Increasing Welfare
Current welfare payments in Australia are too low.
Simplified Welfare
- Greatly increase the aged pension, unemployment benefits and disability allowances.
- Greatly increase the Tax Free Threshold.
This would dramatically increase the net amount of money paid out as benefits due to the high cost of administering the currenty systems.
Raising the Tax Free Threshold
Instead of providing benefits such as the Family Tax Benefits and health cards we propose directing this funding to tripple the Tax Free Threshold. Non-earner benefits such as pensions would also be increased by the cost of funding the health card for these clients.
Advantages:
- Removal of the Poverty Trap: Existing low-income benefits create a 'poverty trap' in that they discourage the low-income earner earning more than the maximum allowed. If a low-income health-card holder earns over the prescribed amount they lose the card.
- Simplification: Low-income citizens do not need to stand in the Centrelink queue and fill out forms to get benefits - they automatically have no income tax on their earnings below the Tax Free Threshold.
- Lower Administration Costs: We wouldn't need to departments (ATO & Centrelink) trying to determine a person's income. That means more funds are available to help people rather than harass them with paper warfare.
See the TFT page for more details.
Welfare Delivery
- Gambling.
- Alcohol.
- Tobacco.
A separate payment would be made in cash for between 5 and 10% of the total benefit which could be used for any purpose.
This measure is designed to avoid the misuse of government benefits and replaces a range of intrusive 'mutual obligation' measures which target particular minorities.
Dole Jobs
See Dole Jobs page.