According to a Herald Sun report, Newstart Allowance recipients have been exploiting a loophole in the system that allows them to refuse jobs without losing welfare payments.
The current system allows a Newstart Allowance recipient to turn down a job and to continue receiving payments so long as they add a small work-for-the-dole component to their program.
In 2015, 1412 penalties were applied to dole recipients that denied a job with an excuse that was considered unacceptable. Only 378 of the 1412 were actually served with penalties, with the other recipients able to avoid the penalties by exploiting the loophole.
There is currently a bill before the Senate to close this waiver loophole.
“There are loopholes in the system that are allowing some to get away with making insufficient or inadequate job search efforts without good reason,’’ said Employment Minister Michaelia Cash.
“Australia’s income support system is there as a safety net for people who genuinely cannot find a job – not as an option for those who refuse to work. Australians who pay taxes to fund our welfare system expect there to be safeguards to ensure that those who can work do work,” she said.
What do you think? Should welfare recipients have the right to decline a job they feel doesn’t suit them or their circumstances? Or should they simply be happy to have a job?
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