Young men dominate JobSeeker disability numbers in shock data

Almost half of young men on JobSeeker with reduced work obligations say they have intellectual or learning impairments, in another sign of strain on the federal budget.

Government data exposes a disparity between the number of young men and women on JobSeeker payments who claim they have intellectual or development impairments. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Mark Brake

Almost half of the young men on JobSeeker with reduced work obligations say they have intellectual or learning impairments, in another sign that a growing number of men and boys under 18 with neurological issues are putting strain on the federal budget.

Government data shows 43 per cent of boys aged 15-19 with a “partial capacity to work” – which means they have reduced mutual work obligations – list intellectual or developmental impairment as their primary reason, compared to just 22 per cent of women in the same age range.

This is similar to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which has a far higher share of young boys with autism on the scheme than young girls. NDIS Minister Mark Butler recently said the government would seek to shift children with “mild to moderate developmental delay and autism” off the NDIS and to a different system.

This male-female disparity in JobSeeker partial working capacity for intellectual or developmental impairment continues up the age scale: 29 per cent in men aged 20-24, 13 per cent for women; 15 per cent in men aged 25-29, 8 per cent among women.

In total, there were 939,160 JobSeekers who had a “partial capacity” to work in December 2024, of about 1.1 million total JobSeekers.

Opposition social services spokeswoman Kerrynne Liddle said Australia had a “strong” welfare safety net and it was incumbent on the government to analyse trends to make sure it was being “applied as effectively and efficiently as possible”.

“We have to make sure our welfare system is fair to both recipients and to the taxpayers who pay for it,” Senator Liddle said.

“Understanding what is driving demand and trends is important in ensuring the social security safety net is applied as effectively and efficiently as possible.

“The Labor government must ensure this work is done.”

A spokeswoman for Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said the government would “continue to uphold the integrity of the social security system so that it is there to support those who need it most when they need it and ensure value for money for taxpayers”.

Australian National University Social Policy Institute director Peter Whiteford said the trend was “worth investigating” over time.

However, Mr Whiteford noted there was a relatively small number of 15 to 19-year-olds with partial working capacity.

“We’re talking about a relatively small number of people aged between 15 and 19 who fit these criteria – we’re talking about less than a thousand men,” he said.