>From The Australian, at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/index.asp?URL=/national/4213910.htm Older jobless to work for dole 31jan99 THE Howard Government is set to expand its work for the dole scheme to unemployed people aged under 40. The move will dramatically increase the number of jobless people covered by the scheme � which is currently limited to 18 to 24-year-olds. Senior Government sources have confirmed that the move to increase the age coverage is under active consideration. They say there is no reason why the concept of mutual obligation cannot be extended up the age range to include jobless people under the age of 40. Sources say the Government will also consider including older unemployed in Prime Minister John Howard's tough new literacy and numeracy tests. Under the plan, unemployed young people will lose their right to full dole payments if they cannot read and write properly and refuse to take part in remedial courses. But sources say any decision to include the older unemployed in the new tests is more likely to be phased in after the work for the dole scheme is extended to 40-year-olds. Latest unemployment statistics show there are 450,216 unemployed people under the age of 40. Of these, 182,559 are aged 18 to 24 � about 10 per cent of whom have taken part in work for the dole projects. The Government believes the work for the dole scheme is electorally popular and its expansion will be well received. Expanding the scheme to older unemployed people will mean they will be eligible to take part in community projects such as landscaping, tourism projects and restoration of the environment. At present, 18 to 24-year-olds who have been unemployed for more than six months are given the option to work for the dole as part of the Government's mutual obligation approach. The Government says surveys of the 18,000 young people who have taken part in the scheme show an 80 per cent satisfaction rating with 30 per cent of them going on to employment or further training. Employment Services Minister Tony Abbott yesterday refused to comment on future Government plans. But in the face of criticism of the new literacy and numeracy tests from church and welfare groups, he strongly defended work for the dole and the new moves. "Mutual obligation is not about beating up on the unemployed," he said. "It is helping them to re-integrate into Australian society. "It is about a social compact and about society doing more for the unemployed. "It is about the government and society giving the unemployed the help they need to become first class citizens, to re-enter the mainstream through work." Prime Minister Howard confirmed on Thursday that the Government was looking at ways to extend the scheme. "Further work is being undertaken on improving compliance and extending the coverage of mutual obligation," he said.
