Yahoo Finance Major Centrelink Jobseeker changes coming: Why people are worried
Welfare advocates are calling on the Labor Government to delay the rollout of a new mutual-obligation system, saying it will lead to “more punishments” and more automated payment suspensions.
The “points-based activation system” (PBAS), which was introduced by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment in 2020 in trial form, is due to replace the existing mutual-obligation system on July 1.
Mutual obligations are a set of tasks that must be completed and expectations satisfied for JobSeeker recipients to receive their allowance.
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The new points-based system has been billed as a more flexible way for people to meet their obligations by the department, by allowing welfare recipients to complete tasks - such as applying for a job or doing Work for the Dole hours - to acquire a predetermined number of points.
Job seekers must get 100 points in the month to qualify for JobSeeker payments under the new system.
But welfare advocates are worried it won’t solve existing issues.
Jeremy Poxon from the Australian Unemployed Workers' Union said people were already getting suspended regularly under the existing system.
My daughter had a phone interview with @Centrelink on Wednesday, but they never rang her. She got a message today to say her payment has been suspended because she didn't attend the interview. She tried to call them on 2 different numbers just now & both times, the robot hung up.
— Catherine (Cate/Cat) Perry ♿️ (@CatPurry9) June 6, 2022
“Now we've got new, even more targeted algorithms. [There’s] a bit of a sense of panic and dread from people,” Poxon said.
He said welfare recipients hadn’t been properly consulted during the trial period for the PBAS, and the department had provided minimal communication about the new system to recipients.
@Centrelink I tried calling but I can't get through on the phone and I wasted all my credit on hold. Please can you tell me what this point system means for me? I am already strung out and terrified and this new system sounds even worse than the old one. Pls help me
— povvo princess (@feral_flooze) June 7, 2022
People are expected to get a chance to familiarise themselves with the system. The department told The Guardian suspensions would be cancelled for the first month of the rollout.
Poxon was also concerned about the design of the system, arguing that it “gamified” the existing mutual-obligations system and that there was “no rhyme or reason” to the point allocations.
By getting a new job, for example, you only get 20 points for the month.
He said that was “bizarre”, given the point of the system was to encourage people to find employment.
ACOSS deputy CEO Edwina MacDonald was also concerned about the points-based mutual-obligation model.
“In its current form, it does not provide the flexibility originally intended and risks reproducing the same issues that led to 200,000 people every month having their payment suspended in Jobactive,” she said.
MacDonald worried people without internet access or those with poor digital literacy would face difficulties with the online reporting system, and said there were ways the system could be made more manageable.
“One example is to automatically reduce the requirements for older workers, parents, people with disability and people living in regions with few jobs,” she said.
“Requiring people who are already working 20 hours per week, or doing full-time Work for the Dole, to continue to complete points for other tasks is unnecessarily onerous.”
She also said people undergoing health treatments, including drug and alcohol therapy, should be supported to fully recover without “onerous requirements to report points”.
A department spokesperson has said there would be some flexibility on how the points would be awarded based on individual circumstances.
Poxon called on the new Minister for Employment, Tony Burke, to suspend the introduction of the new system until the new Government took a “proper look” at the system.
Poxon said people were expecting “more punishments to come” under the new system, given welfare recipients had been on the receiving end of some “very terrible” digital tools and algorithms, such as RoboDebt.
“It's another sort of digital tool and a different algorithm that's going to say whether they get to eat that week or not,” he said.
Burke has been contacted for comment about the PBAS system.
How the points are allocated
Job seekers get points for different tasks and activities that contribute to their total score.
According to the DESE website, job seekers would need to work for 25 contact hours per week to meet the requirements for full-time participation. Part-time participation would be 15 hours a week.
Tasks and activities | Points value (1) |
|---|---|
Relocation for a job | 100 points |
Self-Employment Assistance Small Business Training | 25 points per week |
Launch into Work (2) | 25 points per week |
PaTH Internship | 25 points per week |
National Work Experience Program (2) | 25 points per week |
25 points per week (high-intensity level) 20 points per week (medium-intensity level) 15 points per week (low-intensity level) | |
Self-Employment Assistance Exploring Self-Employment workshop | 20 points per week |
Career Transition Assistance | 15 points per week |
Employability Skills Training | 20 points per week (full-time) 15 points per week (part-time) |
Work for the Dole (2) | 20 points per week (full-time) 15 points per week (part-time) |
20 points per week (full-time) 15 points per week (part-time) | |
Education and training | 20 points per week (full-time) 15 points per week (part-time) |
Adult Migrant English Program | 20 points per week (full-time) 15 points per week (part-time) |
Skills for Education and Employment | 20 points per week |
Starting a job | 20 points |
Attending a job interview | 20 points |
Attending a job fair | 20 points (points can be claimed for one job fair per year) |
Career coaching (3) | 20 points |
Driver’s licence attainment (2) | 20 points |
Work related licences and qualifications(For example, forklift licence/white card) | 15 points |
Defence Force Reserves | 10 points (based on minimum of one weekend per month) |
Provider workshops (2)(For example, work preparation activities/job clubs) | 10 points |
Counselling (2) | 10 points |
Drug and alcohol rehabilitation (2) | 10 points |
Self help and support groups (2) | 10 points |
Non-vocational interventions (2)(Cultural services, personal development courses) | 10 points |
Completing a job application (job search) | 5 points |
Driver’s licence hours | 5 points for 5 hours |
Online learning modules | 5 points (maximum of 5 points per month) |
Creating and updating the profile | 5 points (maximum of 5 points per month) |
Paid work | 5 points for 5 hours (rounded up) |
Participant sourced voluntary work(For example, fire reserves, school canteen) | 5 points for 5 hours (maximum of 10 points per month) |
(Source: The Department of Education, Skills and Employment)
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