Those that are unemployed, today you get that granted 20 cents a day extra on top of the dole, which keeps you below the poverty line.

Don't waste that 20c







CASSANDRA GOLDIE: For the almost 600,000 people who are currently living on the Newstart allowance, the increase tomorrow of just $1.45 is clearly not enough and at the moment people are living on just about $35 a day. This is a payment that hasn't been increased in real terms since the Hawke-Keating years.

KYLIE SIMMONDS: The gap between pensioners and the jobless or single parents is now about $133. The council paints a different picture of Australia's unemployed than just the stereotypical dole bludger. It says there are many, many people in real need.

CASSANDRA GOLDIE: Sixty per cent of those people have been living on the unemployment for over 12 months. One in three of those people are over 45 who are really struggling to get back into the labour market.

If you're living on the payment for a couple of weeks, that's one thing but for many people, living on $35 a day for over 12 months means that you are really living in poverty and the time has come to increase these allowances as well.

KYLIE SIMMONDS: The reason pensioners are getting more is their payments are indexed to the average male weekly wage, which is growing, while Newstart allowances are driven by CPI, which is lower.

But if you ask pensioners, they're unlikely to give any of their pay away.



http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3456985.htm

adelcrow wrote on Mar 20^th, 2012 at 9:27am:



I echo this sentiment.

____ wrote on Mar 20^th, 2012 at 9:47am:


Considering my job takes me all over the place I would say...move if theres no employment in your area.
Long term unemployment should be avoided at all costs and if you have to pull up stumps and move to where the work is then so be it.

____ wrote on Mar 20^th, 2012 at 9:58am:


Woody, my parents moved to another country on the other side of the planet so as to get work to be able to raise a family. It wasn't their preferred thing to do but they did it all the same and overall I don't think either of them ever regretted it. My parents weren't unusual - many, many other families have done the same.

So given their experience, I can't see that moving to another town in the same country is the end of existence for people that face long term unemployment because of their location. The reality is that if someone lives in a small place in the middle of nowhere and there are no jobs, nobody is going to go and create an industry there just so they can be employed. They need to go to the jobs.

If you are not prepared to move and you live in a high unemployment area - well then you are not exactly making it easy for yourself are you.

In the last 6 years I have moved to four different countries for my job.
I do this because it advances my career and I can better provide for my family.

You make sacrifices and weigh up the options.

Those on long term unemployment benefit who cannot be arsed to move, well they kind of make their own bed on that one.