Source: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/adequacy-allowance-payment-system-jobseekers-and-others-appropriateness-allowance-payment-system-0
Timestamp: 2016-05-04 01:52:32
Document Index: 651087951

Matched Legal Cases: ['in casu', 'art 6', 'art 9', 'arts 2', 'art 25', 'arts 1', 'art 9', 'art. 9', 'art\n2', 'art 26', 'art\n9', 'art 1', 'art_1', 'art 18']

The adequacy of the allowance payment system for jobseekers and others, the appropriateness of the allowance payment system as a support into work and the impact of the changing nature of the labour market | Australian Human Rights Commission
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1	Introduction 2	Recommendations 3	Older jobseekers 4	Adequacy and appropriateness of Newstart Allowance 5	Insecure work and the interaction with Newstart Allowance 6	Interaction between Newstart Allowance and the Age Pension 7	Job search assistance, retraining and up-skilling programs 8	Newstart and families with children 9	Focused intervention for families with dual unemployment 10	Support for unemployed single parent heads of families 11	Additional support for unemployed families where adults are recipients of financial benefits 1	Introduction
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee Inquiry
into the adequacy of the allowance payment system for jobseekers and
others, the appropriateness of the allowance payment system as a support into
work and the impact of the changing nature of the labour market.
This submission is divided into two parts. Part A of this submission
focuses on the allowance payment system as it impacts on older jobseekers and
older carers; a growing demographic with specific requirements and challenges. Part B of this submission focuses on the impact of Newstart Allowance
and other allowances on families with dependent children. 2	Recommendations
In light of the particular challenges for older jobseekers and jobseekers
with dependent children, the Australian Human Rights Commission makes the
Recommendation 1: The Newstart
Allowances and supplements should be increased so that they accurately reflect
the costs of living, job-seeking and skill development activity. Recommendation 2: The earning threshold of the Newstart Allowance
should be increased to bring it in line with the Age Pension Work Bonus
Recommendation 3: People who have reached pension eligibility age
should be given the choice to move to the Age Pension or remain in the
labour-market on Newstart Allowance. (This option assumes that the Newstart
Allowance achieves parity with the Age Pension).
Recommendation 4: The Mature Age Participation: Job Seeker
Assistance program should be reviewed after 12 months to (a) consider
its application to Newstart Allowance recipients who are aged 45 and older and
(b) to expand its operation to all locations. Recommendation 5: Newstart Allowance recipients aged 45 and older
should have access to relevant components of Jobs Services Australia Streams
Recommendation 6: A program similar to the Mature Age Participation
– Jobseeker Assistance program should be made available for families
where both parents are unemployed. This should provide voluntary opportunities
to participate in intensive support to find a job, including job-specific
training and participation in paid work trials.
Recommendation 7: A program similar to the Mature Age Participation
– Job Seeker Assistance program should be made available for families
where the parent with primary custody of children is unemployed. This should
provide voluntary opportunities to participate in intensive support to find a
job, including job-specific training and participation in paid work trials. This
should also include family support and flexibility for those with sole carer
Recommendation 8: Newstart Allowance recipients with dependent
children undertaking approved training and education should have access to
fully-funded child care services for the duration of their course. This is
particularly relevant for sole parent families, acknowledging that these parents
are solely responsible for the care of their children.
PART A 3	Older
Australia’s ratification of the International Covenant on Economic
Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) brings with it obligations to ensure
that all citizens have rights to:
programmes.[1
Australia has also indicated its support for the United Nations Principles for Older Persons which mirror the rights contained in ICESCR.
They include the right of the older person to independence, participation, care,
self-fulfilment and dignity. The Principles for Older Persons were
developed with the support of Australian
governments,[2] providing that:
Older persons should have the opportunity to work or to have access to other
income generating opportunities.
Older persons should be able to participate in determining when and at what
pace withdrawal from the labour force takes place.
Older persons should have access to appropriate educational and training
programmes.[3]
Australia’s labour market is ageing and as a result there is an
emergence of a growing and vulnerable group of older jobseekers who have
particular interactions with the tax and transfer systems. The labour force participation rates of people aged 45–64 years have
increased steadily since the 1980s. In 1983, 56% of 45–64 year olds were
in the labour force. By 2003, participation had increased to
69%.[4] By June 2010, 71% of
55–59 year olds were in the labour force and 51% of 60–64 year
olds.[5]
The proposed increase in the qualifying age for the Age Pension will expand
the labour force participation of older workers beyond age 65. Beginning in
2017, the qualifying pension age will increase incrementally to age 67 by 2023.
This will increase the number and age of older Australians in the labour
Currently, the high rates of insecure employment and prevailing
discriminatory attitudes towards older workers mean that a large proportion of
older jobseekers are finding difficulty in obtaining work and many are long-term
unemployed. A significant number of long-term unemployed jobseekers require re-skilling
or up-skilling in order to be competitive in the labour market. Many require
workplace flexibility because they have caring responsibilities of older parents
and grandchildren. The statistics show that people over 55 who are unemployed are more likely
to be long-term unemployed than those in younger age groups. In 2010–11,
33% of unemployed people aged 55–64 years were long-term unemployed,
compared with 22% of those aged 35–44 and 13% of those aged
15–24.[6]
In effect, one out of three unemployed people aged between 55 and 64 years
was long-term unemployed in
2010–11.[7]
Of the age discrimination complaints received by the Commission, 69% relate
to employment and they are increasing. Over the last year the Commission has had
a 44% increase in all age-related complaints.
There are particular impacts of long-term unemployment on older workers.
Research shows that unemployment can lead to a major depressive episode. A
national survey of depression in Australia found the following:
strongest correlates for reported current major depression include being
unemployed, smoking, having a medical condition, followed by being in
mid-life, previously married, and
female.[8] (Emphasis added)
Without appropriate supports and opportunities to re-enter the workforce,
people who are long-term unemployed may ultimately become eligible for the
Disability Pension rather than Newstart Allowance. Many older Australians also have caring responsibilities for their elderly
parents. In fact, nearly 46% of all carers receiving the carer’s allowance
are aged between 50 and 65.[9] This
sets up a complex interaction between work and family responsibilities. Caring
responsibilities can impact on the individual’s capacity to engage with
the workforce on a full-time basis and may limit the type and amount of work
that a person can do. There is also evidence that older Australians are increasingly vulnerable to
poverty.[10] The 2006 Australian
Census shows that more than 18,000 people aged 55 or older were homeless on
Census night in 2006.[11] People
aged over 55 make up 17% of the homeless population of
Australia.[12] Women make up roughly
30% of homeless people aged over 55 with men making up the other
70%.[13]
Australia’s human rights obligations require governments to ensure
that older people are protected from poverty by providing social security
income. Article 25(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes
specific reference to the right of older people to an adequate standard of
living and security in old age.[14]
Governments are also required to ensure that older workers are provided with
employment training options. ILO conventions contain provisions relating to the
rights of all people to career guidance and training without
discrimination.[15]
In Part A of this submission, the Commission argues that the Australian
Government should increase the overall income levels of the Newstart Allowance
for jobseekers. The Commission also argues for initiatives to support re-entry
into the workforce; especially in the area of re-training and up-skilling of
older workers. Intensive support should be provided in the early stages of unemployment and
not when older jobseekers are long-term unemployed. Pro-active, positive and
intensive support for older jobseekers may prevent situations where older
workers become long-term unemployed. 4	Adequacy and
appropriateness of Newstart Allowance
The Commission finds that Newstart Allowance is not adequate to provide a
reasonable standard of living for jobseekers. Article 9 of the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ‘recognize(s) the
right of everyone to social security, including social
insurance’.[16] The current
rate of Newstart Allowance is below the Henderson Poverty Line. The amount of Newstart Allowance available to an individual will depend on
income and assets. The maximum amounts available, effective as of 20 March 2012
are (fortnightly):
$489.40 – single, no children
$529.80 – single aged 60 and over after 9 month on payment
$442.00 – partnered (each)
$648.50 – single principal
carer.[17]
Newstart Allowance recipients are eligible for rent assistance on a
case-by-case basis. People receiving the Age Pension receive a significantly higher allowance
than people on Newstart Allowance. The Age Pension rate is $695.30 for a single
person and $542.10 per person for couples fortnightly. The Pensioner Supplement
is also available at a maximum of $60.20 for a single person, and $90.80 for
couples per fortnight
(combined).[18]
Both Newstart Allowance and Age Pension are designed for cost of living
expenses. While they serve different purposes, it seems reasonable to assume
that there should be a level of equity in these provisions. The cost of living
does not necessarily increase with retirement, nor do food, housing, health,
travel and utility expenses. According to the Melbourne University Institute of Applied Economic and
Social Research, the updated Henderson Poverty Line is as follows (per
fortnight):
$762.80 for a single person, no children (including housing costs); $1080.50 for a couple, no children (including housing costs);
$455.16 for a single person, no children (excluding housing costs); $742.30 for a couple no children (excluding housing
costs).[19]
Currently the Age Pension allowances are almost at parity with the Henderson
Poverty Line when they include the supplements. Newstart Allowance benefits are
well below this benchmark. According to the Economic and Social Council, governments must take
effective measures within ‘maximum available resources’ to fully
realize the right to social security. The Economic and Social Council also finds
that social security measures should be periodically
revised.[20]
The Economic and Social Council enumerates the core obligations of
governments in relation to social security as being a level of benefits that
will enable acquisition of:
at least essential health care, basic
shelter and housing, water and sanitation, foodstuffs, and the most basic forms
of education.[21]
The Commission acknowledges that governments operate within resource
constraints. Article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights outlines the principle of progressive realisation,
acknowledging that some rights may be difficult to achieve in a short time
period and that states may be subject to resource
constraints.[22]
The Commission supports increases to Newstart Allowance so that it
accurately reflects the cost of living and the cost of job-seeking and/or
education and training requirements. Recommendation 1: The Newstart Allowances and supplements should be
increased so that they accurately reflect the costs of living, job-seeking and
skill development activity. 5	Insecure work and the
interaction with Newstart Allowance The ABS reports that that almost one quarter of all employees in Australia
(23.9% or 2.2 million workers) are engaged in casual and/or insecure
The ACTU Inquiry into Insecure Work found that casual and ad hoc
employment has been increasing over recent decades, from 15.8% in 1984 to around
27.7% in 2004.[24] The Inquiry found
that insecure work is synonymous with weaker rights and entitlements, poorer
career development opportunities and lower job satisfaction. The Inquiry also found that insecure work is a particular issue for mature
aged workers who may need to work more flexible hours but sometimes have to
trade their job security for additional flexibility.
There is some flexibility for older jobseekers who are claiming Newstart
Allowance. Most Newstart Allowance recipients must meet the income and assets
tests as well as the activity test. The activity test includes job
search, work experience and training or study. However, people aged 55 and older
are able to undertake volunteering or part-time work, or a combination of these
for 30 hours per fortnight to fully meet the activity test requirements.
People over 55 who are participating in this ‘full time’
volunteering/work option may elect to withdraw from other programs such as job
search activity. The Commission commends this initiative and acknowledges that
volunteering work contributes significantly to Australia’s workforce and
economy. People in this age group should however be encouraged to access support
on resume presentation and participate in relevant training.
Newstart Allowance recipients can earn up to $62 per fortnight before the
payment is affected. Income above $62 and up to $250 per fortnight reduces
fortnightly payments by 50 cents in the dollar. Income above $250 per fortnight
reduces payment by 60 cents in the dollar. Partner income that exceeds the
earning thresholds also reduces payment by 60 cents in the
dollar.[25]
The extremely low earning thresholds accompanied by the high rates of tax on
Newstart Allowance appear to be penalties rather than incentives for people to
work. In effect, low income earners on Newstart Allowance are paying a higher
marginal tax rate than highest income earners who pay 45 cents in the dollar. The $62 limit on ‘before tax’ earning acts as a specific
disincentive to part-time or casual work. The administrative complexity of the
system coupled with uncertainty about a steady income stream, may prevent
Newstart Allowance recipients from taking up short-term or part-time work. In comparison, Age Pension recipients have an ‘income free’
threshold for employment income of up to $250 earned each fortnight through the
Work Bonus Scheme. The $250 earnings do not affect pension
payments.[26]
A Work Bonus Balance is also accumulated for any unused amount; between $0
and $250 in a single fortnight. The Work Bonus Balance can accumulate to a
maximum of $6,500, which is then used to offset any future employment income
earned that exceeds the $250
threshold.[27]
The Work Bonus Scheme is a simpler and more generous initiative than the
Newstart Allowance scheme. The more generous earning threshold may encourage
people take part-time or casual work. This should be the intention of the
Newstart Allowance scheme. Part-time and casual work can be an entry point to
more secure or long-term employment. The current thresholds of the Newstart
Allowance system do not encourage work participation and may in fact do the
opposite. Recommendation 2: The earning threshold of the Newstart Allowance
Scheme. 6	Interaction between
Newstart Allowance and the Age Pension
To be eligible for Newstart Allowance, individuals must be under Age Pension age. Pension eligibility age for men is 65 years
and currently 64.5 years for women who are yet to turn 65. By July 2013,
women’s pension eligibility will align with men at age 65. The age cut off point of eligibility for Newstart Allowance may push some
people into retirement before they are ready. Many Australians choose to remain
in the workforce into their late 60s and beyond. While the pension age is
necessary for many Australians who are ready to retire, there will be those
people who would benefit from remaining in the labour market. Australian Government policy aims to keep people in the workforce for as
long as they are willing and able. The Newstart Allowance system should mirror
this objective and give older people every opportunity to remain in the labour
market if they so choose. Remaining in employment is a protective factor against
poverty. Giving people the option to claim Newstart Allowance beyond the notional
‘retirement age’, gives them access to the return-to-work
initiatives that are part of the Newstart Allowance system. It may also provide
a sense of dignity to people who want to remain working for as long as they are
willing, fit and able. Recommendation 3: People who have reached pension eligibility age
Allowance achieves parity with the Age Pension). 7	Job search assistance,
retraining and up-skilling programs
According to the Treasury’s Intergenerational Report 2010,
retraining and up-skilling mature age workers are key public policy priorities
for Australia.[28] The Commission
supports this position and emphasises that sufficient supports and resources
should be available to people who require training to re-enter the workforce.
Developing skills in job search is one component of the re-skilling process.
Other work-specific skills may also be necessary for jobseekers. The Australian Government provides all Newstart Allowance recipients with
assistance in job search through Job Services Australia (JSA). All jobseekers
are eligible for Stream 1 support which includes access to resume
services, help with job search and face-to-face progress meetings. Additional intensive support is offered through Streams 2, 3 and 4. These streams are available to people with particular requirements or
specific barriers to work.
The Commission notes that older jobseekers may not fit the eligibility
criteria for Streams 2, 3 and 4, and therefore miss out on
intensive job search assistance. This is of concern given that older workers are
experiencing high levels of discrimination in recruitment processes. According to 2010 ABS data, one in five older Australians aged 55 years or
older, who were actively looking for more hours claimed that their age was a
major preventative factor, explaining that they were considered ‘too
old’ by employers.[29]
The ABS reports that for unemployed people aged 45 years and over, the main
difficulty in finding work (accounting for 18% of cases) was reported as being
‘considered too old by
employers’.[30]
The Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation found that private
recruitment agencies are increasingly playing a role as intermediaries between
jobseekers and employers.[31]
Private recruitment agencies operate under contractual arrangements with
individual employers and are driven by targets, timeframes and parameters. In
some instances, recruitment agencies are reluctant to put older workers forward
to employers, especially if they have pressing targets. In other instances, the
employer may specify a preference for younger recruits. Evidence of these practices is not well-documented, but they are reflected
in the complaints received by the Australian Human Rights Commission. The Commission commends the Australian Government for the development of the Experience+ initiative. Most of the focus of this strategy is to assist
older workers who are already employed or to provide incentives for employers to
take on older workers. Part of the initiative includes a payment of $1000 to
employers who offer an ongoing employment opportunity to an eligible job seeker
aged 50 or over.[32]
One strand of Experience + provides intensive support for jobseekers
over 55 years. This is the Mature Age Participation: Job Seeker Assistance
Program. From 1 January 2013, the new program will provide eligible
jobseekers aged 55 and over with a peer-based environment in which to develop
their IT skills, undertake job-specific training and prepare for work. This
program provides ‘intensive support’, and it is the only strand of
the initiative that provides training for older jobseekers. At this stage, the Mature Age Participation: Job Seeker Assistance
Program is only available in targeted locations and these are yet to be
determined.[33] Given the
difficulties that older jobseekers are experiencing in recruitment processes, it
may be necessary to extend the program to all locations. It may also be necessary to expand the program to people aged 45 and older
as evidence suggests that discrimination begins for people in their 40s. People
in their 40s may need training in digital technologies, especially if their
previous employment role did not require these skills. Training opportunities should not be limited if people already have a level
of qualification. Job-seekers may have to develop skills to meet the
requirements of different industries. For example, there has been a contraction
in the manufacturing industries, but an expansion in mining and associated
industries. Therefore, job-specific training should be available to all Newstart
Allowance recipients regardless of their previous education. Recommendation 4: The Mature Age Participation: Job Seeker
2, 3 and 4. PART B 8	Newstart and families
Part B of this submission focuses on the effects of the Newstart Allowance
payment system on families with dependent children. The Commission’s
recommendation that Newstart Allowances and supplements should be increased is
particularly relevant for families with children. The Commission makes
particular reference to these recipients because of the compound disadvantage
that unemployment bestows on their dependent children. The Commission also notes
that Australia has one of the highest rates of family unemployment amongst the
nations.[34]
The Commission acknowledges that individuals and families with dependent
children are eligible for the Family Tax Benefit and Rent Assistance in addition
to Newstart Allowance. These additional forms of assistance go some way towards
alleviating the financial burden on families with children. However, the financial and emotional burden is particularly acute in
situations of couple families where both parents are unemployed and for single
parent families headed by an unemployed parent. In these situations, children
may experience increased vulnerability and are more at risk of reduced life
opportunities. In 2007, Australia had the fourth highest proportion of children under the
age of 15 living in unemployed families in the Organisation of Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, behind the United Kingdom, New
Zealand and Turkey.[35] The
proportion of children growing up in unemployed families is widely regarded by
the OECD as a key indicator of the wellbeing of societies because of the risk of
poverty to children in these
families.[36]
Over 2009–10, there were 667,000 dependent children (12%) living in
families without an employed resident parent, with 568,000 dependent children
(11%) living in a household where no one was
employed.[37] In Australia, almost
70% of poor children live in jobless families – the highest share in the
OECD.[38] These data demonstrate
that lack of paid employment is a primary cause of child poverty in
According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies:
personal and social impacts of unemployment in families include poverty and
financial hardship, debt, homelessness or housing stress, family tensions and
breakdown, boredom, alienation, shame and stigma, increased isolation, crime,
erosion of confidence and self-esteem, the atrophy of work skills, and ill
health. The Life Chances Study found that in families where there was no
employed parent, mothers reported poorer health of their young children, serious
health problems for themselves, serious disagreements with a partner, serious
financial problems, and serious problems with housing, more often than mothers
in families who had an employed
parent.[39]
Evidence suggests that when families have no parent employed for a long
period of time, the compounding disadvantage leads to multiple and entrenched
barriers to employment.[40]
The long-term impact of family unemployment is said to further include the
intergenerational transmission of welfare dependence and overall diminished life
outcomes.[41] This disadvantage can
continue, and become exacerbated, into adulthood and can be reflected in
intergenerational unemployment and diminished life
chances.[42] Many of these risk
factors are mutually reinforcing and circular, such as poor health leading to
poor work outcomes, and poor work outcomes leading to poor
health.[43] This would suggest that
the negative effects of unemployment are experienced by children in both the
short and longer term.
Australia’s human rights obligations specifically require that the
social security system is adequate and accessible for
everyone,[44] with a particular
emphasis on the rights of children to social
security.[45]
Australia’s human rights obligations further require that special
attention be given to individuals and groups who traditionally face difficulties
in exercising the right to social security, ‘in particular women, the
unemployed ... [and]
children’.[46] The Economic
and Social Council has stated that benefits for families are crucial for
realising the rights of
children.[47]
It is clear that the right to social security is interrelated and
interdependent with other economic, social and cultural rights. In particular,
family unemployment has significant impacts on the achievement of the right to
an adequate standard of living, including the right to food and the right to
housing, the right to work, and the right to protection of the family. Part B of this submission argues that the Australian Government should make
specific provisions to address the difficulties faced by families with dependent
children. This includes adequate and appropriate allowances and intensive
support initiatives to assist parents to re-enter the workforce; especially
re-training and up-skilling, and carer support.
9	Focused intervention
for families with dual unemployment
The Commission has particular concern regarding the inadequacy of the
Newstart Allowance for families where both parents are unemployed and reliant on
government benefits. Many of these individuals are also long-term unemployed. In
2010, 52% of all unemployed families had been unemployed for three years or
more. Once families are unemployed for one year, about half of them remain
unemployed over the next two
Long-term, dual unemployment of family breadwinners puts at risk the futures
of the children affected and heightens their vulnerability to compounding and
intersecting forms of long-term disadvantage. Many of these children will
experience long periods of financial deprivation, as well as long periods
without a direct role model in employment. For many of these children, their
education will suffer and impact on their future employment prospects. An
intergenerational dynamic is thus created where the educationally disadvantaged
children of the currently unemployed will themselves be disadvantaged on
entering the labour force.[49]
The Commission acknowledges the additional support available for the
long-term unemployed, including the Connections Interviews initiative and job
seeker workshops. However, it is clear that more intensive assistance is needed
which addresses the particular difficulties faced by families experiencing dual
Recommendation 6: A program similar to the Mature Age
Participation – Jobseeker Assistance program should be made available
for families where both parents are unemployed. This should provide voluntary
opportunities to participate in intensive support to find a job, including
job-specific training and participation in paid work trials.
10	Support for
unemployed single parent heads of families In Australia, poverty rates among unemployed single parents are ten times
higher than for lone parents in paid
work.[50] This indicates that the
risks of poverty are much higher in single parent families headed by an
unemployed parent. It is also the case that single parent headed families make up a large
proportion of the long term unemployed. In 2007, 20% of lone mother families
were unemployed for five years, and close to 30% of children in lone mother
households experienced family unemployment during all five
years.[51]
Compared to employed single parent families, unemployed single parent
families are much more likely to be headed by a parent under the age of 30, have
no post school qualifications and/or have Year 10 or below as their highest
level of school education. Recommendation 7: A program similar to the Mature Age
Participation – Job Seeker Assistance program should be made available
for families where the parent with primary custody of children is unemployed.
This should provide voluntary opportunities to participate in intensive support
to find a job, including job-specific training and participation in paid work
trials. This should also include family support and flexibility for those with
sole carer responsibilities.
11	Additional support
for unemployed families where adults are recipients of financial
Statistics show that families with children face difficulties accessing
child care services where either or both parents are unemployed. This has
obvious impacts on the capacity of parents with caring responsibilities to
obtain regular and consistent employment. According to the Henry review, ‘assistance with child care costs
recognises that child care is a cost of employment and thereby reduces the
disincentives to participate that are created by the tax and transfer system.
Access to quality child care also plays a role in early childhood development,
particularly of children from families experiencing, or at risk of, social
exclusion.’[52]
Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Australia has an
obligation to provide appropriate assistance to parents in the performance of
their child-rearing
responsibilities.[53]
[1]International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966, art 6(1)(2) and art 9. [2] Human Rights Law Centre, National Human Rights Action Plan, 2011. At http://www.humanrightsactionplan.org.au/nhrap/focus-area/older-people (viewed 7 August 2012). [3]United Nations Principles for Older Persons. Adopted by General Assembly
resolution 46/91 of 16 December 1991, arts 2-4. [4] Australian Bureau of
Statistics, 6105.0 – Australian Labour Market Statistics, Oct 2004 (October 2004). At http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/6105.0Feature%20Article11Oct%202004?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=6105.0&issue=Oct%202004&num=&view=
(viewed 3 August 2012). [5] Australian Bureau of Statistics, ‘Older People and the Labour
Market’, 4102.0 – Australian Social Trends, Sep 2010 (September 2010). At http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30Sep+2010 (viewed 3 August 2012). [6] Australian Bureau of Statistics, ‘Long-term Unemployment’, 4102.0
– Australian Social Trends, Sept 2011 (September 2011). At http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features20Sep+2011 (viewed 3 August 2012). [7] Australian Bureau of Statistics, ‘Long-term Unemployment’, 4102.0
– Australian Social Trends, Sept 2011 (September 2011). At http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features20Sep+2011 (viewed 3 August 2012). [8] K
Wilhelm, P Mitchell, T Slade, S Brownhill and G Andrews, ‘Prevalence and
Correlates of DSM-IV Major Depression in an Australian National Survey’
(2003) 75 Journal of Affective Disorders 155. At google docs(viewed 3 August 2012). [9] Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs, Income Support Customers: A Statistical Overview 2011,
Statistical Paper No. 10, Commonwealth of Australia (2012), pp 19–20.
At http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/about-fahcsia/publications-articles/research-publications/social-policy-research-paper-series/statistical-paper-no-10 (viewed 2 August 2012). [10] R
Tanton, Y Vidyattama, J McNamara, QN Vu and A Harding, Old, Single and Poor:
Using Microsimulation and Microdata to Analyse Poverty and the Impact of Policy
Change among Older Australians, National Centre for Social and Economic
Modelling, University of Canberra (2008), p 1. [11] Department of Families,
Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, The Road Home:
Homelessness White Paper (2008). At http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/housing-support/programs-services/homelessness/a-national-quality-framework-to-support-quality-services-for-people-experiencing-homelessness/submissions-from-stage-one/national-quality-framework-submission-the-australian-psychological (viewed 3 August 2012).[12] Department of Families, Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, The Road Home: Homelessness White Paper (2008), unpublished table from
ABS Census 2001 and 2006 data. At http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/housing-support/programs-services/homelessness/a-national-quality-framework-to-support-quality-services-for-people-experiencing-homelessness/submissions-from-stage-one/national-quality-framework-submission-the-australian-psychological (viewed 3 August 2012).[13] Department of Families, Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, The Road Home: Homelessness White Paper (2008), unpublished table from
ABS Census 2001 and 2006 data. At http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/housing-support/programs-services/homelessness/a-national-quality-framework-to-support-quality-services-for-people-experiencing-homelessness/submissions-from-stage-one/national-quality-framework-submission-the-australian-psychological (viewed 3 August 2012).[14]Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, art 25(1). [15]Human Resources
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