We write to you to urge the Australian Labor Party not to pass schedules one to four of the
Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Promoting Sustainable Welfare) Bill 2018.
These schedules would impose and extend social security waiting periods for up to four
years for recent migrants, from 1 January 2019, just four weeks away.

The Government’s proposed cuts have absolutely no basis in policy terms. They are divisive,
and breach government’s obligation to provide basic social protections. We urge you to split
the bill so that these schedules do not go through the Parliament.

Our social security system should be based on financial need. Waiting periods will leave
many migrants without any form of income. We know that new migrants can face additional
barriers to getting a job in an environment where there is only one job available for every 8
people looking for one.

This bill extends waiting periods for Newstart, Youth Allowance and Special Benefit, from
two to four years, with very limited exceptions. To be eligible to receive assistance during
the waiting period, a person needs to demonstrate ‘’a substantial change in circumstances’.
Financial hardship alone does not satisfy this test.

Migrants will lose access to Family Tax Benefit Part A for up to one year, as well as Paid
Parental Leave for two years, which will hurt low-income families, including those in lowpaid
work. This sends a signal that the children of migrant families are not as deserving as
other children of protection against poverty and deprivation.

Migrants make a huge contribution to our society. Our social security system should provide
them and their children with the same support to which other residents are entitled.
Now that we know the ALP would have the numbers in the Senate to block the worst parts
of this bill, we call on you to vote with the Greens, Centre Alliance and Senator Tim Storer to
stop the extension of social security waiting periods for recent migrants. We already have
three million people living in poverty in Australia. We know that people from non-Englishspeaking
backgrounds experience discrimination in getting paid work, and have higher
poverty rates than others in Australia. These cuts risk worsening poverty amongst this
cohort.

If legislated, this Bill will divide our communities even further, along migrant and racial
grounds. These cuts are nasty and harsh, and should be rejected outright.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Cassandra Goldie
Chief Executive Officer, ACOSS

Mohammed Al-Khafaji
Acting Chief Executive Officer, FECCA

• ACT Council of Social Service
• Anglicare Australia
• Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
• Carers Australia
• Harmony Alliance: Migrant and Refugee Women for Change
• Jobs Australia
• National Ethnic Disability Alliance
• National Social Security Rights Network
• NT Council of Social Service
• Qld Council of Social Service
• Settlement Council of Australia
• SA Council of Social Service
• St Vincent de Paul Society National Council
• Tasmanian Council of Social Service
• UnitingCare Australia
• WA Council of Social Service
• Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA)
• YWCA Australia