for the benefit of all Australians, Senator Grant Chapman

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Dear Mr Symeonakis,

Thank you for your email regarding the Federal Government’s Welfare to Work reforms, specifically the impact on these reforms on people with disabilities, single parents and people who are currently unemployed.

You may be aware that on the 21^st September the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Hon Kevin Andrews MP, announced some changes to the originally proposed Welfare to Work reforms. These changes followed a careful consultation period that included accounting for the views of organisations such as ACOSS, and include:

Adjustment to the compliance model so that no job seeker will lose payment without having been given a formal warning or the chance to have personal contact with Centrelink;

Job seekers will be given an opportunity to avoid a penalty through immediate re-engagement;

Eligibility for some parents with special circumstances to seek temporary exemptions from the need to work or undertake mutual obligation activities;

Possible eligibility for primary carer parents who are foster carers, distance educators, home schoolers, parents with large families or who care for a child with an illness or disability to seek temporary exemption; and

A number of extra ancillary benefits for parents and people with a disability participating in the workforce, including greater accessibility to the Mobility Allowance, the Employment Entry Payment and the Work for the Dole Supplement.

Additionally, extensions to carer payments were announced by the Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay Patterson last week.

Under those changes, carers of children with severe intellectual, psychiatric or behavioural disabilities that result in challenging behaviour may be eligible for the Carer Payment and will give more support to several thousand people under the welfare to work changes.

These reforms have been well received by many sections of the community, including the organisations that assist many of Australia’s most disadvantaged citizens.

As the Minister has stated, the Welfare to Work reforms are being made because the current system does not provide the best opportunity for many Australian’s to participate in Australia’s prosperity. It is unacceptable that Australia has:

Over 600,000 jobless families;
Sole parents on income benefits for an average for twelve years;
Only ten per cent of Disability Support Pension recipients working; and
Six out of ten Indigenous people of working age on income benefits.

The Howard Government is committed to taking the lead on making changes in these areas for the benefit of all Australians and will continue to consult closely with the relevant stakeholders.

Further information about the Welfare to Work reforms and the recently announced changes can be found on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website at http://www.dewr.gov.au/.

Thank you for raising your concerns with me and I hope this information is of assistance to you.

Yours sincerely,

Senator Grant Chapman

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