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Post by Denise on Mar 6, 2016 0:37:44 GMT 7
Don't know if this is an allowed topic .
This card will effect us greatly .
DSP folk will not be able to opt out in any fashion .
Can't see how I could even save for my yearly trip.
( till I get courage to apply for portability )
Today Turnbull said its being rolled out further .
ALP supported .
Thoughts ?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2016 5:16:31 GMT 7
This step is heading closer towards their NWO (New World Order)& One World Government. A cashless society, means that the powers can keep track on any & every one out there, of what one buys, spends etc.
It's typical, that they are starting on the most vulnerable!
It's slowly creeping closer towards a totalitarian government, I think.
I hope that people are not like mere sheep, because if they are (the majority), it allows those in power, to do whatever they want!
We certainly don't want tyrants ruling over us, do we?
I hope that Banjo won't mind, us posting this info? It is related to welfare after all.
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Post by Denise on Mar 6, 2016 7:01:51 GMT 7
This step is heading closer towards their NWO (New World Order)& One World Government. A cashless society, means that the powers can keep track on any & every one out there, of what one buys, spends etc. It's typical, that they are starting on the most vulnerable! It's slowly creeping closer towards a totalitarian government, I think. I hope that people are not like mere sheep, because if they are (the majority), it allows those in power, to do whatever they want! We certainly don't want tyrants ruling over us, do we? I hope that Banjo won't mind, us posting this info? It is related to welfare after all. |
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Post by Denise on Mar 6, 2016 7:04:11 GMT 7
I go to CM in July August , and am saving of course madly to go.
I go to hide from the cold ,, which kills me with RA.
This yearly trip even will be impossible .
OMG.
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Post by Banjo on Mar 6, 2016 7:52:49 GMT 7
The welfare card is indeed a legitimate discussion here but we need to focus on the overall effect on the community rather than blathering on about "well, some people need/deserve it" because most abuses of people's rights begin that way.
To me it's also a scam to make people on benefits spend their money at Coles or Woolworths or one of the other big money political party sponsers.
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Post by Denise on Mar 6, 2016 8:42:24 GMT 7
The welfare card is indeed a legitimate discussion here but we need to focus on the overall effect on the community rather than blathering on about "well, some people need/deserve it" because most abuses of people's rights begin that way. To me it's also a scam to make people on benefits spend their money at Coles or Woolworths or one of the other big money political party sponsers. Absolutely , I live rural Queensland , and eat farmers markets , shop only in small buisness. Was just mowing the lawn and thought , need to call the farmer , get him to bring me $25 worth of hay bales , put in the garden beds ,, I could not do that. I could not buy my fruit down the road at the stall , I could not but the pets food at the local guy who has special roo mix my 3 pets adore ,, not tins of chum and whiskers . My local chemist , I buy my drugs from . The guy who services my lawn mower , or the one who will fix a light switch ,, who went to school with my kids . Not to mention , again ,, how will I get my one trip to CM in winter. ? Oh dear. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2016 6:18:46 GMT 7
This issue comes up from time to time but has never really gone anywhere this far. I don't watch as much news lately however so how much of a consideration is this right now?
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Post by Denise on Mar 8, 2016 22:32:04 GMT 7
If you google it ,, Turnball turned up the screws a few days back .
DSP folk will be totally unable to
Opt out .
Only age pensioners and old soldiers will
Be unaffected .
Certainly it's still going on ,, talk
of it going further, ( if I'm
Assuming they can work out bumbs )
The greens are totally against it ,, though they stand alone.
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Post by mikey on Mar 9, 2016 6:25:12 GMT 7
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Post by Denise on Mar 9, 2016 8:04:33 GMT 7
Although reading the government blah on that site , myself own life , will be in tatters .
And I don't drink smoke gamble , I own my own home , and am a straight old 60 year old .
It's more about stopping cash economy , I think . ( and I've read )
I certainly pay cash for most things , food at stalks , op shops , even the tip , at the tip shop.
How on earth do you save cash ?
DSP will get $160 odd cash a fortnight ,,
Bank fees ,, minimum $10 purchases , merchant fees ,
What if you loose your card ?
What if the net work
Is down ?
Clearly I better start letter writing , researching .
What about folk who rent rooms in share houses ?
The more I read about the effects of this , the more scared I am .
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Post by Denise on Mar 9, 2016 8:13:17 GMT 7
I'll be taking my teeth out and earning cash the old way,
I will get my friends to buy THEIR groceries on my card , then they can give me the cash .
All sorts of dirty deals done dirt cheap will
appear.
I believe , no direct debit ,if so, so my insurance and rates ,, paid in cash ,, take $160 of that $180 .
( tho that needs checking )
Of course , if you loose your card ,, dead meat.
If the system is down and your shopping , your stuck .
Lordy.
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Post by Denise on Mar 9, 2016 9:25:55 GMT 7
The absolute worst,, No trip to CM once a year for me.
It just won't work . No travel will,,
Portability is not mentioned anywhere I've found ,, yet. So, unsure how it will effect DSPers .
The Greens are against it .
Tho they stand alone .
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Post by Banjo on Mar 9, 2016 10:13:02 GMT 7
Would You Like Groceries With That? : No Fly-buys on Cashless Welfare Card AUSTRALIANS in the welfare system are joining forces on Saturday March 12 in a National Day of Action against the Federal Government’s cashless welfare card, writes Valerie Farfalla.
The ‘Healthy Welfare Card’ restricts 80 per cent of a welfare recipient’s entitlement to a VISA-style debit card that cannot be spent on alcohol or gaming. Just twenty per cent of the entitlement can be used as cash. In October 2015 the Senate passed laws to introduce trials of the card in three test sites, affecting up to 10,000 welfare recipients, with the first starting March 2016 in the rural SA town of Ceduna, where alcohol abuse is a problem, particularly in the Aboriginal community. Other trials will be held at Kununurra and Wyndham in WA’s Kimberley region. Ceduna Mayor Allan Suter said the trial of the card was a landmark move that should save lives, though he knew it restricted some people’s lives. However a number of community groups see the cashless welfare card as an attack on the rights and dignity of all unemployed people. Ceduna ‘Anti-cashless card’ working group convener Dave Pav said aboriginal communities were advising the Federal Government the card should be targeted at specific offenders, mainly transients from outside Ceduna, not the wide range of welfare recipients to be trialed. “We are being treated like animals in a feed lot” he said. “I worked in the workforce until two years ago and have managed my finances very well, as have many others receiving welfare payments, yet we are supposedly ‘irresponsible’ with money management.” The Federal Government had yet to clarify the practicalities of how the card would operate, though the trial was due to start in several weeks, he said. “You write to them but get condescending replies from Human Services. It’s a disgrace. What about our rights to privacy and consumer protection? Charges such as banking and merchant fees? The terms and conditions of use of the card? These have yet to be finalised.” Mr Pav said it was ironic the card would expose those trialed to more, rather than less, financial risk. “How will I be able to pay off my credit card? At an information session I was told the payment must come out of my 20 per cent cash component.” “The debit card doesn’t even have as much consumer protection as a credit card.” The Australian Bankers’ Association has also voiced concerns to the Government about the costs and technological and infrastructure limitations associated with implementing the card. Adelaide’s Anti-Poverty Network spokesman, Pas Forgione said the Healthy Welfare Card was designed to be cheaper and less complicated for the Government than the Basics Card – which is used to manage the income of more than 20,000 people, mostly indigenous, in the Northern Territory, Playford, SA, Shepparton,Vic, Logan and Rockhampton, Qld and Bankstown, NSW. The Basics Card restricts 50 per cent of unemployed Australians’ Newstart entitlements and costs the Federal Government $7,700 per person – more than half of the annual income of an unemployed worker. “Under the Healthy Welfare Card scheme people who can demonstrate they are financially competent can apply to a community panel to have the cashless portion of the payment changed from 80 per cent to 50 per cent but cannot leave the scheme even if they move away,” Pas Forgione said. “It is very stigmatising.” The Healthy Welfare Card was proposed by billionaire mining magnate Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest in his 2014 review into Indigenous Employment in which he called for the card to be 100 per cent cashless and applicable to all people on welfare – the unemployed, carers, single parents and people with disability – except veterans and people on the aged pension. While Australia’s community welfare sector and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies have supported many of the employment and education measures in the Forrest Report, they oppose the Healthy Welfare Card on the grounds that it is ‘demeaning, invasive, unworkable and bureaucratic’, creating ‘an entire sub-class of millions of people in the Australian community.’ The group, which includes peak social welfare, church and consumer bodies, says the Basics Card has also failed to effect long-term changes in behaviour or outcomes, despite the high cost of the policy, except for a few exceptions that involved voluntary arrangements. Groups who advocate for social justice agree that people on low incomes usually find it more economical to use cash rather than cards which incur extra charges and restrictions, particularly in remote areas. AUWU president Owen Bennett said the cashless welfare card policy was a shameless attempt by the Coalition Government to present unemployed workers’ money management skills as the main problem. “This is a clear tactic to distract people from the Government’s systematic failure to ensure unemployed workers have adequate income support and jobs.” It was disgraceful that in a country as wealthy as Australia, there were 11 job seekers per job vacancy and the Newstart benefit was $380 below the poverty line, Mr Bennett said. He has urged all Victorians to join the National Day of Action, Saturday, March 12 at 12 noon outside the State Library, Melbourne as part of an ongoing national campaign against the cashless welfare card and all punitive income management programs the Government is currently imposing on the unemployed. theaimn.com/50144-2/
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2016 10:55:57 GMT 7
I emailed the greens this morning. Here is the reply : "Unfortunately at this stage we have more questions than answers in regards to the debit card. The trials are meant to last for about a year, before we have any further expansion of the program (though gov has already indicated it supports expansion) they are targeting remote areas with high levels of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, it is very expensive program to administer, and legislation would have to go through, so it is unlikely to happen in the near future. The budget might also be a good indication if they want to ramp up the process. It seems that the government doesn’t actually know how it is going to work in the trial sites, the only exemption that you can have is you are able to opt out on the aged pension, our understanding is that apart from that there are no exceptions (but again there are so many unanswered questions about the trials it is very hard to be definitive.) If you want more info, Rachel asked questions at estimates: file:///C:/Users/newburyfreemanr/Downloads/CA_Legislation_Committee_2016_02_11.pdf Cashless debit card from page 85. The Bill page is here: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5520 and has a link to the bills digest that is helpful. The debate in committee (for the bill) can be found here: parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber%2Fhansards%2F7d488f5d-3cb5-4c76-b370-cba6049e27df%2F0427;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansards%2F7d488f5d-3cb5-4c76-b370-cba6049e27df%2F0503%22 As you would know we hate it! Here are some of our official lines if that is helpful: “The Australian Greens did not support this Bill nor at any stage have we provided support to a measure which was panned by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and has been shown to be universally ineffective in achieving its aims.” “The Government will put 80 per cent of a person’s income support on a “cashless card” — leaving just 20 per cent spare to withdraw as cash. According to the Government, it’s meant to stop people spending money on alcohol and gambling. It won’t. This is a form of income management and evidence shows that doesn't work. What it will do is take choice, control and dignity away from people trying to live off very little” “It should have been rejected by the Labor Party. Not just because it robs people of choice and dignity and doesn't work, but because there are so many unanswered questions about how the scheme is meant to work” “Even the Bankers Association were doubtful of the ‘technical and practical feasibility’ of the measure” “The Australian Greens are ready to work with the Government to develop policies that genuinely help disadvantaged people in remote communities; but we won’t support ineffective measures that don’t help those most in need. We must move towards social services that provide meaningful, on the ground support to those who need it most” Useful links The link to our dissenting report can be found here Rach has released a number of media statements on this topic too: Ø Labor and Liberal join forces to pass cashless welfare card trials Ø Greens move disallowance motion on Ceduna cashless welfare card trial Ø Estimates reveals cashless welfare card still has huge loopholes and remains a waste of time and resources Ø Financial institutions announced cashless welfare card causes concern Ø Cashless Welfare Card another sign of Government policy recklessness Hope that helps Cheers, " |
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Post by Denise on Mar 9, 2016 12:40:36 GMT 7
I emailed the greens this morning. Here is the reply : "Unfortunately at this stage we have more questions than answers in regards to the debit card. The trials are meant to last for about a year, before we have any further expansion of the program (though gov has already indicated it supports expansion) they are targeting remote areas with high levels of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, it is very expensive program to administer, and legislation would have to go through, so it is unlikely to happen in the near future. The budget might also be a good indication if they want to ramp up the process. It seems that the government doesn’t actually know how it is going to work in the trial sites, the only exemption that you can have is you are able to opt out on the aged pension, our understanding is that apart from that there are no exceptions (but again there are so many unanswered questions about the trials it is very hard to be definitive.) If you want more info, Rachel asked questions at estimates: file:///C:/Users/newburyfreemanr/Downloads/CA_Legislation_Committee_2016_02_11.pdf Cashless debit card from page 85. The Bill page is here: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5520 and has a link to the bills digest that is helpful. The debate in committee (for the bill) can be found here: parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber%2Fhansards%2F7d488f5d-3cb5-4c76-b370-cba6049e27df%2F0427;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansards%2F7d488f5d-3cb5-4c76-b370-cba6049e27df%2F0503%22 As you would know we hate it! Here are some of our official lines if that is helpful: “The Australian Greens did not support this Bill nor at any stage have we provided support to a measure which was panned by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and has been shown to be universally ineffective in achieving its aims.” “The Government will put 80 per cent of a person’s income support on a “cashless card” — leaving just 20 per cent spare to withdraw as cash. According to the Government, it’s meant to stop people spending money on alcohol and gambling. It won’t. This is a form of income management and evidence shows that doesn't work. What it will do is take choice, control and dignity away from people trying to live off very little” “It should have been rejected by the Labor Party. Not just because it robs people of choice and dignity and doesn't work, but because there are so many unanswered questions about how the scheme is meant to work” “Even the Bankers Association were doubtful of the ‘technical and practical feasibility’ of the measure” “The Australian Greens are ready to work with the Government to develop policies that genuinely help disadvantaged people in remote communities; but we won’t support ineffective measures that don’t help those most in need. We must move towards social services that provide meaningful, on the ground support to those who need it most” Useful links The link to our dissenting report can be found here Rach has released a number of media statements on this topic too: Ø Labor and Liberal join forces to pass cashless welfare card trials Ø Greens move disallowance motion on Ceduna cashless welfare card trial Ø Estimates reveals cashless welfare card still has huge loopholes and remains a waste of time and resources Ø Financial institutions announced cashless welfare card causes concern Ø Cashless Welfare Card another sign of Government policy recklessness Hope that helps Cheers, " |
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