No, I didn't receive any letter." > >They then said, "We'll get someone to call >you because we have to organise for you to >come and have an interview and get the >breach lifted." > >And then they said, "I'll organise for >somebody from your Centrelink office to call >you at 2.35," which was on the next day. > >"If they don't call within a 15-minute >window period, then give us a call." > >I said, "Look, this isn't good enough. > >Who can I complain to?" > >They gave me a number to make a complaint. > >DAVID HARDAKER: If a tertiary-educated woman >like Susan has this much difficulty, what >about others? > >MICHAEL RAPER: Many of these people are not >able to do that. > >They're homeless, they're drug dependent, >they're on the fringes, they don't have the >literacy skills, the numeracy skills, they >don't have the language, they're of >Non-English Speaking Background. > >DAVID HARDAKER: Michael Raper claims >Centrelink now has a culture of hurting >rather than helping the unemployed, in the >process, pushing some over the brink. > >LARRY ANTHONY: I think there is a >substantial change happening for Centrelink. > >Of course ACOSS always wants more, and >that's their role to do that, but there are >changes happening and they're positive >changes. > >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[ABC Online Home] > >© 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation > > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > Workfare-defeat: a list for discussion about the international > resistance to workfare To subscribe, post to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> with > "subscribe workfare-defeat" in the BODY of the message > ** This material may be freely distributed, provided this ** > ** footer is included in full. ** >
