Government Program: Newstart Allowance ($250.50 a Week)

Moved to Forum - Income producing govt program: Original Link

I just got my PR the other week and some friends told me about this deal. you can get $250 a week but you have to show them you are looking for a work.

Alot of information is here

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink…

you fill out a form and do an interview and it should be ok.

this deal is good for this period as many poeple that finished school last year and havn't got a job yet can do this deal.

If you have family or partners the free money amount changes but the link has information on that too.

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  • +14

    i lol @ this 'deal'

    it's pretty good deal i suppose

    • +57

      What a load of Sh!t this is. I was made redundant last year (without any pay the company just shut the doors) and have always been in a job for 25 years since leaving school. I was made to feel like a criminal when I went to centrelink and found out I was entitled to $300 a week with a wife and 2 kids to support. (profanity) this country they treat Honest tax paying citizens like a piece of crap and ar$eholes who are here for 2 minutes get all the handouts.

      • +1

        i wouldn't blame the government, i would blame centerlink for the way they treated you.. did you put in a complaint at least??

        • +86

          No I got another Job

        • +7

          Centrelink is hard people to deal with. This cause headache

        • +2

          The phrase 'Income producing govt program' made me LOLOLOLOL!

        • -2

          Boonanza, I couldn't agree with you more.

        • Thats the spirit ! … they should make a motivational poster for good folk like to show the dumbtard dole bludgers.

        • +1

          Logged in just to +1

        • So it worked then…

      • +42

        "ar$eholes who are here for 2 minutes get all the handouts" - They have to be here for a minimum of 2 years… and a lot of these "ar$eholes" are the ones that keep our universities running by paying full fees.

        I completely agree that the welfare system is a joke… but I don't think that your criticism is fair.

        • +20

          His criticism isn't just not fair, but it's also completely ridiculous. For some reason he thinks migrants are the only ones who have this issue.

          I wonder how he feels about people that can't just get up and get another job— people who are disabled. These are 30 year olds with spouses and children who end up with crippling disabilities, and Centrelink refuses to pay them because they have 50k in the bank.

          Its funny. Experiences like this are supposed to help people grow and expand their worldview, but in boonanza's case it seems to have just doubled up his hate.

        • +7

          Totally agree, what a load of crap actually.a lot of the migrants in this country, I shall name but a few- Africans, Indians and others-work very hard,many in skilled jobs- with actually very good quality education - and pay as much tax as everyone else to keep the queues at centre link going.Because these migrants have a lot of responsibilities, both here and perhaps to family back home they simply cannot rely and would feel ashamed even to be on the dole.The ease with which longer term residents of this country get on those queues is quite something actually. Due to not having welfare systems back home, many newer people to Australia are very driven to get ahead of the pack. They will work 2 jobs, 1 job, watch their money and work with it. They will save hard, start projects back home or strive for home ownership.The world got smaller years ago, Australia's still getting to terms with that.

          Murdoch in his Lowy address last year " Australia is on its way to becoming what may be the world's most diverse nation. This is an incredible competitive advantage. A nation as small as ours will increasingly depend on trade. The more people we have with ties to other parts of the world, the greater our advantage when we seek trade relationships with these nations.What immigrant would leave family and history far behind for a life of indolence? People come here because they seek a better life for themselves and their children, and they believe in opportunity."

          If there's migrants at the Centrelink- there's ways to deal with that and it's important to keep in mind that these people will likely have had some pretty horrific experiences whether its through war or some other calamity- there's ways to deal with this new problem and nip the whole thing in the bud before it becomes chronic.Not knowing how government is dealing with this ,consulting with community leaders and having point people who understand the dynamics of the numerous cultures within the different migrant groups is one of the steps to get people on their way to be more independent of aid. Hopefully that's happening already

        • Erm… Sorry, but I don't think this is correct (the way you've written it anyway). If you lose a job suddenly - for whatever reason - you do have to wait a certain number of weeks to get newstart.

          But having money in the bank does not mean someone disabled gets no payment. In fact they can have a couple of hundred grand in the bank. However they will lose 50 cents of centrelink payments for every dollar they have above a certain amount. My disabled step-sister and her carer husband have well over $250,000 (and Centrelink knows about it, LOL) and they still get some figure around $600 a week.

        • If people have a family and then are struck down by something debilitating (eg stroke, psychosis), then the family really deserves to be supported by the government.

          However, one thing I disagree strongly with, is people who are dependent upon welfare, starting a family, knowing the government will give them money for their spouse, money for each child, a larger house as their family expands, etc. Do people realize that is costs about $12,500 every year to educate a child?

          People on long term welfare should only be allowed to have 1 kid. They should get no extra benefits for any additional child they have. Encouraging people on long term welfare to have children is dysgenics (the opposite of eugenics); it leads to the dumper, lazier and sicker having more offspring than the healthier, more intelligent and more productive people.

        • +1

          Totally agree. Also all the Migrants are not from boats. Majority of Indians have come here as Skilled migrants who paid Embassy fees in thousands or as students who pay universities full fees and train tickets. Aus. Govt. did not spend a single penny to educate these skilled migrants and they got tax payers from day 1. Also migrants cannot use many of the Centrelink payments for 102 weeks. Students were also treated bad here with low paid rates and discrimination.
          More skilled migrants are required in Australia to sustain the social system here as there is still huge shortage of skills and Govt. has huge future bills to pay as pension or dole.

        • +1

          I love the assumption that people on welfare are dumb when you yourself misspelt dumb.

        • +1

          it leads to the dumper, lazier and sicker having more offspring than the healthier, more intelligent and more productive people.

          I loved that movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/

      • +1

        Centrelink is the service delivery agency, it's the government/minister who set the policies/rules afterall.

    • -1

      get rid of housos and ill be happy!!!!!!!!

  • +13

    This is no deal.

      • +61

        You sir, are the perfect example of what's wrong with this world.

      • +11

        I believe my tax dollars are funding this so called 'deal'.

        • +4

          Your (stolen) tax dollars fund every stupid thing government dreams up.

      • +3

        Not sure why you got downvoted for this. Any one living in 90%+ of the rest of the world would be insanely jealous of our social welfare. Sure as hell beats living in a slum and starving to death the minute food becomes scarce.

        No matter how you look at it, social welfare is a damn (profanity) good deal. Means if things go wrong for someone they dont simply starve to death/become homeless.

    • +10

      We do have 'golden soil and wealth for toil'…

      • +10

        And wealth for no toil!

        • +7

          We do have 'golden soil and wealth for toil'…

          more like did have… before we started selling it off to china.

          http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3809433.htm

        • And no wealth for foil.

        • +3

          Why is our government so shortsighted? Seriously. Not novel, but I'm stunned each time. Same goes for allowing foreigners to buy up residential/commercial land.

          Thanks for the article share.

        • +4

          Why is our government so shortsighted?

          caus they only need to worry about 4 or if there lucky 8 years into the future so sell off as much as they can and hand out "big screen tv" bonuses etc ("baby bonus" etc) to all the morons who can also not see any further into the future than there next pay packet…

          if you think selling off the farmland is bad, check the status of the mines.. there was an article on abc a couple(?) years back how even if they could source something locally (in aus) for the same or cheaper they would still outsource it to china caus they are smart enough to understand how to prop up there own economies…

        • Because we have a serious current account deficit. Basically, we import much more stuff than we export.

          Here on Ozbargain, just about every post is something made in China.

          If there is an OzChina website somewhere, I doubt that many things on it would be made in Australia.

          One way to address this is to allow moneyed up Chinese people to move here and to invest, including in land. Its not like they can cut off that piece of land and float it back to China anyway.

        • Its not like they can cut off that piece of land and float it back to China anyway.

          Well, Tony Abbott was planning to give boats away wasn't he…

        • Because we have a serious current account deficit.

          selling our valuable assets to prop up our short term income issues is as intelligent as selling your fridge to cash converters when you cant pay your power bill……

  • -5

    Greatest bargain ever! All unemployed potentially able to get this eh… Should get tens of thousands of votes!

  • +11

    Don't feed the troll

  • -2

    Bargain!

  • +14

    The catch is you have to deal with Centrelink and their draconian rules. No deal.

    • +1

      I'm sure anyone living in sub Saharan Africa would be more then happy do deal with a few pricks in order to feed their children… People are so self entitled in our country they cant even see how good we have it

      • How good we have it…? Fattened lambs waiting to be slaughtered, more like it.

    • +2

      Unemployment benefits in Australia aren't as easy to get or hold onto in Australia as they are in European "Solcialist Paradises" such as Germany, France, and Sweden. If people want a secure form of welfare, either get knocked up (for fertile women) and claim single parent allowance, or else malinger with a bad back or fake a psych illness in order to claim disability allowance. People tell me it is a 'comfortable' sort of poverty, as opposed to true poverty where a person has to beg/scavenge/steal for food and sleep under newspapers.

      I read in Germany that unemployment benefits aren't a flat amount but depend upon the salary you had at the time you lost your job.

      Here is a page with interesting info on the rapid increase of people receiving Disability allowance (SSI I think it is called) in the United States. There are currently ~ 11 million recipients! The situation is probably very similar in Australia and Western Europe.
      http://apps.npr.org/unfit-for-work/

  • +12

    Down-voted for obvious reasons.

  • +1

    I hear that the man is going to make you work for this money - no deal

  • +8

    people will abuse this ie. receive cash in hand but claim cant get a job

    • +15

      No offence to the honest people.
      BUT unfortunately we have a lot of grubs in this country born & migrated that screwing/leeching off our government as it is at the expense of the tax payer.
      Now there are people or families that need this & that's fine.
      100% there will be people getting this benefit or similar & are working on the side and that's not Australian, actually they are roaches.
      Soz just had to let that out. :)

      • +29

        And most of them are politicians…

        • +7

          Ehehe them too, "slightly" on the overpaid side.

      • +5

        thats imposible, you have to be Australian to get the entitlment.

        • -1

          But a number just care to be a "citizen" of Australia. Self-entitlement. Difference.

        • Don't you just have to have acquired 'long term residency' status to be entitled?

      • +12

        We also have a lot of grubs in this country who WERE born here.
        Eg negative gearing etc Costs the country a whole lot more than genuine people out of work and fallen on hard times with a few more on the sidelines.
        Propery owners making lots of dosh from these new migrants trying to get a start in this land for the benefit of all not only themselves.

        • +4

          I think you'll find previous Aussie Governments have tried to terminate the "benefits" of negative gearing, the problem was all the property investors disappeared - rents we up, public housing demand soared and house prices started to crash, bringing down confidence in the entire econonmy. So I think negative gearing has actually historically proven to help Australia. While it is true it makes slightly rich people richer - if there is a better alternative consecutive governments have yet to find or implement it.

        • +4

          Agree. It's the rich with negative gearing, dodgy tax shifting to foreign countries, tax deductions for executives to have Mercedes/expensive cars that costs the economy a lot more lost income than giving a measly $250 to hard up people.

        • +2

          An interesting arguement and well put , but it is curious that negative gearing, ie spread losses from one asset class against income from other asset classes doesn't exist in any other major world economy.
          Sure in other countries you may be able to offset losses in say rental property against future profits from rental proprty but Australia is the only country I know off where you can offset 'rental losses' against other forms of income such as employment income, dividend income or capital gains!
          (It also suprises me that Australian landlords manage to make such big 'losses' on their rental properties in the first place, as they such bad businessmen and woman or is it perhaps the generous tax rules that are proping their 'businesses' up?).

        • I'm not certain if I agree with you Jason. I have read somewhere that NG was only briefly canned in the 80's, and was reinstated on the back of a political campaign and no hard evidence. We have even had a recession since then an possibly another soon so I do not see how you can say it affects confidence in the economy. I think the issue is that coupled with low interest rates, NG has too much of an inflationary effect in the asset economy as more people can afford to NG assets and access its benefits - which means higher annual tax subsidy.

        • +5

          Why is housing prices dropping a bad thing? I think it would be great. Houses in cities now cost $500,000 plus. People on lower incomes will never be able to own a home now, compared to 20 years ago. The only people who benefit from high housing prices are rich capitalists who own a lot of property. It is disgraceful that our government (both Libs & Labour) places the interests of a opulent elite minority above those of ordinary people.

          Burst the housing bubble! Scrap negative gearing ( middle-class welfare) and make it illegal for foreigners to own property in Australia. I would support any government with such policies.

        • +1

          The 'rents went up and investors left when they ditched negative gearing' story is a complete lie peddled by vested interests. It's just a pure tax dodge that costs the government billions without doing anything to improve rental affordability, it's a complete rort and total policy failure.

          Saul Eslake (former Chief economist of a number of banks, and member of the National Housing Supply Council) outlined this well in a recent speech he gave called "50 years of Housing Failure"

          http://www.prosper.org.au/2013/09/03/saul-eslake-50-years-of…

          It's also been covered extensively here:

          http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2014/01/busting-the-big-nega…

  • +8

    Newstart allowance?
    Just another name of getting dole?

  • +12

    i smell troll in this deal :D

  • +1

    First post!

  • +14

    so this is where my tax dollars are going…

  • +41

    I must say this is un-australian. This guy just gets Citizenship and gets on the gravy train.

    Welcome to becoming a citizen ()! that should come with a punch in the face.

    Shouldnt we delete this thread?

    • -4

      I agree DaTa, most of this so-called NEW Aussie just arrived by the boat or plane with their citizenship certificate need to contribute to the society instead of just claiming centrelink money the first chance they get, and at the same time multiplies and claiming baby bonus, FTB part a/b, etc

      Most of them came from poor asian countries like philippines, bangladesh, srilanka or whatever holes they came from. The governments of those countries should fix their own mess rather than dumping their people to Australia.

      Aussie government should be more clever with the migration plan and allow foreigners that can contribute with education and skills to be allowed for citizenship.

  • +15

    Unless you have a refugee permanent resident, you have to wait for 2 years before claiming these money.

    • +7

      I was born here, as were my parents, grandparents, great grandparents etc. I've yet to claim anything of the kind from Centrelink nor have my ancestors. 2 years isn't nearly long enough!!! Also I note the "unless you have a refugee permanent resident" ( I think you mean "residency visa"). Try asking people who managed to survive eating bread and dripping in the Great Depression and who now have to survive on interest rates around 3% on their savings (Superannuation wasn't available for many of them in those days)!!! For those who are self funded retirees many are paying full price for their medications - no health care card for them and they aren't even claiming a pension. So much for supporting those who built this nation in much harder times than we are having now. Two years needs to be reviewed and significantly increased to ensure those who are new to Australia don't become a financial burden on those who are in their 80s, have already done their fair share of work and are still paying taxes on savings from income already taxed once. I would sooner support them with my taxes, especially given that many of these people, if not most, lost immediate family members fighting for Australia in WWI and WWII and still suffer their own traumatic memories of that time including queuing with food stamps to get what little food they could, telegrams telling them someone was lost, army trains leaving with loved ones never to be seen again. Our government needs to recognise these people, not those looking for a "deal".

      • +4

        What a crock of shit. It is these same crying poor old people that sit in their 5 bedroom mcMansions, refuse to convert their assets into cash and then cry poor cos their old and the government doesn't want to give them a handout. If you have assets sell them and live off them, then and only then should you be eligible to bludge off the working tax payers.

        • +2

          If you sell the house you live in to pay for everyday expenses, aren't you just setting yourself up on the quick road to bankruptcy by also now having to pay rent, real estate agent fees, moving costs, etc? Sometimes selling the farm to pay for everyday living expenses isn't the smart way to go.

          Does your point of view apply only to owners of 5 bedroom 'McMansions' or also 4 bedroom Junior Meals too? What if someone just has a 3 bedroom Cheeseburger?

      • What many people also don't realise is, pensioners lose benefits depending on how much savings they have. Centrelink uses what a "deeming rate". I think it's something like 4%. So for every dollar a pensioner has saved over a certain amount, they lose 50 cents of their pension. The deeming rate was 4% when banks were paying nearly 8% interest. Now they're paying ~3% interest - but Centrelink hasn't lowered their deeming rate. So centrelink is reducing pensioners income based on 4% when they're getting only 3% (or 0%).

        Oh - and people demanding older people surrender their homes so the same spoiled brats can live in it… Oh, I've already said what I think about that in the same sentence. ;-p

        It would be foolish for them to convert their home to cash - because of the deeming rule I mentioned above. They'd have to keep on downgrading until they would up in poverty. Work all their life, struggle and do without to own a home, then be forced to give it up but be penalised for selling? Yeah, a lot of incentive there.

  • +20

    I have no problem with people genuinely looking for work and needing assistance for the mean time.

    However, I have nothing but contempt for those who get PR and go straight to Centrelink.

    Mod: Removed reference to OP

  • +3

    "WARNING, WARNING" as the robot said from lost in space.
    I think this thread is gonna boil soon.

    • +5

      You "imagine" that 90% of all dole takers are non legit?

      Check out this study http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/42…

      They investigate most welfare recipients to some level of detail or another. Out of everyone they investigate, 16% have their payments reduced, and 0.04% are prosecuted for fraud.

    • That is complete nonsense man. its so much nonsense its mind boggling you can believe that.

      Infact any study will show you it is very much the other way around, only a very small percentage of people on the Dole are abusing the system

    • +5

      Some people always crucify dole bludgers citing their government-stolen taxes. But what about the thousands of other ways government squanders your wages? That stupid flagpole they erected at parliament house that cost millions comes to mind. Throwing cash at other countries who have corrupt governments. The list goes on. Politicians are to blame for this dole bludger-bashing mentality. First THEY destroy manufacturing through things like free trade agreements - then when there's no manufacturing making the country money, and the jobs have disappeared - they pin the blame for their failing economy on "those cheating dole bludgers" instead of the real criminals - themselves.

  • +25

    The fact that this guy has only been a member for 5 days, the choice of name, and the 'deal' all makes me think its either:
    1. someone trolling, or
    2. someone trying to make some political point.
    Either way - poor form.

  • +2

    When I went through uni living at home working casual I had no idea I was entitled to welfare. I got it for the last 6 months of my studies, but missed out on heaps of years worth. I wish I had the information then that is here. I've since noticed the free Indian newspaper available locally explains all this welfare clearly. I only wish the I had known when I was eligible.

    • +3

      Its pretty hard to claim if household income is >50k/investment homes etc.. but yes it sucks big time the amount of students that don't need to work as the govt gives them cash because their parents income is low even though the house is paid!!

      • i wouldnt fret over it as austudy is set so that even 1 parent earning avg. wage means you get shit all

        during the end uni life i actually went on the dole while studying (it wasnt newstart back then)

        they didnt have a problem with me studying as long as i was looking for work (which i was a a final year student)

    • +3

      I should add that the newspaper doesn't just rehash government information. It also explains step by step how to apply, what will lift and lower/reject your benefit. Gives all the answers without having to ask.

      • From what I remember eons ago, and have been confirmed still occurs, near the end of High School, they brief you on this information and where you can get details… ie brochures… at Centrelink.

  • +1

    Why isn't this either deleted or renamed to say it's newstart allowance?

  • +6

    I hope the people that are getting new start with no intention of look for work are going to get caught and have to pay it all back, dole bludgers make me sick.

    • +3

      They caught some guy last year that had registered 20 or more deceased people and was claiming mega $$$ every year under their names. They also catch people every year where the parent died but they keep picking up their pensions etc for years. Unfortunately there are plenty of people out there that know how to 'work' the system. Many don't see it as stealing, they see it as just getting a little bit out of the nameless and faceless government. They don't understand what they are really doing is stealing from their neighbors, every bit the same as if they were stealing their cars etc.

  • +19

    Will Officeworks beat this by 5% or 10%?

  • +38

    As a tax payer it's never bothered me if my money goes to claimants. Not having a job is very demoralising. What I wish Abbott would get rid of is the job find centres. They milk the system and the tax payer. They did not help me find a job. Then when I found my own job they called me to come in and fill in forms. They offered me fuel vouchers, monetary benefits, rewards. Just so they could reap their reward from the government. I told them to get stuffed. I told them they wasted my time. They are not job find centres, they are check in stops to make sure you aren't at work when you're meant to be unemployed. It is the most untrustful unhelpful system for someone so down as an unemployed person. If the government wants me to report in as if I'm on bail, fine, pay an administrator to tick me off when I come in. But don't pay
    Someone with specialist skills to suggest they are helping me by doing the same thing, and then get a fat benefit for something they didn't do.
    Off topic, but Kevin Rudds wife Therase made millions out of job find centres. She didn't even run them, she was a middle man getting paid to coordinate them. Corruption in my eyes.

    • +12

      What I wish Abbott would get rid of is the job find centres. They milk the system and the tax payer.

      well said

      the very bad impact of them on the society is when they make up fake jobs! and you apply and apply and apply and you know you are the best and this job is like nothing to get it done in 2 seconds but there are always that same email that "you are good candidate but we are sorry and blah and blah"
      and they get paid for this nasty game, wasting our life looking for real jobs!

      they never helped to find a job

      wish they shut all job agencies or maybe just pull out the rewards so they work on real job huntings!

      • +8

        Yeah these employment agency contracted by the government are useless.
        I'd be surprised if they found any one a job ever.

        • +1

          8 years ago I used to work for a government employment agency. I found plenty of people work jobs. actually I was a client of theirs and then they offered me a job (I'd just moved back from 4 years living overseas and moved to a rural area).

          I also lined up alot sure-fire guaranteed jobs for people who just had to show up monday, and just didn't. because they were sick or their car wouldn't start or some other pathetic excuse.

          The agency I worked for was in Albury and at the time the people working there were pretty decent and even dedicated. many were former CES employees.

          There is a limit to what job agencies can do due to limited funding and how they are rewarded for finding certain categories of people jobs.

          I can't talk about the current state of agencies as I only worked there for 6 months.

    • get rid of housos and ill be happy!!!!!!!!

    • +1

      Job finders are really a joke. I was with them for 1 year to find me a job but non. They didn't even bothered to find a job. They tell the job seeker to sit infrint of conputer and find yourself a job, pretty much you can do that at home without having bothered to walk to job find centres. Government really has to investigate into matter so see what percent of those agences find job for job seekers.

    • I agree they offer nothing for people who are readily employable. Those people generally have initiative and better off finding a job off their own bat.

      Back in the Keating era, the CES was mainly focused on getting jobs to people who needed an extra bit of help. Programs like Working Nation were expensive but effective. A lot of people previously considered unemployable were able to secure long term employment because of those programs.

    • Seems pretty close to being spot on for me. When I was unemployed the job find centre was next to useless. They did have one employee who had a friend who was looking for an employee and got me an interview and I ended up getting a job through that.

      I managed to find several of my own jobs without their help at the time. But I wasn't willing to work casual or temp jobs, so I stuck with it until finding a permanent job. I can't live with uncertainty in my job, and that was what most of the jobs they provided were. The job that his mate offered me was full time, but the pay was awful so I stuck with that until I found a better job. Even then I was a bit worried on the 3 month probation, but a year on it's all sweet. I'm working better hours, getting better money and slightly closer to home. Would love a better job as anyone would, but right now this one keeps me happy as I know I can afford to pay my bills and get by each week.

  • -2

    Interestingly comments are being removed!
    Happy Lovely Australia day to get Citizenship and quickly jump to centrelink to get our money!
    Welcome fellows!

  • -6

    Congrats Mr Kevin Rudd! Julia Gillard, Bill Shorten and rest of politicians!

    Some people they need money due to losing jobs which is understandable, but some people they like money!

    Some people are working their a25e off but happily paying high taxes to have a better country for their future and children but they actually paying it to some refugees getting PR or Citizenship through humanity programs!

    I personally knew a few came by boat or so, claiming they had political and life risk issues with their home country and soon as got their VISA or PR got back home every other month!! no issues then!

    some other living in government housing, working for cash getting more money than a normal average Australian hard worker paying no tax and worst of all always giving sh1t to our values and practising a dirty behaviour! accusing our freedom, liberal and democratic values!

    Trust me they have better lives than a normal hard working Aussie

    Thats what lets me down very bad!

    • +2

      I agree!!

    • +2

      Yes, damn Tony Rabbit, Julie Bishop and Joe Hockey. Damn them all!

  • +12

    There's the newly arrived residents waiting period where you need to wait 104 weeks after getting PR. This guy's a freaking troll.

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