The Welfare Review Report has finally been released. It advocates a “new flexible social support system that is simpler, sustainable, coherent and outcomes focused”.
The Review proposes to replace the present tangled mess of 20 income support payments paid at various levels (see figure)
with ‘five main payments’ (see figure):
- Tiered Working Age Payment
- Supported Living Pension
- Child and Youth Payment
- Carer Payment
- Age Pension.
Sounds good, and a welcome change of tone from last year’s Budget. But unscrambling this egg is not as simple as it sounds, and nor is the recommended payment structure.
