🧵
Today we publish our #PunishmentForProfit report, with support from @GetUp.

93% of people say "mutual" obligations harm their mental or physical health. We expected a strong response to these questions, but these figures surprised even us.

READ HERE: https://t.co/631wLvs0yApunishmentforprofit.org
@GetUp Some highlights.

85% said a job agency had made a mistake or done something that caused a problem with their payment.

97% said ‘mutual’ obligations are not useful. #PunishmentForProfit

The bill that that will lock income control (CDC, Basicscard etc.) in Australian social policy is set to be debated today. The bill is likely to pass as both the coalition and ALP agreed that it should pass. So what does it mean? 👇 🧵 1. It's voluntary now, right? NO! Biggest myth. Income management in Australia is not a voluntary program. It is a mandatory program if you live in the NT and select locations in NSW, Vic and QLD.

The economic exclusion committee has released its report, you can read here... all 99 pages. will post highlights below 👇

ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-… Has called for an increase, but not a figure.. not promising. It is also worth noting that these two recommendations are nothing new and have come from previous reviews on tax and social security.

🤨 this is the issue with "lived experience". it has become a tick box exercise that is watered down and misused to deny people with direct and recent experience of having a voice to advocate for systems change.

https://twitter.com/whobekindto/status/1648216980468695042

a 'lived experience' person is trained to talk about how it feels, and not what we want to change. lived experience is a buzz word for the "adults" in the room, they misappropriate it to take power from us by giving us a manufactured platform.

Back from lunch.

We've got National Council for Single Mothers and their Children represented by @AradiaSayner and @Terese_NCSMC

@Foodbank_SA represented by Sarah Davies

@JFAPurpleOrange represented by Cathy Cochrane, Elizabeth Farrant and Tracey Wallace.

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1602438563945385986

@AradiaSayner @Terese_NCSMC @Foodbank_SA @JFAPurpleOrange “37% of single-mother families live in poverty. 42% in a sole parent family are in poverty. It is gendered.” – @Terese_NCSMC #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Now we're going to hear more from real experts.

People actually experiencing poverty will give statements, followed by Lisa Courtney from the Murray Mallee GP Network.

Thank you and solidarity to all sharing their expertise ❤️✊ #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1602438563945385986?s=20&t=OAzJYPnVDZkQ3UrbeUV_vA

First up, Jennifer.

“I have been living on Centrelink most ofmy life. It started because my partner left and I was left to raise children on my own. Back then it was supportable to rent and feed my children. It was a struggle but doable.” #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Morning! Time for another #PovertyInquiry hearing, this time in Murray Bridge SA. You can listen here: aph.gov.au/Watch_Read_Lis…

We're again overstretched – follow #RobodebtRC updates via @maximumcuddles, @DarrenODonovan, @SquigglyRick and everyone on the @not_my_debt list. #BTPM @maximumcuddles @DarrenODonovan @SquigglyRick @not_my_debt First up this morning: @RossWomersley for @SACOSS and Sara and Janet for @AntiPovertyN_SA

Now up we have @antipovertyqld, @yfslogan and @ma_queensland

Opening with a statement from Anti-Poverty Network.

They are making the point about the deaths caused by state violence through the welfare system. Good to hear someone name the reality ✊

#PovertyInquiry #BTPM

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1599887947624763393

@antipovertyqld @YFSlogan @ma_queensland "Continuing with the status quo is unacceptable." – @antipovertyqld

#PovertyInquiry #BTPM

We're kicking off with the #PovertyInquiry hearing 🧵👇 #BTPM

1st session will hear from @QCOSS_, @BasicRightsQld and Zig Zag Young Women's Research Centre.

The #ParentsNEXT inquiry doesn't start til 11:30 AEDT, there was an error on the @Aust_Parliament website for that one.

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1599879778362064897

@QCOSS_ @BasicRightsQld @Aust_Parliament From @QCOSS_: Low income households spend more on fuel, food, housing, electricity and water than households with higher incomes.

Median rent in Brisbane has increased by 13% and fuel by 17%.

Income support payments have increased 4% due to indexation. #PovertyInquiry #BTPM

Well there's a LOT going on today.

Hearings for the #ParentsNext inquiry at 8:30am AEDT, #PovertyInquiry from 9am AEDT, #WorkAndCare from 10am AEDT & #RobodebtRC from 11am AEDT.

More details below & a link to follow livestream for the first 3 here: aph.gov.au/Watch_Read_Lis… The #RobodebtRC livestream will kick off here in a few hours: robodebt.royalcommission.gov.au

Some folks to follow are @not_my_debt, @maximumcuddles, @SquigglyRick and
@DarrenODonovan.

Plus Not My Debt made this fantastic list to make following the RC easy: twitter.com/i/lists/158731…

Congratulations to the Work for the Dole forced labour program, which celebrates its 25th anniversary today 🎉

Restoring planes? Sounds like a job! #AWFTD 25 years on, and here's a selection of the unpaid labour you can be forced to do, courtesy of the @MatchWorksAU Work for the Dole "opportunities" page 🥰 #AWFTD

Today the Workforce Australia committee is holding its first hearing.

They will be questioning the department and people who oversee @WorkforceAusGov.

You can watch here, and we will be sharing updates in this thread as well:

aph.gov.au/Watch_Read_Lis… @WorkforceAusGov You can track the committee's activities and inquiry progress over the coming year by signing up for updates here: aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_…

“Performance results do not appear to have had any impact on the tender results”

Read @SquigglyRick on who the real winners are in Workforce Australia and how abusive companies are wringing huge profits from unemployed people 🧵🧵🧵👇 Why are people on JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Parenting Payment and Disability Support Pension forced to do demeaning, pointless and punishing “mutual” obligations?

@Tony_Burke says the public must pay up because … well, certainly not because there’s any evidence it works.

Over 2 days we've heard harrowing #DisabilityRC evidence from Mzia, a former DES participant with AimBig & employee in their BusyBeans program

We also heard from Matthew Ting, the AimBig manager who hired her for the job

Today's bullshit will be brought to you by DSS from 10am

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1496606873122111488

State manager of AimBig Ms Romero has given statements to kick things off today.

We'll here from Rick Kane from Disability Employment Australia, and later from the Department of Social Services. It's going to be a big day..

Today at the #DisabilityRC AimBig & employment services peak body @DisabilityEmplt will appear to tell us some bullshit justification for the disgusting practices we heard from Mzia yesterday (🧵below)

You can follow from 10am on the @DRC_AU website: disability.royalcommission.gov.au

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1496260015443034112

We're also going to see a lot of hand wringing about how hard it is for workers. That's true.

But to pretend these orgs aren't directly responsible for it is a joke. They're also responsible for hiring unqualified ppl & allowing staff to inflict horrible abuse on disabled folks.

Today's witness will be Mzia* (pseudonym)

She will speak about her experiences as a trainer at AimBig, but also as a former DES participant. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

https://twitter.com/kristin8X/status/1496256093097701376

"In 2020 to 2021 only 13.4% of the ~410,000 people in DES had sustained employment for 6 months." – Ronald Sackville, Chair

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

We did it.

We weren't able to make all the important points we had to share at the #DSPinquiry.

We'll have more to say later + more experiences to share from our survey, but for now here are a few thoughts from AC's @kristin8X + @gdevera @PWDAustralia

apcentre.substack.com/p/the-governme… @kristin8X @gdevera @PWDAustralia "The government should offer us euthanasia, because that would be kinder than denying our existence."
— response from a young disabled woman living on JobSeeker #DSPinquiry