One good meal a day? Not for some on the dole

Date
    August 29, 2012


ONE in 10 Australians on the dole can't afford a substantial meal each day, one in eight can't afford prescribed medicines, and one in 20 cannot heat their homes, according to unpublished research.    

Commissioned by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs for the 2008 review of pensions, it found that age pensioners were much better off than the unemployed.

Whereas 1.4 per cent of age pensioners surveyed could not get medical treatment if needed, the proportion for the unemployed was 22 per cent. Whereas 0.7 per cent of age pensioners could not get a substantial meal at least once a day, for the unemployed it was 10.3 per cent.

Only 2.1 per cent of pensioners could not afford the medication prescribed for them but among unemployed Australians on Newstart the proportion was 16.7 per cent.    


The research has never been published, either by the department that commissioned it or by the researchers themselves, Peter Saunders and Melissa Wong from the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales.

Asked by the department to examine the adequacy of the payments "to different groups, including age pensioners'', the research compares what it calls deprivation rates among seven groups, including low-wage workers, self-funded retirees, age pensioners and Australians on Newstart. It finds that on almost all criteria self-funded retirees are best off and those on Newstart worst.

So well-off does the research find self-funded retirees that on most of the criteria they have no deprivation at all. An exception is dental care, with 2.1 per cent saying they can't get access to treatment if needed. That compares with 13.7 per cent of age pensioners and 44.7 per cent of Australians on Newstart.   

The research says "although the results do not necessarily imply anything about whether or not the age pension is adequate at current levels, it does appear to be the case that the age pension is more adequate than the existing payments made to people with a disability, parenting payments, and those whose eligibility for income support is a consequence of unemployment".

The Newstart allowance at present is about $245 a week. The age pension is $347 a week.

Employment Minister Bill Shorten acknowledged this week that the Newstart allowance was ''incredibly low'' and would be ''very difficult to live on''. But there were no immediate plans to raise it.    

In its submission to the inquiry, the Gillard government argues that lifting the rate of the allowance would act as a disincentive for recipients of the payment to seek work. It said lifting the allowance would be costly and might not be necessary as about 60 per cent of recipients moved off the allowance within 12 months.

''In a climate of fiscal constraint, it remains important to consider expenditures on income support alongside other public expenditure priorities and to note that the position of people out of work is also assisted through investment in taxation measures, employment services and broader social policy and program reforms,'' the submission says.




        I work full time for a low wage (thanks for the tax cut Jules, that $10 can now go towards paying my ridiculously increased bills), can’t afford to heat my house (well more too scared to, don’t want bill shock) and can only afford to have one good meal a day, (thanks to family in the country supplying me with meat) it’s not just people on the dole, share a thought for us low wage earners as well!

    Commenter
        sandandpoor
    Location
        poorville
    Date and time
        August 29, 2012.

        So if the government isn't willing to raise the Newstart allowance, how about supplements for specific purposes? Medication supplements, to be used at a nominated pharmacy, or food supplements to be used at a nominated grocery store? And I do mean "supplements" -- extra money to make sure we as a society don't let people go hungry or without essential medications. How do we expect people who are malnourished or suffering with illness to have any hope at all of getting off Newstart?

    Commenter
        Pensioner
    Location
        Melbourne
    Date and time
        August 29, 2012.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/one-good-meal-a-day-not-for-some-on-the-dole-20120828-24yph.html#ixzz24siYHcUJ

What about when we can't get jobs Wesley?
Even tho not everyone on the doll could get one now anyway.

... wrote on Aug 29^th, 2012 at 10:07am:

So nothing then?

... wrote on Aug 29^th, 2012 at 10:10am:

Why are you trying to shift the conversation on to me? Why can't you admit there is no alternative?