NewStart

Man picking blueberries

Exploitation and underpayment is rife in fruit picking. The Coronavirus Supplement appears not to have dented the will to work.

Shadows of people in line

New analysis shows there is considerable scope to increase JobSeeker payments before they might hinder people's motivation to find paid work.

aerial view of road worker

Australia has tried it before, in the 1990s. The proportion of participants eventually getting unsubsidised jobs was low.

A woman and a girl sit at a cafe table

The government’s new income support could be strengthened by extending support to migrants, families with children, private tenants, and people on pension payments, says UNSW expert.

Centrelink

Australia's unemployment benefits are now middle of the pack, but the package treats two-income couples badly.

Social protection and the viral recession

So far, Australia’s help for people displaced, self-isolating or ill has been far from generous.

drug testing

We need to look at what's behind arguments for and against drug testing welfare recipients to avoid repeating the same debate, over and over.

social welfare.jpg

Fixing Newstart isn't enough. We need a comprehensive inquiry into our complex and bewildering social security system, especially as it applies to single parents.

Whiteford inside

Many unemployed Australians will continue to live in poverty unless the government acts on the recommendations of the Henry Review, says Professor Peter Whiteford.