cods wrote on Jul 28^th, 2013 at 8:42am:

ian wrote on Jul 29^th, 2013 at 8:19am:


Its not a separate issue for 100s of unemployed who couldn't pay their rent and ended up on the streets. Food stamps and vouchers wont pay the rent.

SOB

Dole's far too low: report

Date
    August 27, 2012


THE federal government has been urged to raise the dole amid warnings it is falling well behind other welfare payments.    

A report prepared by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling for church welfare agencies says the government has been sitting on advice since 2009 that there were growing inequalities between the dole and other government allowances.

''The unemployment benefit in Australia is particularly low, especially for singles,'' says the report, to be released today.      


''The Newstart allowance and Youth Allowance job seeker payment rates are indexed to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index which is consistently lower than average household incomes growth and ensures that these households continue to slide further behind the rest of the community in terms of economic resources and opportunities''.

The 2009 Henry Review recommended job seeker allowances be raised, also arguing there was growing inequality between the dole and other government pensions.

Singles with no children who receive the Newstart allowance are eligible for $244 a week, plus a possible $60.10 a week in rental assistance. This compares with the average male weekly earning of $1298. After basics are paid for, Newstart recipients have an average of $22 a day discretionary money.

Workplace Minister Bill Shorten said today he sympathised with the plight of people on the Newstart allowance.

But, he said, while the government would consider calls to raise the payment, it would "stay where it is for the time being''.

''I'm not going to stand here and say I think life is easy for people on the Newstart allowance, because I don't think it is,''  Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra.

''The Newstart allowance is incredibly low and would be difficult to live on.''      

A Senate committee will this week hold public hearings on the adequacy of Newstart. The inquiry was sparked by Greens senator Rachel Siewert, who lived for a week on the equivalent of the dole.

''We know that over 60 per cent of people who receive Newstart are on the payment for more than 12 months,'' Senator Siewert said. ''Newstart remains more than $130 per week below the poverty line.''      

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/doles-far-too-low-report-20120826-24ulk.html#ixzz2aNjA9RKr

98% of the submissions to that enquiry were in favour of an increase.

They were ignored.

ian wrote on Jul 29^th, 2013 at 8:29am:



I'm sorry, but we do not and should not.

And they do not '.sit(ting) around getting on the booze and dope all day long'. That's
all fiction, these people exist only in the smallest of minorities. And not just among
the unemployed.

Get off your high-horse, and seek out some facts, instead of parroting stereotypes.

The stereotype is not accurate, and hasn't been for years.

If ever.

Anyway, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have work to go to. No doubt you'll
still be here when I knock-off...

ian wrote on Jul 29^th, 2013 at 8:54am:



Fool.

ian wrote on Jul 29^th, 2013 at 8:54am:


Prove it

SOB

The concept is one that Im unsure of.

As demonstrated by the group Boystown, the program they have implemented has had an enormous amount of success, however it is part of a wider program that is about support networks as well as training.

Where programs like this can fall down is the motives behind those running it, and the willingness of the people involved.

The mentors behind Boystown are very driven and passionate people.  They have created a culture that is commendable.  You cant just recreate this by throwing government money into a pot and saying "do what they do".  It would make more sense to fund boystown to expand their program slowly so they can continue to assist more and more people but still maintain their group culture and reach their objectives.

When I talk about the willingness of the participants, well, that says it all doesnt it.  The people that attend boystown do so because they want to make something of themselves, or they have hit rock bottom.  If you make the governments program "compulsary" then that itself is setting it up for failure straight away.