Stories
We have published a number of stories from Antipoverty Centre surveys, the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union review app, news media and other sources on this site and will be adding to these over time to create an archive of material demonstrating the harms caused by “mutual” obligations and employment services providersCompliance with “mutual” obligations is enforced by outsourced employment se....
Staff review: Thrown in the deep end
Report finds jobactive program a failure
28 June 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. New employment services…
Government storing sensitive data without consent
25 July 2022, Vice Australia, John Buckley. Access the full article here. Ensnared in controversy…
Providers police welfare recipients and provide no support
Welfare system puts disadvantaged at risk, ombudsman
13 March 2023, Guardian Australia, Paul Karp. Access the full article here. <span class="glossary-tooltip glossary-term-897"…
Analysis: In Australia’s welfare sector obligations are ‘mutual’, but profits flow only one way
6 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. As jobseekers face…
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‘It isn’t working’: the government’s Workforce Australia launch derailed by outages and errors
5 July 2022, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. Australians who risk losing welfare payments if they don’t fulfil Workforce Australia’s requirements were unable to access the service at launch. The rollout of the federal government’s new unemployment services program, Workforce Australia, has…
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‘Where is their obligation to us?’ Unemployed workers protest the Albanese government’s new welfare obligations
1 June 2022, Crikey, Cam Wilson. Access the full article here. For unemployed workers who are soon to be included in a new mutual obligationParticipation requirements welfare recipients must fulfil each month to continue... scheme, there’s no honeymoon period for the Albanese government. Undeterred by a drizzly Sydney day, a group of protesters led…
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Punished for studying
11 August 2022, ABC News, Evan Young and Norman Hermant. Access the full article here. Students receiving JobSeeker Centrelink payments say they’re being ‘penalised’ for studying Rebekah Maslen has been working hard to prepare herself for a new career. The Ocean Grove-based student is completing a…
Employment services survey
The Punishment for Profit report is based on hundreds of responses to surveys conducted by the Antipoverty Centre. This research is ongoing. If you are in Workforce Australia, Disability Employment Services or a similar program, we welcome any information you are able to share about your experiences.