Immovable Senate forces Morrison to dump six month wait for unemployment benefits

MR Morrison told reporters in Canberra today that “choosing welfare is not the career we want for” young people.

Minister for Social Services, Scott Morrison holding a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra about Abbott Government measures to encourage young people into work.

THE Government today conceded defeat on a much-criticised 2014 Budget measure and dumped a requirement that the jobless aged under 30 wait six months before getting the dole.

Instead, those aged under 25 will have to wait four weeks before qualifying for unemployment benefits, and a number of exemptions will be available.

Social Minister Scott Morrison has had to face the reality he could not negotiate through the Senate the dole delay announced in last year’s Budget.

“We listened hard, and what they said to us was that six months was too long. What they said to us was that (age) 30 was too high. What they said to us was you needed to invest more to get people into work,” said Mr Morrison.

“That’s what this (new) bill does.”

But he warned the young unemployed the new range of assistance intended to get them employable could be abused.

“This document is not an Ikea catalogue to go shopping for benefits. What this is a schedule of benefits and payments that are there a to help people in need,” he said.

The change means that projected savings of $1.8 billion from paying fewer benefits will be cut to $200 million. But the new package comes with a $300 program to prepare young people for work.

Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra “choosing welfare is not the career we want for” young people.

“We are talking about job-ready young people who we want to see having a go at getting into work,” he said.

“We want to send a very clear message that we want you in work when you are job ready, that you don’t have the option of walking from the school gate to the front door of the Centrelink office.”

The exemption categories include former carers of people with disabilities; those recently released from prison or psychiatric facilities; young people unable to live at home; refugees.

Originally published as Immovable Senate forces Morrison to dump six month wait for unemployment benefits