[WGAR-news] 'Participants in the remote CDP are contg to be hit with penalties at a much higher rate..' A NewReport by ANUresearcher LisaFowkes

21.3.18

Via: http://groups.google.com/group/wgar-news

// Social security penalties applied to participants in the
Community Development Programme to September 2017

Lisa Fowkes, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, ANU
Lisa.fowkes@anu.edu.au

'A new report by ANU researcher Lisa Fowkes has shown that
participants in the remote Community Development Program (CDP)
are continuing to be hit with penalties at a much higher rate
than people in mainstream employment services.
'Even though participants in the CDP program make up
less than 5% of of all of those who are subject to mutual obligation,
they receive more penalties than the other 95% of Australians combined.

'The vast majority of those being penalised - ninety percent (90%) - are Indigenous people.
The main reason for the extraordinary rate of penalties being applied is that
people in the CDP scheme have to do around twice as many hours of
Work for the Dole as other Australians.

'The hours are inflexible - so that people have to attend 5 hours each day, every day of the week.
They have to do appointments and job search on top of these hours.
And, as we know, access to health and other services in many remote communities is poor,
so many people who should have reduced hours for health reasons cant get them.

'Unfortunately the Government has refused to acknowledge the damage being done
to people by these harsh penalties in some of our country's poorest communities.'

Read Lisa Fowkes’ report, under the following topics/headings: