Change Centrelink's Activity Test
In many cases unemployed people want or need certain Centrelink supervision.
However, in the case of an individual who would CHOOSE to do community work for an approved organisation
three current restrictions are inappropriate and unnecessary.
i) community work is only allowed if it can be shown that it is likely to lead to paid employment
or if the individual can satisfy the case manager that it will improve their employability;
ii) approval is only given for a limited time.
iii) those wanting to do community work for an approved organisation must have a third party (either Centrelink or its agent) to individually approve and “case manage” their activity;
To understand why these restrictions should be scrapped,
it is helpful to see unemployed people in three groups.
The three groups are:
1. Those who will not quickly find employment, and will not choose community work.
Appropriate Centrelink intervention is needed for people in this group,
but because they will not choose community work,
any community work restrictions are irrelevant for them.
2. The majority, who are keen to find employment and do so within three months.
From within this group, SOME may wish to do community work. They may see it as a pathway to the job and the income they want, or perhaps as a way of staying productive.
The three Centrelink restrictions are superfluous for this group
because these people will return to employment quickly through their own initiative.
3. Those who will not quickly find employment,
but would choose to do community work.
This is the group MOST in need of this proposed change to Centrlink's Activity Test.
The three restrictions i) ii) & iii) under question are inappropriate for this last group too, because
• the incentive of a higher income will, by itself, see most of these people back into employment as soon as they can get it;
• the current restrictions discount the value of continued community work, and a person’s autonomy and self-motivation are discouraged.
• even if employment is not on the horizon, continuing with community work will still mean unemployment being a more productive experience, particularly for those people having trouble finding work in today’s highly competitive labour market;
• developing new skills and staying active in the workplace increases employment potential;
• the fact that someone has chosen to do 32 hours of community work in a fortnight should be evidence enough that they are strongly motivated and keen to participate;
Community work should be a standard option on the fortnightly claim form whereby choosing this option should fully satisfy “mutual obligations” for unemployment benefits.
For the reasons given, it need not and should not be time limited.
The random phone check, which Centrelink now uses in an attempt to verify job applications to employers,
would verify WITH CERTAINTY claims of community work with organisations.
There would be no need for Centrelink involvement in arrangements between the volunteer and the organisation.
If a person who had chosen community work decided NOT to continue,
they would simply tick a different box on their "continuation form".
This would indicate that they had been doing some other approved activity, such as study or job search.
This simple change would also help create abundant sustainable work in which people could learn to build social housing & grow their own food ( see project overview )
@landrights4all
In many cases unemployed people want or need certain Centrelink supervision.
However, in the case of an individual who would CHOOSE to do community work for an approved organisation
three current restrictions are inappropriate and unnecessary.
i) community work is only allowed if it can be shown that it is likely to lead to paid employment
or if the individual can satisfy the case manager that it will improve their employability;
ii) approval is only given for a limited time.
iii) those wanting to do community work for an approved organisation must have a third party (either Centrelink or its agent) to individually approve and “case manage” their activity;
To understand why these restrictions should be scrapped,
it is helpful to see unemployed people in three groups.
The three groups are:
1. Those who will not quickly find employment, and will not choose community work.
Appropriate Centrelink intervention is needed for people in this group,
but because they will not choose community work,
any community work restrictions are irrelevant for them.
2. The majority, who are keen to find employment and do so within three months.
From within this group, SOME may wish to do community work. They may see it as a pathway to the job and the income they want, or perhaps as a way of staying productive.
The three Centrelink restrictions are superfluous for this group
because these people will return to employment quickly through their own initiative.
3. Those who will not quickly find employment,
but would choose to do community work.
This is the group MOST in need of this proposed change to Centrlink's Activity Test.
The three restrictions i) ii) & iii) under question are inappropriate for this last group too, because
• the incentive of a higher income will, by itself, see most of these people back into employment as soon as they can get it;
• the current restrictions discount the value of continued community work, and a person’s autonomy and self-motivation are discouraged.
• even if employment is not on the horizon, continuing with community work will still mean unemployment being a more productive experience, particularly for those people having trouble finding work in today’s highly competitive labour market;
• developing new skills and staying active in the workplace increases employment potential;
• the fact that someone has chosen to do 32 hours of community work in a fortnight should be evidence enough that they are strongly motivated and keen to participate;
Community work should be a standard option on the fortnightly claim form whereby choosing this option should fully satisfy “mutual obligations” for unemployment benefits.
For the reasons given, it need not and should not be time limited.
The random phone check, which Centrelink now uses in an attempt to verify job applications to employers,
would verify WITH CERTAINTY claims of community work with organisations.
There would be no need for Centrelink involvement in arrangements between the volunteer and the organisation.
If a person who had chosen community work decided NOT to continue,
they would simply tick a different box on their "continuation form".
This would indicate that they had been doing some other approved activity, such as study or job search.
This simple change would also help create abundant sustainable work in which people could learn to build social housing & grow their own food ( see project overview )
@landrights4all