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Ara Cresswell delivered the presentation at the 2014 Future of Welfare Conference. The 2014 Future of Welfare Conference examined the welfare system and the policy and reform directions for welfare in Australia. The two day event looked at the concept of social welfare, the evolution of thinking worldwide around welfare, and also the current realities and policy directions in Australia. For more information about the event, please visit: http://bit.ly/futureofwelfare14
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The Future of Welfare Conference
Ara Cresswell, CEO Carers Australia
Carers and Welfare Reform
THE CARING ROLE
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family
member or friend who has a disability, mental illness, chronic condition,
terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or someone who is frail
aged.
51
40
19
30
4
12
46
20
23
4
12
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Partner of recipient(s)
Child of recipient(s) Parent of recipient(s)
Sibling of recipient(s)
Other relation of recipient(s)
%
Relationship of co-resident carer to main recipient of care
Males
Females
Total
28
41
16
35
29
15
29
38
32
16
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
%
Type of assistance provided by co-resident carers to recipient(s) of care
38
52
26
43
39
21 20
15
26
20
39
24
56
29
39
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
Partner of recipient
Child of recipient Parent of recipient Other relationship to recipient
Total
%
Relationship to main recipient of care
Time spent caring for, and relationship to, main recipient of care
Less than 20 hours
20–39 hours
40 hours or more
18 20
3 3
58
38
21
5 4
38
46
20
4 3
31
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
%
Employment status of carers
Primary carer
Carer, but not a primary carer
Non-carer
CARERS AND INCOME SUPPORT
29
3
55
9
4
48
6
29
11
6
57
5
20
8 10
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
Wages or salary Unincorporated business
income
Government pension or
allowance
Other Not stated
%
Main source of personal income
Primary carer
Carer, but not a primary carer
Not a carer
CARERS AND INCOME SUPPORT
Welfare Recipients March 2014 Carer Allowance (Child Health Care Card only)
Carer Payment
Newstart Allowance
Parenting Payment (Partnered)
Parenting Payment (Single)
Youth Allowance (other)
Youth Allowance (student and apprentice)
CARERS AND INCOME SUPPORT
Carer Payment
Carer Allowance
Carer Supplement
Carer Adjustment Payment Newstart Allowance
Youth Allowance
Disability Support Pension
Age Pension
Parenting Payment
Carer-specific payments
But many carers are in receipt of:
CARERS AND THE DISABILITY SUPPORT PENSION
Carer Payment eligibility linked to DSP
Review of DSP recipients under 30
Potential drop in household income for those shifted onto
Newstart Allowance
14.5
8.5 10.4
38.6
19.7
2.7
20.4
55.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Sold or pawned an item
Missed meal Could not pay mortgage.rent
on time
Help from family and friends
%
Source: 2009 HILDA
Financial Stress of carers
Carers on allowance payment
Carers on other income support but person in household on allowance
CARERS AND NEWSTART ALLOWANCE
Many carers are on Newstart Allowance- well over 18,000
Participation requirements must consider caring responsibilities
Department of Employment has back-tracked on job search requirements
Work for the Dole placements need to consider the needs of carers
Employment Providers need to be care-aware and refer carers to
appropriate jobs and work placements
CARERS AND THE MCCLURE INTERIM REPORT
Simplification of payments shouldn’t lead to the abolition of the Carer
Allowance
No carer should be worse off under the proposed Tiered Working Age
Payment
Assumptions about the effect of the NDIS on carers shouldn’t inform welfare
reform
CARERS AND EMPLOYMENT
Carers need more assistance to transition into work
Allowing carers to engage in education and training or part-time employment
to ‘keep their toe in the water’ while in receipt of income support will aid this
transition
Replacement care is vital – and it must be available and suitable for working
carers
CARERS AND EMPLOYMENT
Carer-Friendly Workplace Provisions
• Flexi-time
•Home-working/ tele-working
•Job rotation & job sharing
•Split shifts
•Compressed working hours
•Term-time working
•Carers’ Emergency Leave
•Carers’ Planned leave
•Career break
•Unpaid leave
•Matched leave
•Compassionate leave
Carers Australia is aiming to engage with Australian employers through
the Work & Care Initiative.
Find out more at www.carersaustralia.com.au
