Cashless Welfare Card

[moonflyte]

Could this be the end of the tragedy of alcohol fueled violence and child neglect.

A cashless welfare card aimed at stemming alcohol abuse would be rolled out across the country under a welfare reform the Turnbull government is considering taking to the election.

As regional trouble spots line up to be chosen for trials of the government’s new Healthy Welfare Card to begin next month, The Australian understands the Coalition may seek an election mandate to extend the card to welfare recipients across regional Australia if they achieve positive results.

Under the new system — proposed by mining magnate ­Andrew Forrest in his review of the welfare system in 2014 — 80 per cent of a person’s government payment would be ­quarantined to a bank card that could not be used to buy alcohol and gambling products, nor ­converted to cash.

The remaining 20 per cent could be accessible as cash.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/national-cashless-welfare-card-plan-by-turnbull-gov...

[esayaf]

The card is a bad idea.
There will be plenty of places that won't accept it and it will actually increase the cost of administration and then the Liberals will want to privatise it and just like the privatisation of the CES we will end up paying more for the total bill of maintaining the welfare system.

[chameleon54]

---

@***super_nova*** wrote:

---

@chameleon54 wrote:

---

I have public housing at the rear of my place and there is certianly one family that chose welfare as a lifestyle choice. They keep having babies, have booted their teenage daughter out ( now homeless ) to illegally sub lease her bedroom to a "tenant" and have a thriving dope business going. ( when the porch light is on, they are open for trade ) . Personally I dont appreciate having to work extra hours to pay tax so that they can sit on their butts smoking dope all day.

The other house has people with genuine health problems. They are unable to work, will never be able to maintain regular employment and should be looked after by a compassionate society.

---

Just because the one lot behind you is committing fraud, do you think it is fair that the rest of the people in that block, who you admit genuinely need society support, will have their life made impossible by this card that will severely limit their shopping options?

---

Super Nova - Firstly I didnt " admit "  anything thankyou. I ACKNOWLEDGED the second family of recipients genuine need in a respectful way. 

I believe if you read my post properly you will find I answered the premise of your question. Early on I suggested the scheme may need to be refined. This would assist in overcoming some very genuine concerns that have been raised about it.

I find it unfortunate that many hide behind a facade of political correctness and fail to understand or acknowledge that there are major problems with the current Social welfare system. These problems have grown to the point WHERE THEY ARE ACTUALLY HURTING AND STIGMATISING those who genuinly require our support. As you have pointed out, those who are GENUINE RECIPIENTS are ALREADY being negativly impacted by policies designed to prevent fraud and misuse of the social welfare budget. Another major problem of this fraud is that those in general need ARE STIGMATISED , due to the fraudulant actions of some. This impacts on their self esteem and general mental well being.

By trying to hide from and deny the current reality of social security misuse and fraud, people are inadvertantly hurting those who they are trying to protect. It would be much more useful to have an open, frank and honest discussion about welfare misuse as this can only benefit those who genuinly need our help and support.

[lind9650]

---

@imastawka wrote:

Is a pension the same thing as our social security program?

Your social security programme sounds like our superannuation.

Pay into it while you're working and collect on retirement.

Tax free at age 65, but can collect payments at 60

The pension (there are different ones) old age, disabliity, single parent. carers -

all are welfare

---

Age pension is regrded as Welfare.

This is something I and hundreds of octinarians and older ones feel as an insult.

There was no Superannuation when we were working Bob Menzies and following PMs told us that our Age Pension is part of the taxes we paid. Unforrtunately by the time we retired, following Governments have spent the money that was suposed to be our Retirement Pension.

Now we are told that we are receiving Welfare.

I have raised nine children and have 12 grandchildren. All of them are working and paying taxes besides for their own Superannuation. So, I have 21 people contributing towards my Welfare pension and all past Politicians Pensions.

Erica

[***super_nova***]

I wonder how it will work when people need to buy expensive appliances when their old one stops working?  If they do not have any savings and put it on their CC, how do they pay out the CC?  Or what if they cannot afford a new and want to get 2nd hand one?  They need cash.

The cards work OK in remote communities, where only option to shop is the one shop.  But to introduce it across Australia will be very bad for too many people.  It should be only the last resort for families that are on the DOCS radar.

[esayaf]

What a lot of people don't realise is that the biggest increase in the unemployment component of the welfare bill is the fact that hundreds of private companies are being paid to do what the government once did for a lot less money.
As with all government departments there were inefficiencies but not the fraud that is regularly perpetrated by these job network members.

[esayaf]

Hear hear. What "super" said

[the_great_she_elephant]

---

@djilukjilly wrote:

I suppose a lot kicked off the DSS were the middle eastern drug  families and others of that ilk. I don’t have any objection to that.

---

What are your reasons for supposing that?  I'd say it's a fair bet that the major players in the drug world (regardless of their ethnicity) are far too canny and too well off to claim the dole.

[***super_nova***]

---

@esayaf wrote:
I did make a claim and was rejected

---

Try again, make sure your doctor knows the criteria and what to say. 

  It's just like eBay if you get an item that is not as described and want refund, you need to say that "it is not suitable for the purpose it was intended for".  You need to use these words because that is the criterion for  SNAD.

Similarly, doctor has to use the right words.  I have very painful hips and knees and my doctor wanted to see how bad my joints are so I was sent for scans and x-rays.  When I got there, undressed, got on the table, just as the technician started positioning the machine, I was told that because my doctor did not use the right words why I need the scans, Medicare would not pay for them and I have to pay out of my own pocket.  I could have gone back and get my doctor to use the correct wording, but frankly I just could not be bothered and I paid for it.  But i just wondered about people who could not afford to do that.

[esayaf]

When I asked for the forms the Centrelink person told me I'd be rejected as they had tightened up the criteria.
Pointless to go in and ask the same person for the forms again, it'll make me look like a complete idiot.
It is what it is.

[chameleon54]

---

@djilukjilly wrote:

I suppose a lot kicked off the DSS were the middle eastern drug  families and others of that ilk. I don’t have any objection to that.

---

I know of one gentleman who was kicked off of the disability support pension. He claimed to have a bad back, but had a large shed at the rear of his house. He ran a boat repair business doing fibreglass recoats and building canoes. He is not on disability support any more, but still claims unemployment benefits. All the boat stuff is in cash, so there is no records to trip him up on.