29 August 2020, The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton. Access the full article here. Government policies have seen the ‘unemployment industry’ paid millions during the pandemic, while jobless rates soar. When Employment Minister Michaelia Cash approved an advance payment worth more than $100 million for private job agencies to cover administration fees early in the coronavirus …
4 July 2022, Vice Australia, John Buckley. Access the full article here. A new employment services platform is suggesting some job seekers apply for jobs out of state, for those who can access the service at all Countless Australian job seekers could find themselves facing payment delays for not reporting to Centrelink, after technical difficulties …
Australian government makes life hell for poor people Read More »
25 July 2022, Vice Australia, John Buckley. Access the full article here. Ensnared in controversy since launch, Workforce Australia continues to be a source of fear and distress for jobseekers around the country Over the last fortnight, several jobseekers have tried to contact support staff at the government’s new employment services platform, Workforce Australia, to …
Government storing sensitive data without consent Read More »
5 October 2021, Guardian Australia, Lysa Llyod. Access the full article here. Life for those of us on welfare benefits holds little hope. If our society can’t look after its most vulnerable, maybe it needs to be torn down or the past six years, I haven’t had more than $500 in my savings account at …
6 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. As jobseekers face ‘humiliating’ tasks to maintain payments, vast network of job agencies rakes in hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars Two words make the money go round in Australia’s multi-billion dollar welfare-to-work industry: mutual obligationParticipation requirements welfare recipients must fulfil each month …
17 January 2023, Guardian Australia, Stephanie Convery. Access the full article here. Participant in BusyBeans program told the disability royal commission the training left her with a ‘broken life’ A company that received nearly $1m in federal government funding has been advised by the disability royal commission to apologise and make appropriate redress to a …
19 September 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Latest Department of Social Services figures highlight the difficulties facing those who do not qualify for disability support – despite health problems Near-record levels of people on the jobseeker payment are sick or have a disability, with more than 350,000 people on the …
Social Services data shows 50% of jobseekers can’t work full-time Read More »
7 September 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Woman says job agency administering program also asked her to attend face-to-face meeting after major surgery Single mothers have told of having to miss paid work to attend a ParentsNextA “pre employment” program targeting single parents with children under the age … appointment …
Single mum made to skip work to attend job agency Read More »
28 June 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. New employment services system should end activities that are unproductive and scrap automatic payment suspensions, Acoss report says Jobseekers are dissatisfied with the poor quality service and punitive treatment they’ve received under a $1bn-a-year privatised employment services program, according to a new report. …
24 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union survey reveals challenges for those seeking work, from lack of information to unreasonable demands Jobseekers have reported broad confusion about the new Workforce Australia system – including among the employment consultants tasked with running it – with some asked …
22 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Multiple complaints of baffling and unrealistic requirements have been reported as being set by employment agencies under the new program To go to work, or to attend an appointment to “find” work – that’s the question one worker is asking himself under the …
Job seeker forced to reject work to make job agency meetings Read More »