Thread by @kristin8X

Ok I'm starting a grim 🧵 of gross stats & facts to have on hand for #Budget2022

In December 2019, 76.5% of people on Newstart (557,395) had relied on income support for more than a year. This has gone up by 41%!!! It's now 786,139 people (83.84% of all people on JobSeeker).

The unemployment rate hasn't been this low since before the global financial crisis in 2008 when it was also 4%.

BUT the proportion of working age people who rely on an unemployment payment has nearly doubled – from 3.3% in mid-2008 compared to about 5.9% today. #Budget2022

For each entry level job advertised in February 2022 there are about 23 people who've been on an unemployment payment for more than 12 months.

Don't forget: you're also competing with applicants who aren't on a payment or are short-term unemployed. #Budget2022

Between July 2020 & June 2021 only 26.3% of people in jobactive Stream C got a job – only 29% of those were permanent.

11.1% were employed full-time 3 months after getting a job.

This includes people who found their own job without the help of their job agency. #Budget2022

When we look at everyone in jobactive, not just Stream C (people with "higher barriers to work") only 9% of people on the JobSeeker payment were employed full-time after 3 months in a job.

Again, this includes people who found their own job.

The jobs fucking suck. #Budget2022

You know how the government & media always pretend like payments to unemployed people make up a huge % of the budget?

Welp, FY20 unemployment payments were 3.48% of all spending ($18.7b). In FY19, the last year before COVID distorted figures, it was 2.15% ($10.5 b) #Budget2022

Some cool stuff the government included in last year's budget instead of making welfare payments higher:

💰 $197m for the new 6-month Work for the Dole
💰 $2.5m on the 'DobSeeker' employer reporting line
💰 $24m on investigations for welfare “fraud & non-compliance” #Budget2022

And of course we don't know how much they pissed away forcing income control on (mostly) Blak folks in violation of their rights, cos the government keeps that secret every year 🤐

Can't wait to see some radical transparency on #CashlessDebitCard in #Budget2022!

In April 2021 the government cut JobSeeker, the most common working age payment, down to $310 a week.

It's now $46 a day – about ½ the Henderson poverty line. But the poverty line was last updated in September, so we know it's far worse now with recent price hikes. #Budget2022

In February 2020 there were 66,800 people on Newstart (now JobSeeker) who had employment income.

In February 2022 there were 184,751 people on JobSeeker who had employment income.

Surely that's good? Nope. Jobs shouldn't suck so bad that you can't escape poverty. #Budget2022

In 2020, when JobSeeker and other payments were lifted to the poverty line, @ACOSS found 33% of people still regularly skipped meals. 40% couldn't afford meds medication and adequate healthcare.

When payments were AT THE POVERTY LINE. #Budget2022

@ACOSS JobSeeker is currently $292 a week below the Henderson poverty line – last updated for September 2021, before wild price increases really kicked in.

This $250 payment won't even get someone above the poverty line for a SINGLE week.

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1508724280665595905?s=20&t=IFDNt2YKFXWm-N8B4fKdbg

Let me know if you have thoughts about it and want to share 👇

https://twitter.com/kristin8x/status/1508932776988651521