Social services
Fix WA cost of living now: Social services launch election pitch
The WA community services sector has come out swinging ahead of the state election saying the state has it in its power to act now on people’s suffering.
- by Emma Young
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Household debt
Up to your eyeballs in debt? Join the club as WA mortgages break record
The average figure West Australians are taking out for mortgages has broken the record, jumping more than $30,000 in just three months.
- by Michael Genovese
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Disability
Sixth government backflip in six months, this time on disability commissioner
The Allan government has quietly shelved a plan to axe the state’s disability commissioner on July 1, its sixth major policy walk-back in six months.
- by Broede Carmody
‘I feel loved’: St Mary’s House of Welcome brings Christmas to Melburnians sleeping rough
Every Christmas Day, this Fitzroy organisation provides people experiencing homelessness with everything from a three-course lunch to presents to hot showers.
- by Jewel Topsfield
‘Middle incomes miss out’: Why fewer families are eligible for tax benefit
The government’s largest family assistance scheme which was originally designed to help low and middle-income families now only reaches fewer than half of Australian children.
- by Mary Ward
Private employment services have failed, watchdog is needed: Inquiry head
Julian Hill, who chaired a year-long inquiry into the $7 billion employment service sector, says privatisation has failed the unemployed and the country.
- by Shane Wright
Morrison lashes out at robo-debt ‘political lynching’, rejects royal commission findings
The former prime minister has described the commission’s findings against him as “disproportionate, wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear evidence”.
- by James Massola
‘Wealthy families, private schools’: Have universities forgotten who their students really are?
Experts warn funding cuts have led to the rise of universities operating like corporations instead of public institutions. What spiky ideas can fix the sector?
- by Sherryn Groch, Lucy Carroll and Nicole Precel
‘She failed to act’: Damning findings for robo-debt public servant now in new $900k job
The royal commission report found Kathryn Campbell kept the true nature of the robo-debt scheme secret when advising cabinet because she knew Scott Morrison wanted budget savings.
- by Matthew Knott
Let JobSeeker recipients work more without penalty, economists say
The major political parties revealed different plans to help job seekers this week. Economists say reducing disincentives to work should be key.
- by Rachel Clun
Welfare isn’t a dirty word, says new Aston MP amid JobSeeker debate
Labor’s full caucus took time out of a busy parliamentary session to watch Mary Doyle explain how her pathway to the nation’s capital had been “riddled with challenges”.
- by Paul Sakkal
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/social-services-jp9