Australian jobseekers will now be required to earn ‘100 points’ a month by completing tasks and activities to keep receiving welfare payments.
CENTRELINK OVERHAUL
Welfare advocates are calling on the Labor Government to delay the rollout of a new mutual-obligation system, saying it will lead to “more punishments” and more automated payment suspensions.
From July 1, the list of job interviews, searches, income reporting and other tasks a person has to complete to get their JobSeeker payment is being scrapped and replaced with a Points-Based Activation System (PBAS).
The system, which was introduced by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment in 2020 in trial form, is due to replace the existing mutual-obligation system.
From July 4, the Jobactive program that has been running for many years will also be replaced by a new service called Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider.
Under the new system, those on Centrelink will have to earn “100 points” and do at least five job searches per month to keep getting payments, instead of having to submit 20 job applications.