At any moment for any reason, someone can find themselves without an income, and our social security system should be there to support them.
But harsh and punitive measures like mutual obligations have made it inaccessible.
Mutual obligation requirements force people on certain payments to undertake what are largely ineffective, time-consuming and sometimes harmful activities. If people can’t meet these obligations they risk having their payment suspended and support stopped.
Measures like mutual obligations prevent people from getting the help they need while costing a huge amount of money to implement.
When mutual obligations were suspended during the height of the COVID pandemic, people could actually focus on finding work rather than having to complete pointless box-ticking exercises. Removing the burden of mutual obligations resulted in thousands of people’s mental and physical health improving.
It’s time for the Albanese government to listen to people on income support and face the facts: mutual obligations have no place in our social security system.
That is why the Greens are calling on the government to abolish mutual obligations and all other punitive measures.
This is one part of the Greens’ Guaranteed Liveable Income, which would support everyone to live with dignity. As part of this plan, we also want to increase all income support payments to above the poverty line and return the provision of employment services back to the Commonwealth.
Join the Greens in calling on the government to stop punishing people in poverty and abolish mutual obligations immediately.