ACOSS Reports & Submissions
Social Security
January 2012
In this submission, ACOSS outlines policy recommendations for consideration by the Federal Government in its 2012-13 Budget. The submission aims to resolve the tension between the Govern-ment’s commitment to restore the Budget to surplus from 2012-13 and the urgency of social and economic needs not yet met, of key social and economic reforms not yet completed.
Our priority for the 2012-13 Federal Budget remains to ensure that no person is excluded from the benefits of economic growth and prosperity and from the opportunity to fully participate in society. Some of the policy building blocks to meet this goal have been laid, including the commitment to introduce a National Disability Insurance Scheme, the emerging policy focus on employment participation for people excluded from the labour market, and last year’s mental health reform package.
June 2011
Following the Federal Budget, ACOSS wrote to all Federal MPs and senators raising our concerns about Budget cuts to social security payments for sole parents, people with disabilities and young unemployed people. The letter is attached. ACOSS also welcomed Budget decision to improve the job prospects of unemployed people by introducing wage subsidies for long term unemployed people, easing income tests, and expanding intensive employment and support programs in disadvantaged regions. However we don't believe it is necessary to cut people's payments to improve their employment prospects and have lobbied to have the cuts reversed, including visits to federal MPs and Senators on 23 June.
May 2011
This paper aims to move beyond the myths and stereotypes to take a closer look at who these two million people are and why it is that many have not found paid work, despite falling unemployment levels.
May 2011
ACOSS has argued for many years that family payments for teenagers aged 16 years and over are too low to enable low-income families to meet the rising cost of raising older children. ACOSS therefore supports the Government's intention to raise the Family Tax Benefit for older teenagers, but is concerned some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young Australians will miss out on proposed increases. The inflexibility of current participation requirements applied to Family Tax Benefit recipients means that up to 15,000 early school leavers may be deprived of a much needed increase in family assistance.
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April 2011
Social security legislation amendment (job seeker compliance) Bill 2011
The Bill, if passed, would bring forward penalties for unemployed people who do not attend appointments with Centrelink or employment service providers. Instead of warning a jobseeker on the first occasion they fail to attend an appointment and rescheduling the appointment, Centrelink will suspend their income support until they make contact and agree to attend a rescheduled appointment.
April 2011
Under proposed legislation, the compliance system will be amended to bring forward penalties for unemployed people who do attend appointments with Centrelink or employment service providers. If passed, this Bill will substantially increase the number of times that unemployed people are penalised or have their payments suspended for not attending appointments.
This submission gives our assessment of the proposed changes to the compliance system. ACOSS does not believe a strong enough case has been made for these changes, and recommends that the Bill be opposed.
The following is our brief submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee inquiry into this Bill. In summary, ACOSS recommends that:
• Schedule 3, which would delay access to the Disability Support Pension while applicants participate in a ‘program of support' be opposed;
• The provisions of Schedule 2 that freeze the Family Tax Benefit supplements be opposed;
• The provisions of Schedule 2 that freeze various family payment income thresholds be supported.
