The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) calls on the Federal Government to:
• Increase the rates for Youth Allowance and Newstart Allowance to above the poverty line and index
them to rises in average wages rather than to the Consumer Price Index.
• Abandon the proposal to implement a 6 month waiting period to receive Youth Allowance and
Newstart Allowance for new claimants from 1 January 2014.
• Abandon the proposal to cut recipients off Youth Allowance or Newstart Allowance after 6 months if
they have not been able to find employment.
• Include the AASW in consultations to ensure a fairer and more equitable allowance system that
both encourages employment and study but also ensures vulnerable communities are not subject
to ongoing poverty.