Welfare vs work

Under the banner No Benefits to working Caroline Overington inadvertantly underlines one of our society’s problems.

An analysis by the Brotherhood of St Laurence found a sole parent of two school-age children who takes a 30-hour-a-week job at the minimum wage of $13 an hour would lose about 64per cent of their extra earnings. “This parent will also have to pay around $60 a week for childcare,” the Brotherhood’s executive director Tony Nicholson said.

“This leaves him or her approximately only $80 a week better off by working. They are effectively working for an hourly rate of $2.66. The Government has squibbed. People want to move from welfare to work but the budget doesn’t encourage it.”

That entire arguement justifies staying on welfare and ignores the values of work itself. The increasing self esteem and the resultant self confidencethat often leads to promotion or permanent work and the fact that receiving a wage is the entry key to superannuation

“This leaves him or her approximately only $80 a week better off by working. They are effectively working for an hourly rate of $2.66.”

Rubbish! They are working for a better life – the $2.66 figure will only frighten welfare recipients as they discuss their situation with others in the dole queue. They need to be encouragement, not sympathy.