Single parents struggle after shift to Newstart
Date
May 22, 2013
Doing it tough: Carolyn Carey says she cannot afford asthma medication for her son.
A bleak picture of disadvantage among single parents forced onto Newstart has emerged, with a new Salvation Army report finding the contentious policy has compounded levels of deprivation.
The survey of 2705 people who used the organisation's emergency relief services in March highlighted the impact of the Gillard government's decision to shift 84,000 single parents on to the lower-paying Newstart allowance.
Compared with last year's survey, there was a 12 per cent increase in people on Newstart seeking help from the organisation.
More than 40 per cent were single parents with children older than seven - the age at which parents are forced off parenting payments onto Newstart.
The Salvation Army said it was concerning that 7 per cent of single parents were homeless - with 5 per cent on Newstart, and 2 per cent receiving parenting payments.
The report said the changes were having a ''marked impact'' on single parents and their levels of deprivation.
"Since I have been put on Newstart, I am unable to afford the rent I signed a contract on, and have had to break my lease and move into a caravan, making my life very hard. I am forced to live substandard," a respondent to the survey said.
Despite a sustained campaign by community and welfare groups for an increase in Newstart, the federal budget increased by only $19 the amount unemployed people could earn before welfare payments were reduced.
But the Salvation Army report stressed the problems many disadvantaged people had in finding work in the first place. Job search and employment services were not working for those people who were significantly disadvantaged, it said.
"As such, for many, there is little room to move forward and no capacity to move up and out of disadvantage," the report said.
But despite their struggles, the report argued that "people want to work and to provide a more sustained and adequate standard of living for themselves and their children". It revealed the dire position faced by those seeking help, with 51 per cent often going without meals so they could feed their children.
The struggle to pay bills was also underlined, with 58 per cent delaying payment of utility bills, and about a third delaying rent or mortgage payments.
Carolyn Carey, a 50-year-old childcare worker from Campsie, describes herself as a ''good budgeter'' but money is often tight depending on how many hours she works each week.
''Sometimes I work 20 hours a week but other times it's only 10 hours,'' she said. ''My income is lower but my rent and bills stay the same.''
After spending $240 a week on rent and about $150 a week on groceries, there is not much left for emergencies.
''The unexpected things are hard to manage,'' she said.
''David needs new glasses and he needs medication for his asthma. I can't really budget for things like that, I just can't afford to.''
Ms Carey, who is studying for a diploma in children's services to improve her job prospects, said she hated to constantly tell David he could not have all the things he wanted.
''It's been a struggle trying to raise him,'' she said. ''I can give him all the love that mothers do but financially it's been really hard. As David grows up, I can get away with buying the $7 jeans - he wants the labels.''
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/single-parents-struggle-after-shift-to-newstart-20130521-2jyyp.html#ixzz2TxySq6cY
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