Is Centrelink Giving out Money Too Easily These Days? Do We Need Tighter Laws to Prevent Centrelink Fraud?

xdigger on 08/12/2020 - 14:05
Last edited 08/12/2020 - 14:15

Is Centrelink Giving out Money Too Easily These Days? Do We Need Tighter Laws to Prevent Centrelink Fraud?

I was shocked to read on the news today that someone with "five joint home loan accounts" which I read as multiple investment properties could still access a huge amount of money from Centrelink.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/mum-who…

More disturbing is the fact that if she had kept quiet and didn't make her TV appearances she wouldn't have been caught. How many undetected Kim Castles are out there making a killing off Centrelink by lying low and gotten quiet hardworking Australians to fund their holidays and lavish lifestyle?

Do we need stronger policing of Centrelink funds and stronger regulations to ensure only the needy gets what they need and not give dishonest dole bulgers an unfair advantage in owning investment properties when young Australians today are having a hard time even getting their first homes? Also, is the single parent payment paraxodically bad for society by indirectly encouraging single parenthood (cue single moms with four kids by different dads living in social housing spending Centrelink money on drugs, etc)? In an alternate reality where the single parent payment didn't exist in the first place, do you think that those single moms would have reconsidered having kids as she wouldn't be able to afford them, and probably actually had to work an honest job and live a honest life, thus reducing crime rates?

Constructive thoughts and civil discussions are welcomed.

Poll Options expired

  • 310
    1. Yes, we need more stringent requirements surrounding the disbursement of Centrelink money.
  • 320
    2. No, we are not called the Lucky Country for no reason.
Financial

Comments

      • Willco88 on 09/12/2020 - 18:28

        Yes very true the govt were giving people $550 a week for months and that is more than many make in a full time job; let alone McDonalds part time slave labor job..

        • AS2035 on 01/01/2021 - 13:26

          $550 per week ended in September. From 1st January it's $550 per fortnight plus $150 as we are still in recession.

          • Willco88 on 01/01/2021 - 13:39

            @AS2035: Still was $6000 free money 🤑

            • AS2035 on 04/01/2021 - 12:54
              -1

              @Willco88: It's not free money.

              Maccas only hire 15yo

              You are clueless.

              Most would rather work

              • Danstar on 05/01/2021 - 16:51

                @AS2035:

                You are clueless.

                Most would rather work

                LOL.

    • papachris on 10/12/2020 - 02:21
      +2

      people intentionally leaving their jobs just because govt started the jobseeker/keeper payments

      Is there documented evidence of this happening, or published statistics? And I don't mean a Murdoch or ACA 'shock piece'.

      This should never happen, because Jobseeker should not be available for people who have resigned by choice (without extreme circumstances, that is).

      As far as I know you have to declare the reason for leaving your last job on the Centrelink application form, you certainly used to (many years ago). This would mean these people would be committing fraud…

      • Chino Gambino on 10/12/2020 - 19:46

        Its not because people are lazy, its rational due to the stupidity of means testing. I know an interpreter who would love to work every job she's was offered, the problem is it cuts into the pension of her partner. Essentially the OP would be telling her to work for nothing out of principle, its not principled or smart working for nothing. This is like not taking your tax return out of patriotism… Instead of Job Keeper, Taking fewer jobs to remain on Job Seeker supplements made more sense both financially and avoiding covid exposure wise.

        Industrialized countries don't make people choose between money and saving their lives in hospital either; at least they shouldn't but emulating a miserable dog eat dog no assistance nation is the right thing to do or something.

      • AS2035 on 04/01/2021 - 12:56

        Only fools who have no clue think that.

        The Covid supplement will get taxed. People will have to pay some of the money back.

        No one walks out on their job to get benefits.

        • Danstar on 05/01/2021 - 16:54

          The Covid supplement will get taxed. People will have to pay some of the money back.

          Pay some of their free money back

          No one walks out on their job to get benefits.

          They would if they get more for doing nothing,..,..

          • AS2035 on 06/01/2021 - 19:17

            @Danstar: you started they year full of hate… it's not going well for you.

            You are wrong on all counts.

            Time to retire.

  • Candour on 09/12/2020 - 15:51
    +1

    if you follow the new daily.com.au paper, you will find much more which the government is doing will shock you more, eg sports rorts, and grants without strings to business, and its cronies and supporters. we selctively read what we want and hear what we want. it is hard to know the full context of robodebt and the lack of accountability which ministers in this fed government have when they make major errors. to generalise from one case is bad. to see this government as right when they have commited many blunders is not good. unless you read politics widely and regularly, you will not have an unbiased view.

    • barghunt1 on 10/12/2020 - 08:23

      I’ve found the newdaily, the guardian and the Saturday paper (I access that through the press display in the library) writing good articles about these topics.

      The Saturday paper reported in august that the govt gave 500 million dollars to private job agencies during the pandemic. What other non critical industry got that kind of money?

      https://twitter.com/some_sense/status/1299831027272089600

  • This Guy on 09/12/2020 - 16:53
    +4

    Why make life worse for people doing it tough because a career criminal has commited one of the stupidest forms of fraud possible?

    She stole $11k a year. That's slum lord rent money. It's nothing in the world of fraud.

    And she is loosing two years of her life for it. Minimum wage is $78k for two years. But gaol is 168 hours a week, not 38.

    And she has been arrested and gaoled for this before. It won't matter how many hoops you put in front of her, she will re-offend when she is released.

    My problem is that it will cost us a further ~$250k to support her for two years as her punishment with no chance of rehabilitation. At his point put her on pittance that the aged pension is so we don't waste any more money on her. For the same cost as gaoling her we could have her on the aged pension for 13 years.

  • Vote for Pedro on 09/12/2020 - 17:39
    +3

    A drop in the ocean compared to the illegal billions claimed by robodebt from honest people even leading to suicides.

    Will any government minister be fined or jailed?

  • Austrian Oak on 09/12/2020 - 17:44
    +2

    If your on welfare then you've lost your rights, according to Ms. Hanson. 🤦

    https://twitter.com/JamesEltonPym/status/1336474617548922881

  • UFO on 09/12/2020 - 17:55

    Increase Centrelink, but limit the time.

    This rubbish where someone can be perpetually unemployed, and then raise children who then become permanently unemployed as well, handing down their public housing to the next generation, is ridiculous.

    There should be a maximum of like 3 years to get your life in order, and that doesn't renew for 15 years.
    But the payment of Centrelink should be higher to support those genuinely in temporary urgent need.

    • Austrian Oak on 09/12/2020 - 18:04
      +3

      Excellent solution, let's allow more people to become homeless and let them fend for themselves by stealing/ commiting crime to feed themselves.

      • UFO on 09/12/2020 - 18:24
        +1

        Or much better for the rest of us to support these deadbeat losers that keep breeding, causing a growing and endless cycle of welfare for future generations to pay for. If you can't sort out your life in THREE YEARS, and become a productive member of society, then yes…. HOMELESS is definitely your best option.

        • Austrian Oak on 09/12/2020 - 18:36
          +1

          That may be a small minority but that's not everyone on welfare. Does the same apply for those with mental health problems, children from abused homes, drug addictions and those with disabilities? Should we kick them off too?

          There needs to be a better solution. (UBI)

          • UFO on 09/12/2020 - 19:45
            -1

            @Austrian Oak: If you have disability or a diagnosed mental health condition, you aren't on unemployment benefits. That's different.

            I'm talking about those people who are perfectly able bodied and 100% functional choosing not to work.

            Their mindset is "I pack shelves for 100% minimum wage, or get 70% of minimum wage doing absolutely nothing… so that's the way I'll go".

            That's wrong.If you can't find a job… ANY job in 3 years, something's up.

            There 100% needs to be a better solution, I do agree with you there. More support for those that genuinely need it, less for those taking advantage of the system.

            • Austrian Oak on 09/12/2020 - 19:55

              @UFO: Yeah we can definately agree on this. The system isn't perfect thats for sure but when you realise how much money these job providers are making (on our tax dollar by the way) you will see how broken (Rort) the current system is. Just look up Sarina Russo.

              'Sarina Russo Job Access won a major contract in June 2015 with the Federal Government worth $606M from 2015-2020.[citation needed] Not long after winning this contract the company was accused of dumping thousands of documents containing jobseeker's confidential data in a skip bin.[citation needed]'

              'Russo is financial contributor to both major Australian political parties' Coincidence?

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarina_Russo

              This video is from 2015 and still relevent to today. Everyone should watch this.

              https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/the-jobs-game/6247206

            • barghunt1 on 10/12/2020 - 08:12
              +4

              @UFO: “If you have disability or a diagnosed mental health condition, you aren't on unemployment benefits. That's different.”

              What you have stated above is incorrect. It is extremely difficult some would say even impossible to get the disability support pension.

              So if you have a major health issue and are under pension age the only payment available to you is jobseeker. Under jobseeker even if the medical system determines a person isn’t fit to work Centrelink has the power to override that and require mutual obligations. That means someone with major health issues is required to put their health in the hands of a private job agency who has complete power over their health and the power to stop their payment.

              But don’t let facts get in the way of your narrative.

          • AustriaBargain on 12/12/2020 - 08:40
            -1

            @Austrian Oak: What about war veterans living with unrecognised PTSD from combat, all kinds of mental illness could affect any of us for any reason and we may one day be unable to keep a job for it. We will all be glad we have some kind of safety net if that fate befell any of us.

        • Vote for Pedro on 10/12/2020 - 09:05
          +5

          We could start with corporate welfare and then move on to property investment welfare. After that we should look at farming welfare.

          Then we could take a look at closing tax minimisation schemes that may be technically legal but not within the spirit.

          Oh, wait no, can’t do that because that’ll affect us, lets just go the tracey grimshaw route and attack dole bludgers.

          • TheBird on 10/12/2020 - 11:37
            -1

            @Vote for Pedro:

            Then we could take a look at closing tax minimisation schemes that may be technically legal but not within the spirit.

            Banning tax returns eh?

            • Vote for Pedro on 10/12/2020 - 13:34
              +1

              @TheBird: If people are doing the wrong thing, yes. But you’re being mischievous in your question knowing all too well where the biggest welfare has gone.

              I too am so very happy that companies benefiting from jobkeeper (our tax dollars) paid out healthy bonuses to executives.

              • TheBird on 12/12/2020 - 00:58

                @Vote for Pedro:

                I too am so very happy that companies benefiting from jobkeeper (our tax dollars) paid out healthy bonuses to executives.

                I was talking with a few people who saw that happening a mile away. Take any labour intense business that pays close to minimum wages that sneaks in to just qualify. Lose 30% of your revenue but decrease your costs by 50%, profits are going to increase for those kinds of businesses.

                It was all put together very fast, mistakes were going to get made.

                • Vote for Pedro on 12/12/2020 - 08:15

                  @TheBird: Isn’t the difference in language amazing. Some one doesn’t want to work = dole bludger. But company takes cash hand out from taxpayer then pays exec bonuses = mistakes were made.

                  Same for wage theft. They don’t call it what is instead they say things like ‘systemic underpayment’.

                  The language we use is important and sets the tone for the issue.

                  • TheBird on 12/12/2020 - 12:20
                    -1

                    @Vote for Pedro:

                    The language we use is important and sets the tone for the issue.

                    Language does set the tone. Taking from your tone, it would appear that you're unhappy with how the world is running. I guess you could do with a hug.

                    • Vote for Pedro on 12/12/2020 - 14:10

                      @TheBird: You are wrong. I am happy to work towards changing the status quo particularly when it is used to oppress.

  • nikey2k27 on 09/12/2020 - 19:18
    +2

    I know mum with 4 kids pay her own home off on Centrelink.

    • Willco88 on 09/12/2020 - 19:20
      +1

      That could just be really good budgeting skills.. but yes they do get money per child.. but I also know of some home loan companies just for Centrelink recipients…

      • papachris on 10/12/2020 - 02:32

        I also know of some home loan companies just for Centrelink recipients

        Really? Banks and mortgage companies usually just laugh at you if Centrelink is your only income source, even for a smallish car loan.

        I've both hoping an enterprising and honest (!) Australian financial company would start up what they have had in the UK (and probably elsewhere). Can't remember what they're called, but they are basically a 'buy a house then give it back when you die' type arrangement. You end up paying low mortgage repayments, can still improve the property (without permission from the lender) as if you own it fully, but ownership reverts to the financial company when you move on to pastures greener, whiter or hotter…

    • MessyG on 09/12/2020 - 21:04
      +3

      …which is a good thing because trying to work enough to support 4 kids alone while trying to successfully raise 4 kids alone is unconscionably hard.

      • Willco88 on 09/12/2020 - 21:20

        Yeah I totally agree with raising your own children not letting others do it for you

        • Allwentmarching on 14/12/2020 - 21:39

          Love to hear the definition of others raising somebodys kids. No doubt more holes than swiss cheese.

      • Jugganautx on 12/12/2020 - 15:49

        dont have 4 kids alone

      • Allwentmarching on 15/12/2020 - 08:33

        Plenty of single parents work and support their own kids, even in larger families. I think the bigger question is whether the other parent is contributing to the costs of the kids they helped make and if not, why not.

  • AS2035 on 09/12/2020 - 20:24
    +5

    Oh boy are you delusional.

    The supplement is being removed in a few weeks. people are back to living below poverty on same money that was introduced 25 years ago.

    Try living like that.. $4 a day.. and then get back to us.

    • ozhunter on 09/12/2020 - 21:18

      How is it $4/day? It's $333/week for a single person.

      • Willco88 on 09/12/2020 - 21:19
        +4

        It's $40/day still barely enough to cover rent

      • AS2035 on 10/12/2020 - 12:43

        By the time you paid rent, utilities, transport, fixed breakages, there is nothing left to buy food.

        For most it's food or bills.

      • AS2035 on 13/12/2020 - 21:06

        $275 if that per week.

        Rent, utilities all add up.

        Rent costs most people $150 per week
        Utilise around $30 per week
        Mobilie Phone $30
        Transport $15 if they use a yellow card in NSW
        If they have a car they need petrol.

        They still need food and some need medication..

    • TheBird on 10/12/2020 - 11:40

      The suppliment is being reduced from $250 to $150 per fortnight, not eliminated.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/12/2020 - 20:40
    +1

    I'm a university student, I applied for YA but then stopped because I was earning way more working than on Centrelink ($300 a fortnight which is one Sundays work). Over my 5 years at university (completing masters), I've saved nearly 200k compared to the measesly 9k a year or so I would have received from Centrelink without factoring expenses.

  • MessyG on 09/12/2020 - 21:03
    +2

    clutches pearls and speed dials Shane Paxton

  • bmerigan on 09/12/2020 - 21:41
    +2

    I don't think the rules need to be tougher, by I DO think the checks / data matching / whatever needs to be more thorough so as to catch more cheats.

  • tikei on 09/12/2020 - 21:55
    +2

    Wow. The OP is full of hate.

  • ladybug1 on 09/12/2020 - 22:00
    +2

    The woman may own 10% of 5 homes. Leave ordinary people alone, it’s actually very hard to get on a pension. Make corporate Australia pay taxes.

  • MiaSanMia on 09/12/2020 - 22:43
    +1

    Go to Bankstown or Cabramatta, you'll find quite a few single moms/dads live as couple, have their own job/business and still on social welfare. Wish I could tip them off!

    • papachris on 11/12/2020 - 03:42

      You can ….. if you know them. If you don't know them, then you're just being 'suburbist'…

  • LakeVostok on 09/12/2020 - 23:04
    +3

    From 'no case' to $1.2b settlement: How robo-debt scheme went so wrong:

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/from-no-case-to-1-2b…

  • virhlpool on 10/12/2020 - 00:12
    +2

    Laws can be even more stringent but without strict enforcement, they are of no use. It's all about enforcement.

  • Candour on 10/12/2020 - 04:43
    +2

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/welfare/2020/12/09/centre…
    before we cast the first stone, we should learn how politics perverts the truth in oz, the us, and the UK.
    economics, and the public good have been sacrificed so that these leaders can enrich their lobbies of businesses and impoverish the people.
    the newdaily.com.au is a useful guide to learning enough about our country and its issues.
    the conversation, the guardian are also good sources.
    Murdoch empire and the afr etc it controls, are not.

  • Candour on 10/12/2020 - 04:54
    +2

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/nsw/2020/12/09/staffer…
    why no outrage at the crimes which pious leaders carry out against the public interest?

  • Candour on 10/12/2020 - 05:15
    +2

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2020/12/09/george-pell…
    we ignore crime where it suits us.
    we lack perspective on the major beams in our eye when we see the mote in an isolated case which politicians drum up for their own ends.

  • ddn2004 on 10/12/2020 - 08:39
    +2

    Unemployment takes up such a small fraction of the social security budget, it needs to be raised instead.

    • nedski on 10/12/2020 - 09:13
      +1

      Yes sir! Totally agree.

    • Danstar on 10/12/2020 - 12:19
      +1

      Less unemployed also increases government revenue…….

  • nedski on 10/12/2020 - 09:11
    +8

    Jesus, people on our welfare system are already demonised enough. How much harder do you want to make it for them? Weekly blood screenings?

  • nedski on 10/12/2020 - 09:12
    +1

    I should also add that it costs SFA to provide Jobseeker payments to people that need them. The majority of your taxes when it comes to welfare is to cover the increasing cost of the aged pension.

  • lowlifesphere on 10/12/2020 - 09:33
    +1

    There are whole suburbs that live off single parent payments, with couples actually not separated.

    • skidexa on 10/12/2020 - 14:05

      Which whole suburbs ?

      • lowlifesphere on 10/12/2020 - 18:29

        It’s an exaggeration but Fairfield nsw to name one

  • kaleidoscope on 10/12/2020 - 10:32
    +5

    They aren’t giving out money easily like you think. Become dependant on it once or twice in your life to see how it is.

    But there are always people that game the system, just like some people think tax evasion is easy and something to boast about…

    Laws are in place to handle it, but sadly people try to make use of the fact thag it’s too much trouble for authorities to come after small fish.

  • JoJoker on 10/12/2020 - 11:24
    +5

    This post brought to you by only reading Murdoch media.

  • realaaa on 10/12/2020 - 11:55
    +1

    No - please no - this approach leads to hell for all

    We are already ALL suffering because of isolated incidents when idiots cannot drink properly, or terrorists, or whatever else - and most of us regular folk have to go through jumps and hoops to prove what?

    I think this should be investigated on a case by case basis - and Centrelink should really scrutinize themselves, how the hell have they allowed themselves to be scammed TWICE ?!

    So the real question here is - how effective their processes are (I've seen those forms - it's easier to find a job I reckon than to fill out all that non-sense) and why it didn't work in this particular case?

  • Pedro123 on 10/12/2020 - 11:57

    So much of Government regulation is for reasons of economy (keep Govt. Department staff levels low ) based on the good old 'Honesty Principal' …

  • Headless on 10/12/2020 - 13:16
    -1

    My neighbour thrives off centrelink, lives in an apartment his mum bought him (still under her name - thanks body corp for that information), and sells drugs for extra money.
    Yes, centrelink needs a kick up the a…

    Or is that what centrelink is designed for, bludgers who don't want to work - I might quit my job and join him

  • dublin101 on 10/12/2020 - 13:20
    +1

    You'll find wealthy people are doing it most. They should introduce an reward to try and clamp down on fraudsters. Welfare fraud is normally taught in families, so it's passed down and you'll see many ppl getting married but not registering it and then listing their kids as unknown father, etc. It's despicable and they are the ones who need to pay for their crimes, e.g. not just a slap on the wrist.

    I'd much rather see my tax go to the needy.

  • skidexa on 10/12/2020 - 14:07

    Next "does anyone think people access healthcare too cheaply? I don't want to contribute to medicare with my hard earned money."

  • dogboy on 10/12/2020 - 14:54
    +3

    Knew someone whose wife was getting Centrelink support as a single mum with 3 kids. Only thing is the husband was working full time and they are still married and living together. One of their friends ended up dobbing them in as they were sick of them living the high life on government handouts for over 10 years. I hate to think how many other dole scammers there are as Centrelink are useless to find them themselves and seem to rely only on tipoffs.

    • Chino Gambino on 10/12/2020 - 18:51
      +1

      You hate to think about it but its not really an issue in data, adjusted for the amount of people on Centrelink(around 450k before Covid) we are not seeing abnormalities of say billions of dollars in the welfare budget. I'd be surprised if its even 100 million in over payments. The LNP being flogged in court over the illegal Robodebt scheme should clue everyone in, fraud is not wide spread in the system; there isn't really substantial money to claw back from dishonest Newstart claimants.

  • No ONE on 10/12/2020 - 15:08
    +3

    We give the politician hands out all the time. We need stringent and powerful corruption body to chase and jail crooked politicians that matters the most when it comes to public money; but yeah nah, who gives a fu*K about $30 millions.

  • mrhanky71 on 10/12/2020 - 15:38
    +1

    everyone on Centrelink should be audited. Stop those abusing the system and give it to those who need it

  • djones145 on 10/12/2020 - 16:26
    +1

    news.com.au
    mate ur reading the wrong article
    should have read that kmart mum article instead, more interesting
    AIR FRYERS ARE BAKC IN STOCK

  • miguelsanchez on 10/12/2020 - 17:13

    Universal Basic Income. Tax the rich.

  • Chino Gambino on 10/12/2020 - 18:38
    +3

    Individual fraud is not a huge issue on Centrelink, you would think after the robodebt debacle you people peddling this nonsense would wake up. The LNP government already tried to claim it'd pull billions out of the system by punishing misreporting; it ended up costing tax payers 1.2 billion dollars and killing people already on the edge. There is no money to be saved or moral reason to be cruel to people who receive public assistance.

    If the people claiming waste and fraud are big issues for the welfare system why do they keep voting in a party of kleptomaniacs who rort it the most? We already pay over a billion dollars a year to ineffectual 'job service providers', foreign corporations whose only job is to harass dole recipients and act like parole officers. They want to put every form of public assistance on Indue Cards, a company whose deputy chairman until 2013 is now the president of the National Party, former Nationals MP Larry Anthony. It costs 10 grand per card in administration fees, the dole is 15 grand…

    A lady getting away with fraud for a few years vs the government claiming with a straight face their mates need 10 grand to be the middle men between the aboriginals and their dole money. Its racist targeting now because they know no cares about aboriginals but the want to do this for everyone for maximum profit and misery. Corruption on the state and federal level is costing us tens of billions of dollars every year and its always the Liberal/National coalition at the heart of it. They are looters not unlike the kind who run South America or Thailand.

  • Allwentmarching on 10/12/2020 - 20:11
    -1

    What about the 4 dads of those 4 kids mentioned in the OP? I read an awful lot about parents who dont pay their child support. We should also be chasing them up, particularly those who work cash in hand deliberately so they dont have to pay for their own kids.

    • Allwentmarching on 11/12/2020 - 16:32

      Id be interested to see why my comment was voted down, you think people shouldnt pay child support for their own children? Notice I said parents too, not just fathers. And I also work to support my own kids. If I was split, I would still pay for them.

  • wtfnodeal on 10/12/2020 - 21:41

    This sure is nothing compared with the tens of millions of dollars the Labour Party politician has been pocketing and undetected for years in WA?

  • mccarthyp64 on 10/12/2020 - 22:19

    Abolish welfare, reduce taxes.

  • owli on 11/12/2020 - 02:17
    -2

    I've seen third gen welfare within my family and their friends. If I put myself in there shoes I can easily say they don't really need centrelink and they just need to get their shit together. But they are not me. These people are retarded and we pay them the sit down money so they don't come after us kulaks.

    There always seems to be people gaining a nice supplemental income through centrelink fraud, it seems like the right thing to do is to shame them, and we do.
    Just an anecdote, the people I know who were not born in Australia are very good at rorting the system and seem to feel no shame about it. Maybe no nationalistic pride or societal shame?

    Encourage single income families. Dual income families don't even raise their children. Reduce tax for HIGH INCOME BREADWINNERS WITH A FAMILY because right now, If you are lucky you can incorporate or use a trust to income split, but if you PAYG you get hosed.

    • Allwentmarching on 11/12/2020 - 16:28

      Dual income families dont even raise their children…. Not sure if this is sarcasm because surely its not a legit comment.
      The literal definition of raise is to provide for.
      And what about single parent families. Do they not raise their own kids if they work?
      What if the dual income family both work part time… do they qualify as raising their own kids ?
      Oh, but you say, I just meant people who use childcare…. but lots of single income families use childcare too. Hmmm. Logic fail.

  • cuckchump on 11/12/2020 - 06:51
    +1

    the problem i have with centrelink welfare money is people on it have that fixed income coming in fortnightly, where they can goto the banks apply for credit or some sort of loan, let alone a mortgage … this is where i find it wrong on the banks side….. centrelink money is a deadline to get you by, not to get you on the property ladder or whatever that makes you live better then the person on centrelink who has no assets to their name

  • Candour on 11/12/2020 - 08:59

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/12/11/michael-…

    I RECOMMEND THIS DAILY PAPER PUT OUT BY INDUSTRY FUNDS, so that budding political, and current affairs opinion makers can have some basis for their opinions before they spread them.
    without reading good sources daily, we are not able to comment objectively and may influence others badly with fake news or untruths.
    I found this source the shortest with the widest coverage.
    We need to limit our time to these idle pursuits so this might the most effective medium.
    even then it takes me an hour a day!

  • Candour on 11/12/2020 - 10:22

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/work/2020/12/10/corporate…
    why are we so ignorant that the big boys rob the government by playing on the tax laws created to let them rob more than any petty criminal?
    legal laws which benefit the business lobbies rob the rest of us, and we take it out on convenient scapegoats.

  • Candour on 11/12/2020 - 10:24
    -1

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2020/12/10/r…
    some opinionsted people think they know better without learning what is real from experts who may know better than their 5 second uniformed anecdotes

  • voiletmay on 11/12/2020 - 16:42

    Wow, it is so incredibly hard to get a centrelink benefit. I have a child on the disability pension and it was a 6 month long drawn out miserable process to get approved for that.

    I don't think they give money out too easily at all.

  • harthagan on 11/12/2020 - 16:56
    +2

    The problem is that once someone is in the system and getting a payment it's very hard for them to pyschologically give it up for a paying job. The free money as little as it is becomes something they feel entitled to and then they don't want to let go of it. It's easier for them to try and earn cash illegally (avoiding tax and still keeping their welfare payment)

    I really think it's the systems fault. They need to address the disincentive to find work by reducing the rate (and thresholds) at which various welfare payments are lost.

    • dmac on 11/12/2020 - 17:36

      Is that your experience or are you a mind reader?

      Sorry that was aggressive. Have you considered that people in unreliable work don't feel safe giving up steady but small income to be bounced around the system each time their employer doesn't have enough work for them?

      Maybe people would be more confident to give it up if they didn't have to jump through hoops and deal with overworked and therefore incompetent staff that often make mistakes that you have to fix by calling Centrelink right when they open or you'll be hung up on all day.

      My question is, why do you think you know what other people think unless that is your thoughts?

      • ozhunter on 11/12/2020 - 18:10

        Is that your experience

        Experience from those who are one and have been on

        Have you considered that people in unreliable work don't feel safe giving up steady but small income to be bounced around the system each time their employer doesn't have enough work for them?

        I'm sure everyone would love to know they won't be fired from their job. You don't have to maintain employment for some time before they complete take you off the system.

        Maybe people would be more confident to give it up if they didn't have to jump through hoops and deal with overworked and therefore incompetent staff that often make mistakes that you have to fix by calling Centrelink right when they open or you'll be hung up on all day.

        Um, make it easier and less of a hassle would make more people want to stay on it, lol.

        My question is, why do you think you know what other people think unless that is your thoughts?

        Common sense? Having people telling me, even though they know its temporary and say they will look for a job later on. They even said their capitalist and it jobseeker was scrapped tomorrow, then they'd be bother to actually get a job instead of just applying to fulfill the requirement. Free money for nothing sounds pretty good. How do you know if he is or has ever been on it?

      • harthagan on 12/12/2020 - 10:09
        +1

        It's called "theory of mind" plus I have experience interacting with a lot of unemployed people. Many of whom have shared that sentiment of wanting to get a job but the payments they would lose act as a disincentive.

        Basically if the jobseeker payment was taken away today the unemployment rate would shrink significantly. Those left unemployed would be the ones who legitimately can't find work and those who are earning money in other ways.

        And if you read the last paragraph of my post you would realise I'm not assigning blame to those people who are unemployed. I think the system could be a hell of a lot better at incentivising people going from long term unemployment to the work force.

  • dmac on 11/12/2020 - 17:33
    +2

    The amount of people on welfare that abuse it is such a small amount of money compared to what the government wastes on nepotism alone.

    I've been on Centrelink for a little while as I have been studying and working as a casual relief teacher. In an age of excess casualization, welfare is a safety net that helps prevent people falling into poverty and mental illness.

    Pay from Centrelink is often barely enough to live off, easier in rural parts, hard in suburbia. We have the highest pay rates in the world. So most people are actually wanting to work because it doesn't take long to earn more than Centrelink will give you.

    It's not easy to get on generally, it's a lot of paperwork and useless appointments that basically seem to exist to check if you are still alive each fortnight.

    If you are employed and don't report income every two weeks i.e. busy with work and life and you know Centrelink won't pay a dollar that week, you are exited from the program, no questions asked. Restart your application from the start, waste employees time having to go through another set of meeting paper work etc.

    It's horribly inefficient to make it difficult to get on and easy to be exited. The flow on effects according to research lead to increased crime rates and mental health issues that cost the community far more in the long term.

    I have met people who abuse the system and its easy to tell who they are because they brag - probably because they haven't felt competent at anything else in their lives (no hate just sad reality). However, they are the 1% that some people focus on to push their agenda.

    The other side is that it is a tactic that politicians use all across the world. It distracts from government corruption i.e. nepotism, fraudulent spending (helicopter rides anyone, woo!) Etc. It also is classist and effective at turning the working class against the unemployed. Unemployment is often a systemic government issue. If you don't believe me check countries unemployment rates, they change not because hundreds of thousands of people collectively decide to change at the same time, they change because of the opportunities available.

    Making welfare a nightmare is essentially kicking people whilst they are down.

    • ozhunter on 11/12/2020 - 17:46
      +1

      It's not easy to get on generally, it's a lot of paperwork and useless appointments that basically seem to exist to check if you are still alive each fortnight.

      With covid, my friend applied online and only had a phone appointment.

      If you are employed and don't report income every two weeks i.e. busy with work and life and you know Centrelink won't pay a dollar that week, you are exited from the program, no questions asked.

      It only takes a minute to report. And no lol, you are definitely not kicked off for reporting late. That is just laughable.

      The other side is that it is a tactic that politicians use all across the world.

      Just as much as those saying we should look elsewhere and don't worry about centrelink fraud.

  • Candour on 14/12/2020 - 08:55

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/12/13/michael-…

    It would be better to inform ourselves of the realities of politics and smear, hidden in plain sight, because we could not be bothered to read objective sources to educate ourselves before shooting off.

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