Thousands of Australians on Centrelink who are looking for job will face significant changes.
From July 1, a new government system known as the Points Based Activation System (PBAS) will be implemented, allowing JobSeeker recipients to get their benefits if they earn 100 points per month.
A person can get five points for each job application they submit and twenty points for each interview they attend, with additional points awarded for various employment-related actions.
The new system will replace the present one, which compels Centrelink recipients to apply for 20 jobs per month, a procedure that has resulted in some people applying for jobs they aren’t qualified for only to get money into their bank accounts.
Under the new method, certain beneficiaries will have their monthly targets decreased due to personal circumstances, and if they earn more than 100 points in a month, the remaining points will be carried over to the next month.
Some have expressed concerns that the new system will be ‘onerous’ for Centrelink claimants, citing the fact that even persons working full-time for the Work for the Dole program only receive 20 points per week, implying that they will still be required to complete other duties.
For every five hours of work, those in casual or part-time jobs are entitled to five points.
The aged, disabled, and those living in regional areas, according to Edwina MacDonald, deputy chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, should have their monthly requirements decreased.
‘Some people will face considerable issues with the online reporting requirement, particularly those with inadequate digital literacy or poor internet connectivity,’ she told The Guardian.
About 169,000 people will move their job searches to an online portal, while another 592,000 will be referred to a new face-to-face employment service provider.
Welfare organizations have argued that the new method lacks transparency.
Payment suspensions will be halted during the first month of the system’s operation, according to a representative for the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
The intensity of an activity and the strength of the link to paid work were used to provide a point value to it.
‘A participant’s point aim will be determined by their personal circumstances as well as the labor market in their area.’
Recipients will be required to work for the dole after six months instead of the present twelve, but Australians would only be required to do it for two months instead of six.