ACOSS has launched a campaign to get Allowance payments increased by $50 per week and raise the assistance available to the unemployed to get a job. JOIN THE CAMPAIGN NOW.



ACOSS is calling all interested individuals and organisations to sign their statement which calls for an increase in Allowance payments by $50 per week. These payments include Newstart and Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment, Widow Allowance and Abstudy. In addition they are advocating for:

• Improve employment services for long term unemployment people – The JSA system should be reformed to make it more responsive to the needs of individual job seekers and employers, including by increasing the resourcing of Job Services Australia providers.

• Expand wage subsidy schemes ‐ Double the number of places in the new wage subsidy scheme for long term unemployed people to 20,000 in the program’s second year, and introduce a scheme that fully subsidises up to 6 months of paid employment for the most deeply disadvantaged jobseekers (including through social enterprises).

• Make VET work for jobseekers ‐ Earmark a substantial number of training places under the new national VET scheme for jobseekers, together with new incentives and resources for training organisations to adapt training to the needs of jobseekers and work more closely with employment services.

• Lock in supports for jobseekers in deeply disadvantaged areas ‐ In areas of high and entrenched levels of unemployment, the Government should negotiate with States and Territories to supplement funding for employment, health, housing and community services to encourage them to work together to build pathways to employment for those with multiple social disadvantages.

To participate in the campaign go to the website below:

http://www.acoss.org.au/take_action/allowances_statement_2012-02/

New Centrelink Initiative � �Helping Young Parents� Program

As from January 1st 2012, there are participation requirements for teenage parents who are on Parenting Payment. The Department of Human Services has introduced the “Helping Young Parents” program in Logan and Rockhampton and 8 other locations across Australia. The program aims to encourage Parents in receipt of Parenting Payment aged 19 years or under to continue their schooling to Year 12 Certificate or Certificate II level and better support their child’s development.

Teenage Parents will be required to attend six monthly interviews from when the child turns six months old to discuss educational options and goals and to link in with local services which can assist them with managing both parenting and studying. This may include assistance with payment of child care while parents are studying.

These young parents will be required to enter into a Participation Plan which details the education and other activities agreed to in interviews.

If these parents fail to participate in interviews, their payments may be stopped until they re-engage with the program.

For more information, please click on the link below to Centrelink’s fact sheet:

http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/filestores/8559_1211/$file/8559_1211.pdf

For the Australian Council of Social Services comment on the initiative please click on the link below:

http://www.acoss.org.au/media/release/young_mums_need_support_not_a_crackdown

We have moved to new premises in Fortitude Valley.

Our phone & fax numbers are the same as before:

• Advice Line: (07) 3847 5532
• Free Call: 1800 358 511
• Admin Line: (07) 3421 2510
• Fax: (07) 3421 2500

Our postal address is:

PO Box 293

Fortitude Valley Qld 4006

Dealing with Employment Service Providers

These new pages, containing a wealth of information on dealing with Employment Services Providers, are accessible via the “Employment Services” link on the top bar menu of our home page.

This information will help you understand how Employment Services operate and how you can get the best out of your time with them.

If you need more help to understand the system or you have a problem with your Provider that you need some advice about, you can also contact the Welfare Rights Centre Telephone Advice Service on 07 3847 5532 or 1800 358 511 (from outside Brisbane only).

Carbon Tax Compensation

The Welfare Rights Centre is concerned that those surviving on the lowest incomes - the unemployed and students - will receive considerably less compensation than others.

The Welfare Rights Centre welcomes the measures to protect those on low incomes from the rise in cost of living which will result from the introduction of the carbon tax. However, we are concerned that those surviving on the very lowest level of income – the unemployed and students– will receive considerably less compensation than others.

A person on Newstart Allowance (paid to the unemployed) currently receives $237.45 per week of income support payment, while a person on a Pension (Aged, Carer’s or Disability Support) receives $335.45 per week, plus up to $29.20 per week in the Pension Supplement. That difference will now be extended, as Newstart recipients will be entitled to $218 per year in carbon tax compensation, while Pensioners will be entitled to $338; $120 more than those who are already on a much lower level of payment.

We are puzzled as to why the Government has further entrenched the difference in payments between Pensions and Allowances at a time when it has said it is determined to ensure that the cost of the carbon tax will not impact unfairly on those who can least afford it.

The Welfare Rights Centre welcomes the new budget measures to encourage businesses to employ those who are very disadvantaged in the jobs market: the long-term unemployed, those with a disability and the over-50s. We also welcome the training measures to improve the vocational training provided through TAFE colleges.

With reports of businesses finding it impossible to fill vacancies on the one hand and talkback about the “work-shy” on the other, it is easy to conclude that all these people need to do is to switch off the TV and go get a job.

Such simplistic analysis ignores the fact that around ½ of our job-seekers have not completed high school, while our pool of unskilled jobs is ever-dwindling. It also ignores the sad reality experienced by clients of the Welfare Rights Centre that if you are disabled or over 50, employers are simply not interested in taking the risk. Those with caring responsibilities are also disadvantaged in the jobs market, as there is a lack of suitably flexible employment opportunities.

Closing the gap between the skills of jobseekers and the requirements of employers is fundamental if Australia is to reduce its numbers of unemployed. Some of our disadvantaged job-seekers will be able to “skill up”. For the others, if Australia wants them to be in paid work, we have to accept the fact that this will only happen if we are prepared to fund the increased costs that businesses will incur as they provide on-the-job training and/or adapt their employment practices to offer more flexible work options.

Change to eligibility requirements for New Zealanders

From 26 February 2011, New Zealand citizens who hold a Special Category Visa and arrived in Australia after 26 February 2001 will be able to access a once only payment of Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance or Sickness Allowance. More information here.

To be eligible, a person needs to have lived continuously in Australia for at least 10 years.

A temporary absence such as a holiday can be included in the 10 years, but any break during which the person ceases to reside in Australia will restart the 10 year clock.

If eligible, payment of Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance or Sickness Allowance can be made for up to six months.

Where a person loses qualification within the six month period, their payments will be stopped and cannot be restarted. It is not possible to transfer between payments in the six month period.

Date of effect: 26 February 2011

Flood Relief Payments

1. Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment

• A one-off payment.
• $1000 per adult.
• $400 per child <16yrs.

Eligibility:

You may be eligible for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) if you:

• are aged at least 16 years, or
• are receiving a Centrelink income support payment, and
• are adversely affected by a major disaster.

“Adversely affected” is about serious injury, harm or damage to property.

Residence criteria:

You must be:

• an Australian resident, or
• an Australian citizen who is not an Australian resident and who is covered by a determination made by the FaHCSIA Minister, or
• the holder of a visa that is in a class of visa determined by the FaHCSIA Minister to be eligible.

New Zealanders:

• As of 31^st January, Special Category Visa holders who were affected by the flooding will be able to claim the AGDRP.
• You must have been working here for the past 3 years.

Claiming AGDRP

• Can claim online
• Fill in a claim form, you can get this by :
  • phoning Centrelink’s emergency hotline number 180 22 66
    • visiting your local Disaster Recovery Centre where you can lodge a claim
    • ^· visiting your nearest Centrelink Customer Service Centre or Agent

Evidence required

• Need to provide evidence of damage / medical treatment.

Time limit

• Claims must be completed and lodged before 4 July 2011.

Proof of identity

• Is required.
• If you have lost the relevant documents because of the disaster, CL will “help to work out another way of proving your identity”.

2. Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy

• Equivalent to the maximum rate of Newstart Allowance.
• For:
  • employees
  • small business persons
  • farmers
• Continues for 13 weeks.

Eligibility

You will be eligible for the Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy if you:

• derive an income from an area affected by the disaster or reside in an area affected by the disaster; and you
  • are 16 years of age, or older, and are not a dependent child;
  • are either an Australian resident and living in Australia for the period he/she is receipt of the Subsidy; or a foreign national, living or working in Australia at the time of the disaster and for the period of time he/she is in receipt of the Subsidy;
  • have experienced a loss of income as a direct result of the disaster and can show evidence supporting this within 28 days; and
  • are not currently (at the time of lodgement) receiving another income support payment.

• Where a member of a couple, you must qualify in your own right.

Proof of Identity

• Before you can get paid, you (and your partner if he/she is also claiming) may need to show Centrelink one document showing:
  • Proof of Birth or
  • Proof of Arrival in Australia,
  • or, any other approved documents that add up to the value of 50 points, for example, driver’s licence (40 points), bank card/statement (40 points), Medicare card (20 points).
  • If you cannot provide this immediately, you should lodge a claim without delay and provide the supporting documents to Centrelink within 28 days.

Supporting evidence

You will also need to provide evidence supporting the claimed loss of income within 28 days of claiming, for example,

• pay slips from an employer,
• bank statements showing previous bank deposits from an employer,
• a letter from the employer,
• BAS statements,
• income tax returns,
• or other account documents identifying cash flow.

If you have difficulty in obtaining this information, contact Centrelink on 180 22 66.

Claiming

• Forms available

• on-line
• at local Centrelink
  • at evacuation / Recovery Centre

• Can make on-line claim
• Telephone claim – 180 22 66.
  • Need to complete and mail a ‘self declaration form’, along with supporting documentation.

Time limits

• Need to claim by 28 February 2011.

Other Assistance

Other assistance, such as a Low Income Health Care Card, may be available. Contact Centrelink on 180 22 66.

WRC is moving

As of Thursday 1^st September, our postal address will be:

PO Box 293

Fortitude Valley Qld 4006

Our internet and email access should only be disrupted on the 29^th – 31^st August; we hope to be back on line the 1^st September.

Our phones and faxes may be disrupted for up to 2 weeks.

• We have requested that our existing telephone numbers be redirected; however, we are uncertain when this will take effect.
• We have not yet been given our new phone numbers.
• In the meantime, if the matter is urgent, we can be contacted on the following mobile number:
  • 0434 332 199

Due to the problem with the telephones, it will take us some time to respond to enquiries. We apologise for the inconvenience.

We will upload our new phone numbers as soon as we are able.