25 November 2021, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here.
Those experiencing homelessness, living with disability or who are Indigenous hardest hit under Centrelink’s mutual obligation regime
Tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness, living with disabilities or who are Indigenous are being disproportionately affected by welfare payment suspensions under the mutual obligation regime, government data shows.
The data, reported to federal parliament by the employment department, comes as a separate study by the charity Anglicare suggests most jobseekers believe mutual obligation is doing little to help them find work.
To keep their payments, jobseekers must attend appointments with privatised employment service providers and log their efforts to apply for as many as 20 jobs a month.
They were getting in the way of voluntary work, getting in the way of them doing meaningful training, they were even getting in the way of people starting small businesses.
– Anglicare Chief Executive, Kasy Chambers on mutual obligationsParticipation requirements welfare recipients must fulfil each month to continue...
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.