Welfare Reform

Mission Australia narrowed in on three focus areas in our response: Issue 3 - measurement, outcomes and quality of services; Issue 4 - Policy, advocacy, communications and engagement; and Issue 8 - Government funding, contracting and tendering.

This Bill proposes to administer drug tests on 5,000 new social security payment recipients in Canterbury-Bankstown NSW, Mandurah WA and Logan QLD. Mission Australia’s submission recommended that the Bill be rejected and the funding committed to the trial be redirected to residential and other community drug and alcohol services.

Mission Australia responds to the Select Committee on the cost of living.

Mission Australia, as a member of the Raise the Rate for Good Campaign, has been calling for a permanent increase to income support payments. This submission highlighted the need for the government not to further cut down the payments as proposed in the Bill and permanently increase the payment to support to ensure people are lifted off poverty.

A considerable proportion of people we support receive some form of social security allowances and are in severe financial stress due to the inadequacy of the payments. Our submission focused on the impact of these financial limitations on physical and mental health, housing and homelessness, impact on diverse groups such as young people, mature aged people and single parents and systemic issues such as lack of employment opportunities and unemployment.