Chapter 3 - Minority report - Australian Greens

Introduction

3.2        The Australian Greens support the ongoing review of financial provisions to all Australians in receipt of social security entitlements. The Australian Greens believe all Australians have the right to lead a full and meaningful life underpinned by the provision of an adequate social security system.

3.3        The Australian Greens are concerned about the inequity of providing mobility allowance to those people working in the open employment market and not to those in the supported employment environment.

Mobility Allowance

3.4        The committee report comments on the identified inequity of the provision of mobility allowance to people in open employment and not to those working in the supported employment environment, but stated that:

The committee considers that such arrangements are consistent with the objectives of the Welfare to Work reforms insofar as they encourage and assist people with disability to work in the open labour market, and are justifiable on that basis.

3.5        The Australian Greens believe that the mobility allowance should be provided to both groups of employees and as such supports the recommendations of the National Disability Services (NDS) submission. In their submission the NDS comments:

The inequity is particularly apparent once it is recognised that the lower rate applies to people who are most likely to be in need of assistance...On average, supported employees in Disability Business Services receive a significantly lower wage than employees with disability in the open workforce.  Thus their capacity to pay for transport to work is less.

Recommendation
All people eligible for the Mobility Allowance should receive the higher rate.

Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens

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