Australian Politics Forum - TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments

imcrookonit

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TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
May 5^th, 2011 at 6:49am

TEENAGE parents will lose welfare payments as soon as six months after the birth of their child under a "tough love" scheme in the Federal Budget.

The move is designed to tackle the endemic problem of Australia's 11,000 teenage parents being stuck in a life of welfare dependency.

Under a trial scheme to be announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard today, teenage parents risk losing payments of up to $625.90 a fortnight from January 1, 2012, if they fail to meet new study and work requirements.

The move is part of a series of Budget measures to force people off welfare and help create some of the 500,000 new jobs promised by the Government.

Queensland has 3186 teenage parents, which is a higher proportion than other states and almost the same number as in New South Wales.

The scheme will be trialled in 10 centres around Australia, with one in Brisbane and one in regional Queensland.

The scheme will impose much tougher mutual obligation requirements on teenagers than older parents who receive welfare payments to create opportunities for young parents.

Centrelink data shows more than 80 per cent of teenage parents have not completed Year 12 and about half have been on welfare for at least a year before giving birth.

Only 6 per cent of teenage parents earn some income from work and only 15 per cent study while receiving welfare payments.

At the moment parents face requirements to look for work when their child turns six but the government fears this is too long to wait for teenagers who may be in their mid 20s before they consider finishing school.

Under the trial, teenage parents will be forced to plan education and work activities when their baby turns six months old and must return to study by the time the child is 12 months old.

Parents will be forced to finish school or study vocational courses.

They will also have to enrol their children in preschool in a move designed to stop a cycle of disadvantage.

The move comes after Deloitte Access Economics predicted the Budget bottom line would be about $19 billion worse than previously thought across this year and next.

The forecasters predicted a $51.4 billion deficit in 2010-11 and $21.7 billion next year, returning to a $710 million surplus by the Government's target of 2012-13.

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imcrookonit Ex Member	Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments Reply #1 - May 5^th, 2011 at 6:52am I wonder if we should still dish out the baby bonus to them. What do you think Verge?.
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Kat Gold Member Offline Socialism IS the answer. Posts: 17709 Everywhere and no-where Gender:	Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments Reply #2 - May 5^th, 2011 at 8:33am As the useless cow gets it wrong yet AGAIN. The G-G should sack her, NOW. And, if not, the G-G needs to be sacked. (Yes, I KNOW that can only be done by the Queen. Doesn't mean it shouldn't happen).
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mavisdavis

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #3 - May 5^th, 2011 at 8:44am

Gough Witless laid the foundation stones for the development of a totally welfare dependant underclass, the ALP has since then, compounded the problem. The ALP`s creation, and propogation of the great masses of welfare dependant "living dead", was originally designed to ensure an almost 100% ALP voting base. This was/is one of the most brutal and senseless, self serving acts of our history.

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Ex Dame Pansi

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #4 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:19am

It all adds up.

The highest unemployment is among this age group. They cut the unemployment figures by about 25%.

No payments, no jobs....pushing to up the armed forces numbers, they'll take anyone. They're in desperate need of new rape victims after the bad rap of late.

Do the breastfeeding mums get to take their babies to war? Prams on the front line? although some of those prams are built like tanks.

Oh! the poor grannies, having the next generation forced on them.

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andrei said: Great isn't it? Seeing boatloads of what is nothing more than human garbage turn up.....

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Kat

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #5 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:19am

mavisdavis wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 8:44am:

Gough Witless laid the foundation stones for the development of a totally welfare dependant underclass, the ALP has since then, compounded the problem. The ALP`s creation, and propogation of the great masses of welfare dependant "living dead", was originally designed to ensure an almost 100% ALP voting base. This was/is one of the most brutal and senseless, self serving acts of our history.

No.

Welfare was there LONG before Whitlam came to power.

The REAL issue is that society has become FAR more greedy and
selfish, and far less caring than was the case in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

And it now thinks that the poor are somehow 'undeserving', or
that being poor is somehow the poor's own fault.

It is wrong. Very wrong. And I hope I live to see the day when
that attitude comes back to bite society with a vengeance.

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mavisdavis

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #6 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:28am

Kat wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 9:19am:

mavisdavis wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 8:44am:

Gough Witless laid the foundation stones for the development of a totally welfare dependant underclass, the ALP has since then, compounded the problem. The ALP`s creation, and propogation of the great masses of welfare dependant "living dead", was originally designed to ensure an almost 100% ALP voting base. This was/is one of the most brutal and senseless, self serving acts of our history.

No.

Welfare was there LONG before Whitlam came to power.

The REAL issue is that society has become FAR more greedy and
selfish, and far less caring than was the case in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

And it now thinks that the poor are somehow 'undeserving', or
that being poor is somehow the poor's own fault.

It is wrong. Very wrong. And I hope I live to see the day when
that attitude comes back to bite society with a vengeance.

Kat, the ALP grew the population of the permanently unemployable. They, for their own political purposes, greatly magnified the ranks of the "living dead".

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Equitist

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #7 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:30am

There was a time, when a man's wage could support a whole family - with little or no Govt subsidies...

There came a time, when employers and Govts colluded to create a situation whereby remuneration was no longer set at a level that would provide a 'living wage' for a whole family...

Over time it came to pass, that wages were paid on the assumption of providing for the individual wage earner...

Eventually it came to be, that wages were paid on the expectation that the Govt would pick up the tab to cover the gap betwixt what employers were prepared to pay to workers - and what workers and their families needed to survive...

Check out the big business union and right wing think tank submissions to Howard/Costello's so-called 'Fair Pay Commission' and Rudd/Gillard's replacement body - and you will see that these sections of our economy actively and self-servingly promote the use of welfare payments to subsidise below-subsistence wages...

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Equitist

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #8 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:35am

mavisdavis wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 9:28am:

Kat, the ALP grew the population of the permanently unemployable. They, for their own political purposes, greatly magnified the ranks of the "living dead".

So, Mavis, what did Howard and Costello do in the 12 years of record boom time that they were at the helm - why didn't they remedy the issues you claim were caused by their Lab predecessors!?

What did the Libs do, to improve the education and training opportunities of those you mention - and to prevent the associated skills shortages!?

Why did the Libs reduce Govt funding for public education and training, increase the number of fee-paying students (including foreign ones) and increase the importation of foreign workers!?

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Lamenting the shift in the Australian psyche, away from the egalitarian ideal of the fair-go - and the rise of short-sighted pollies, who worship the 'Growth Fairy' and seek to divide and conquer!

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mavisdavis

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #9 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:40am

Equitist wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 9:35am:

mavisdavis wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 9:28am:

Kat, the ALP grew the population of the permanently unemployable. They, for their own political purposes, greatly magnified the ranks of the "living dead".

So, Mavis, what did Howard and Costello do in the 12 years of record boom time that they were at the helm - why didn't they remedy the issues you claim were caused by their Lab predecessors!?

What did the Libs do, to improve the education and training opportunities of those you mention - and to prevent the associated skills shortages!?

Why did the Libs reduce Govt funding for public education and training, increase the number of fee-paying students (including foreign ones) and increase the importation of foreign workers!?

It`s not an issue of skills shortages, it`s an issue of "generational motivational defecit", I don`t know what you expected Howard to do about this entrenched problem? Soak dole cheques in rat poison perhaps?

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mavisdavis

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #10 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:42am

Equitist wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 9:30am:

There was a time, when a man's wage could support a whole family - with little or no Govt subsidies...

There came a time, when employers and Govts colluded to create a situation whereby remuneration was no longer set at a level that would provide a 'living wage' for a whole family...

Over time it came to pass, that wages were paid on the assumption of providing for the individual wage earner...

Eventually it came to be, that wages were paid on the expectation that the Govt would pick up the tab to cover the gap betwixt what employers were prepared to pay to workers - and what workers and their families needed to survive...

Check out the big business union and right wing think tank submissions to Howard/Costello's so-called 'Fair Pay Commission' and Rudd/Gillard's replacement body - and you will see that these sections of our economy actively and self-servingly promote the use of welfare payments to subsidise below-subsistence wages...

Us women were the silly ones who demanded to be thrown into the slave machine. Big business is still laughing!

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Equitist

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #11 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:46am

mavisdavis wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 9:40am:

Equitist wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 9:35am:

mavisdavis wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 9:28am:

Kat, the ALP grew the population of the permanently unemployable. They, for their own political purposes, greatly magnified the ranks of the "living dead".

So, Mavis, what did Howard and Costello do in the 12 years of record boom time that they were at the helm - why didn't they remedy the issues you claim were caused by their Lab predecessors!?

What did the Libs do, to improve the education and training opportunities of those you mention - and to prevent the associated skills shortages!?

Why did the Libs reduce Govt funding for public education and training, increase the number of fee-paying students (including foreign ones) and increase the importation of foreign workers!?

It`s not an issue of skills shortages, it`s an issue of "generational motivational defecit", I don`t know what you expected Howard to do about this entrenched problem? Soak dole cheques in rat poison perhaps?

Howard and Costello presided over a record boom period: they had ample resources available to them to plan for the future - by improving the quality and quantity of education and training for millions of low-skilled Aussies - yet they squandered the opportunity on cynical vote-buying WEALTHfare and high-end tax cuts...and imported record numbers of non-English-speaking foreign workers and fee-paying students!

Try as you might, you cannot erase from history, the socio-economically-reckless culpability of Howard and Costello...

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Lamenting the shift in the Australian psyche, away from the egalitarian ideal of the fair-go - and the rise of short-sighted pollies, who worship the 'Growth Fairy' and seek to divide and conquer!

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LifeMasque

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #12 - May 5^th, 2011 at 9:52am

Well, the Howard govt led to the enormous number of people on DSPs, anything to get unemployed figures down.

Personally, I'd rather kids had their mum than daycare. You don't get love in daycare. Kindness maybe, but not love.

Right about the living wage of old. My mum's parents brought up 7 girls and 3 boys on the one wage. Of course there was no such thing as working class home ownership then. They always lived in rented places, but then rent was about 10 to 20% of my grandad's wage, not the 50-60% it is now.

d.

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Equitist Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 9632 NSW	Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments Reply #13 - May 5^th, 2011 at 10:26am I am relived that Gillard has just announced further details on the proposals - including that this will be trialled at 10 sites first - and that this will be part of a far more comprehensive program than had been reported up-front...
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Verge

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Re: TEENAGE parents Could lose welfare payments
Reply #14 - May 5^th, 2011 at 10:49am

Jesus, its hard enough dealing with a 5 month old.

My wife is raising our daughter, spending countless hours with her on her development and wellbeing, does the 3am feed every night and looks after our house.

If anyone out of us has a full time job its her. Kids are hard work, you cant just stick them in a chair and disappear for the day.

My wife would spend hours a day with her on things like reading to her, and managing her development in things like strength etc.

I think its good they want to help teenage mums get an education, but threatening to take welfare off them in exchange for it is obsurd. I dont see them doing it to any other group.

Just another government attack on a soft target. Anyone who undervalues the work of a mother needs a solid kick in the backside.

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And why not, if you will permit me; why shouldn’t I, if you will permit me; spend my first week as prime minister, should that happen, on this, on your, country - Abbott with the Garma People Aug 13

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