It would be nice if there could be a debate on whether or not the Newstart allowance is adequate without having to endure generalist comments about people being on the dole through laziness.
Most people lucky enough to be gainfully employed don’t realise that they’re one bad decision, or stroke of bad luck, away from having to live on $249 a week.
It’s an insult to anyone with bills to pay and children to feed to suggest they’re on some kind of extended, government-paid holiday.
The reality is days spent looking for work and enduring rejection and having to satisfy tedious Centrelink requirements — which include job network appointments.
Then there’s the gamble of living off your credit card in the hope that the elusive job will come before you reach your credit limit. Newstart is totally inadequate. However, raising it isn’t the answer to helping people re-enter the workforce.
What the government should do is raise the amount people can earn through part-time work without it impacting on their Newstart allowance.
The government should also fund training to everyone, not just those coming off a low base. At the moment you only get funding if your training is at a higher level than what you’ve already achieved.
This means if you have a degree you can’t receive funding for another degree qualification, diploma or certificate to help re-enter the workforce in a different guise. The job networks’ so-called employment pathways should include appropriate course placement.
If the recipient embarks on approved training or an apprenticeship relevant to that pathway, they should receive a significant increase to their Newstart allowance while they study.
How can you begrudge anyone that?
