Politics Centrelink

[Chief]

I have to find where I heard it. Maybe it was social security - people being told they owe a grand from 10 years ago and even one person said they still had statements from back then, showed them a payment for the exact amount and still couldn't get them to agree the debt was incorrect.

Now it's going to bug me all day if I don't remember where I heard it.

 

[Gralin]

Centrelink payments are covered by law, policy & information supplied to the department by the recipient.
I don't recall Labor instigating a 'recovery' that they were told was actually illegal before they even started. So after the event, it went to court, & as expected was duly struck down.
That ignorant & stupid expedition, cost the taxpayer $1billion plus the misery & suicides it caused.
So please inform us if you have information to the contrary.

Services Australia are still acting like they did under the last government
Labor have tried to act like RoboDebt was the be all and end all of the issues with Services Australia

Labor restarted debt collections that had been paused under the previous government
Labor are going after debts going back to the 1970s

Labor are in government now and still talking about debt collection and still going after money and acting like its not going to cause misery and suicides or that its ok if it does as long as its legal

they've kept mutual obligations, they enacted the previous governments plan to change the points system

they're keeping work for the dole

other than RoboDebt itself what has actually changed for the better with our welfare system under Labor

what are they doing to improve the lives of people in poverty

because from what I can see they're continuing with draconion systems and punishment that makes job agencies rich and ruins the lives of people that need help

they did a lot of hand wringing in opposition about people not being able to afford to live on welfare payments and mutual obligations and other measures being no good

but not its BAU but with a little asterix that says at least its not robodebt and a wink

 

[radiojake]

Absolute class warfare while big business got to keep their covid bonuses

 

[Gralin]

Absolute class warfare while big business got to keep their covid bonuses

yep

 

[madmug]

Services Australia are still acting like they did under the last government
Labor have tried to act like RoboDebt was the be all and end all of the issues with Services Australia

Labor restarted debt collections that had been paused under the previous government
Labor are going after debts going back to the 1970s

Labor are in government now and still talking about debt collection and still going after money and acting like its not going to cause misery and suicides or that its ok if it does as long as its legal

they've kept mutual obligations, they enacted the previous governments plan to change the points system

they're keeping work for the dole

other than RoboDebt itself what has actually changed for the better with our welfare system under Labor

what are they doing to improve the lives of people in poverty

because from what I can see they're continuing with draconion systems and punishment that makes job agencies rich and ruins the lives of people that need help

they did a lot of hand wringing in opposition about people not being able to afford to live on welfare payments and mutual obligations and other measures being no good

but not its BAU but with a little asterix that says at least its not robodebt and a wink

You can wink all you like. However benefits are prescribed under the act. Overpayment, determined by an actual person, needs to be recouped. The recipient can appeal to the AAT or whoever.
I agree the system makes it hard to eke out a living. Part of that is our unfair & quite relatively regressive tax system, at least when applied to people moving from benefit into work. I think the amounts that are allowed to be earned before a penalty is incurred, has been lifted. It should be higher still IMO.
We badly need a wealth tax to reduce the pressure on income tax.
Thats hard politically because the RW politicians & complicit RW media would attack with bared teeth. The ALP know that so need to tread wearily & slowly.
We also have inflationary pressures, especially due to the near $1Trillion LNP Federal debt left after the last election.

 

[Gralin]

You can wink all you like. However benefits are prescribed under the act. Overpayment, determined by an actual person, needs to be recouped. The recipient can appeal to the AAT or whoever.
I agree the system makes it hard to eke out a living. Part of that is our unfair & quite relatively regressive tax system, at least when applied to people moving from benefit into work. I think the amounts that are allowed to be earned before a penalty is incurred, has been lifted. It should be higher still IMO.
We badly need a wealth tax to reduce the pressure on income tax.
Thats hard politically because the RW politicians & complicit RW media would attack with bared teeth. The ALP know that so need to tread wearily & slowly.
We also have inflationary pressures, especially due to the near $1Trillion LNP Federal debt left after the last election.

not me winking mate its the campaigners in power

Labor are in government, they can change the legislation, they could improve our welfare system, they'd get support from the greens for doing it

they don't want to

hiding behind the law as the reason why our welfare system is still as shit as it is, when at every opportunity since gaining government Labor has rubber stamped the current system is just partisan bullshit

Shorten and Rishworth are 100% using the Robodebt RC as a way for saying every single problem with welfare was robodebt and we've turned that off so there rest is all good

and its not

but then some of this stuff happened under Rudd and Gillard, so its not like Labor haven't been anti poor for a while now

they just like pretending its not their fault (like inflation)

raising welfare payments to the poverty line would not be a bad thing but they pretend it would

the stage 3 tax cuts are a bad thing, but they pretend they're not

the trillion dollar debt line is also partisan politics as again stage 3 tax cuts, fossil fuel subsidies

labor not only don't want to fix this but ideologically they seem to agree with it

we've got a bunch of neoliberals in power again just in a different color tie pretending they aren't

 

[radiojake]

On top of this, there is one thing for the wealthy to rort state subsidies while at the same time lecturing the lower class about 'leaning and not earning', but there is another thing all together when the middle class who are earning a decent wage but are only a layoff or interest rate hike away from trouble but who engage with the 'A Current Affair' dole bludger narrative outrage as if they think they have more in common with the actual rich that just boggles my mind

 

[Gralin]

On top of this, there is one thing for the wealthy to rort state subsidies while at the same time lecturing the lower class about 'leaning and not earning', but there is another thing all together when the middle class who are earning a decent wage but are only a layoff or interest rate hike away from trouble but who engage with the 'A Current Affair' dole bludger narrative outrage as if they think they have more in common with the actual rich that just boggles my mind

i mean lets be real

the idea of the middle class was created for this exact purpose

its working as intended

look at all the people that think immigration is the issue with housing and not greed

its why the media runs so many stories about mum and dad landlords, see the landlords are like you, not like those immigrant who are taking your housing and your job and whatever else we want to blame them for

or those dirty dole bludgers that don't even have to pay for housing, public housing with your tax dollars!

 

[leon123]

I have to find where I heard it. Maybe it was social security - people being told they owe a grand from 10 years ago and even one person said they still had statements from back then, showed them a payment for the exact amount and still couldn't get them to agree the debt was incorrect.

Now it's going to bug me all day if I don't remember where I heard it.

Im probably wrong, but i think you maybe referring to the ATO on this one

 

[Gralin]

Sigh

 

[Ghost Patrol]

Some changes happening apparently. This is from a mate that works for a job network provider.

*Note that it's actually 13 weeks, not months.

 

[NSWCROW]

I read that and immediately think " the job agencies will become even more feral than they already are "

 

[barreness]

Some changes happening apparently. This is from a mate that works for a job network provider.

*Note that it's actually 13 weeks, not months.

View attachment 1988146

Yeh they've been doing this quietly for the last yearish, you get Workforce australia rather than the leaches in the 'Job providers' if you have a reasonable language/computer skills

Still obviously have requirements to complete but it doesn't do your head in. We've come full circle from the destruction of CES. Finally reversing some neoliberal rubbish

 

[barreness]

I read that and immediately think " the job agencies will become even more feral than they already are "

I'm sure they'll try. I worked for one for a few months, a multinational from the UK, such a farcical industry and a huge waste of taxpayers money. Hopefully they fully kill the govt contracts, we shall see

 

[Kram]

Losers​

All other JobSeeker recipients: Chalmers' responses to questions about potential welfare increases in the lead-up to the budget had sparked speculation that the maximum JobSeeker rate would be increased.
The government's Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee (EIAC) had called for JobSeeker to be pushed up to 90 per cent of the aged care pension, and the treasurer had said the budget would include steps "conscious of its recommendations" when asked about a JobSeeker boost.
But instead of lifting the maximum rate, the government opted instead to make less than 5000 existing recipients eligible for the highest payment – a not-so-whopping 0.06 per cent of all JobSeeker recipients.
As for the other 99.4 per cent, they'll stay on the same payment, which the EIAC described as "well below all poverty lines used in Australia".

https://www.9news.com.au/national/f...d-losers/294ab63a-3409-4587-8e82-d40644254767

 

[Freomaniac]

Absolute class warfare while big business got to keep their covid bonuses

true

 

[Freomaniac]

I'd like it to be less 'eyeing changes' and more 'fixing a broken, punitive system designed to make welfare as difficult as can be to claim', but it's a step in the right direction.

Its a wonderful system.

the liberals want people unemployed to starve

 

[Freomaniac]

https://www.9news.com.au/national/f...d-losers/294ab63a-3409-4587-8e82-d40644254767

Brilliant. People are struggling to get jobs and make ends meet. Lets just punish them even more lol

 

[Kram]

Translation "There's no votes in it for us to get re-elected"

 

[eddiesmith]

Translation "There's no votes in it for us to get re-elected"

lol, love the way he dodged the question basically saying he has no desire to increase welfare even if they could afford it.

 

[Over The Post]

The Australian Institute of Health & Welfare has produced an important new study on suicide among Centrelink recipients. Among a number of other important insights, this now represents the best data we have relating to Robodebt suicides.

Deaths by suicide among Centrelink income support recipients

Deaths by suicide among Centrelink income support recipients page on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website

www.aihw.gov.au

Note the massive dip in 2020, which is when the corona supplement came in, effectively doubling the dole payment so that those already on it could survive and those newly unemployed did not have to suffer extreme poverty.

During 2019, the most recent pre COVID-19 pandemic year, the age-standardised suicide rate among Disability Support Pension recipients was 3.6 times that of their Australian comparison population. During the same year, Disability Support Pension recipients (3.7% of the population - OTP) accounted for 14.5% of all suicide deaths among Australians of the same age range (16–75 years).

During 2019, the most recent pre COVID-19 pandemic year, the age-standardised suicide rate among males who received unemployment payments was 2.8 times that of the male Australian population comparison. For females, the 2019 age-standardised suicide rate among those who received unemployment payments was 3.3 times that of the Australian female comparison population. During the same year, unemployment recipients (3.8% of the population - OTP) accounted for approximately 20% of all suicide deaths among Australian males and females (across the same age range 15–66 years).

--

34.5% of all suicides in 2019 were for people on DSP or jobseeker. Living in poverty, or extreme poverty, does that.

And the government knew this, knows this, and still doesn't give a fuck.

 

[Freomaniac]

Translation "There's no votes in it for us to get re-elected"

once unemployment goes up, the votes will swing aganst them.

 

[Freomaniac]

lol, love the way he dodged the question basically saying he has no desire to increase welfare even if they could afford it.

thats fine then. Half the time its better to commit a crime. lol

it costs $100-$150,000 a year to maintain an inmate in Jail. So thats $2000 or $3000 a week. Now... think about that.

90 year old pensioners are on the pension. $1116 A fortnight. Not bad, take away rent, bills and other expenses, enjoy buying food on a tight budget lol

 

[Freomaniac]

The Australian Institute of Health & Welfare has produced an important new study on suicide among Centrelink recipients. Among a number of other important insights, this now represents the best data we have relating to Robodebt suicides.

Deaths by suicide among Centrelink income support recipients

Deaths by suicide among Centrelink income support recipients page on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website

www.aihw.gov.au

View attachment 1997213

Note the massive dip in 2020, which is when the corona supplement came in, effectively doubling the dole payment so that those already on it could survive and those newly unemployed did not have to suffer extreme poverty.

During 2019, the most recent pre COVID-19 pandemic year, the age-standardised suicide rate among Disability Support Pension recipients was 3.6 times that of their Australian comparison population. During the same year, Disability Support Pension recipients (3.7% of the population - OTP) accounted for 14.5% of all suicide deaths among Australians of the same age range (16–75 years).

During 2019, the most recent pre COVID-19 pandemic year, the age-standardised suicide rate among males who received unemployment payments was 2.8 times that of the male Australian population comparison. For females, the 2019 age-standardised suicide rate among those who received unemployment payments was 3.3 times that of the Australian female comparison population. During the same year, unemployment recipients (3.8% of the population - OTP) accounted for approximately 20% of all suicide deaths among Australian males and females (across the same age range 15–66 years).

--

34.5% of all suicides in 2019 were for people on DSP or jobseeker. Living in poverty, or extreme poverty, does that.

And the government knew this, knows this, and still doesn't give a fuck.

Sad but True.

Another Reason to Hate the Liberal government from 2013-22.

 

[Father Jack]

The Australian Institute of Health & Welfare has produced an important new study on suicide among Centrelink recipients. Among a number of other important insights, this now represents the best data we have relating to Robodebt suicides.

Deaths by suicide among Centrelink income support recipients

Deaths by suicide among Centrelink income support recipients page on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website

www.aihw.gov.au

View attachment 1997213

Note the massive dip in 2020, which is when the corona supplement came in, effectively doubling the dole payment so that those already on it could survive and those newly unemployed did not have to suffer extreme poverty.

During 2019, the most recent pre COVID-19 pandemic year, the age-standardised suicide rate among Disability Support Pension recipients was 3.6 times that of their Australian comparison population. During the same year, Disability Support Pension recipients (3.7% of the population - OTP) accounted for 14.5% of all suicide deaths among Australians of the same age range (16–75 years).

During 2019, the most recent pre COVID-19 pandemic year, the age-standardised suicide rate among males who received unemployment payments was 2.8 times that of the male Australian population comparison. For females, the 2019 age-standardised suicide rate among those who received unemployment payments was 3.3 times that of the Australian female comparison population. During the same year, unemployment recipients (3.8% of the population - OTP) accounted for approximately 20% of all suicide deaths among Australian males and females (across the same age range 15–66 years).

--

34.5% of all suicides in 2019 were for people on DSP or jobseeker. Living in poverty, or extreme poverty, does that.

And the government knew this, knows this, and still doesn't give a fuck.

It's hard to conclude that it's not intentional.