Centrelink Basics Card (Income Management)

[spaceyone]

The following article from Centreblog, has a link to an online petition against an income management trial soon to be imposed upon new areas, other than in the NT.

We should support the intended victims of this trial, as it will later be used as an excuse to impose it on the rest of us.


The Basics Card. Coming to a place near you.

by L.Craig


The Australian Government recently announced that the policy of income management, currently operating in the Northern Territory will be trialled in a number of metropolitan locations across Australia.

The five locations are: Bankstown, (NSW), Logan, (Qld), Rockhampton, (Qld), Playford, (SA) and Shepparton, Victoria. In addition, Kwinana in Western Australia, one of the other trial sites, has had Child Protection and Voluntary Income Management in place since April 2009. The Government has stated that these communities have been selected because of the high level of unemployment and disadvantage. The trials begin on 1 July 2012.

The decision to extend income management into metropolitan areas has not gone un-noticed. A coalition of community organisations came together in June 2011 to fight this policy.

The Group Say No to Government’s Income Management – Not in Bankstown, Not Anywhere is calling on the Government to abandon its plans to expand income management to the five trial sites in 2012 and to instead redirect spending planned for income management into employment creation and social services.

The group also cites the release of a report by the Women’s Equality Rights Alliance examining the experiences of more than 180 women on income management in the NT. The report shows that the vast majority of women surveyed wanted to exit income management. The report also documents a disturbing range of problems with the system. The group is also calling on concerned citizens to sign a petition.


more at link:
www.centreblog.com.au/2012/04/14/basics-card/

Petition against the basics card:
www.gopetition.com/petitions/call-for-a-moratorium-on-government-income-management.html

[spaceyone]

Income management- Centrelink says NO to showbags

As reported in one of our earlier posts the Government recently announced that the policy of income management will be expanded into metropolitan Australia. This policy, supported by both major parties, requires that at least 50-70% of a person’s fortnightly Centrelink payment is quarantined and spent on “approved items”.

For most Australian’s the policy of income management is fairly new. For this reason it may come of a bit of a surprise how far reaching this policy is.

For example as shown on the Centrelink website even a normal family outing such as taking the kids to the local show becomes a manageable event.

In order to take the kids to the show a Centrelink recipient must first prove that all their “priority needs” have been met. If Centrelink does sanction the event the person will then need to use their basics card to purchase the show entry tickets at a ‘selected store’.

The Basics Card (see website excerpt below) cannot be used to purchase rides, food or show bags for the kids! This is because in their wisdom the Government is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into a scheme which favours the Coles/Woolies duopoly.

For anyone interested in this aspect of the scheme a list of businesses offering the Basics Card to its customers is available on the Centrelink website. A summary of this data is provided here.

I am not sure about you but you have to wonder why there is not more outrage in the community about this policy?

Do we really want to live in a country where a person needs to get the permission from a Centrelink officer if they want to take their kids on a family outing?

Where a person is treated like a second class citizen simply because they are long term unemployed?

Unfortunately the level of public apathy on this issue may well mean that this policy will go the same way as the Afghanistan war. Millions of dollars wasted until such a time that the project is abandoned. And when the time comes to end the madness the nominated politician of the day will stand up before us and tell us what a great success it has all been.


www.centreblog.com.au/2012/04/19/income-management-centrelink-says-no-to-showbags/

[Banker]

This could also open the door for more fraud inside Government Departments.

[anotherdsp]

looks like they have got every state except tassie covered?? hmm we might have to move down there, mayb we could all rent a house near our mate FNQ an chex in him with him when we put the rubbish bins out an give him a wave!!!!!!!!!! LOL HA HA ,my attempt at humour guys!!

[Banker]

Apr 21, 2012 9:51:54 GMT 7 anotherdsp said:

looks like they have got every state except tassie covered?? hmm we might have to move down there, mayb we could all rent a house near our mate FNQ an chex in him with him when we put the rubbish bins out an give him a wave!!!!!!!!!! LOL HA HA ,my attempt at humour guys!!

Can we get someone in Tassie to turn the lights back on, some people might just go there. ;D

[Banjo]

I believe one of our regular contributors is shivering his exile away down there.

[Banker]

Apr 21, 2012 13:03:36 GMT 7 Banjo said:

I believe one of our regular contributors is shivering his exile away down there.

shhhhhh DONT WAKE HIM UP!!! ;D