Benefits

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 22

Benefits

Sir,—The Department of Social Welfare has recently published the new benefit fates. It seems an anomaly that a married; couple'.(without children) bn sickness or invalidity benefit now receives 3243.50 net a week, but that married unemployed beneficiaries (without children) receive only $194.64 a week. Is this a survival of the time when work was readily available and the unemployment benefit served only to bridge a

gap, or is there a principle Involved? Could the Minister of Social Welfare please explain why the unemployed are apparently discriminated against in that their entitlement is so much less? — Yours, etc., PIETER H. de BRES. Hon. Co-ordinator, Welfare Rights Unit, Community Law Centre. November 6, 1987. [The Minister of Social Welfare, Mr Cullen, replies: “The Government recognises that unemployment is not necessarily the fault of those who are unemployed. However, unemployment benefit is a short-term means of support. The average duration of unemployment benefits for the year ended March 31, 1987, was 21.2 weeks compared with sickness benefit at 34.1 weeks, or domestic purposes benefit at three years five months. It is regrettably true that unemployment is high, but these figures reveal that it is also still true that the unemployment benefit Is not called upon to provide long-term support as with other benefits. Nor would the Government wish to set up this benefit as a longterm alternative to employment The Department of Social Welfare can give extra help to those who have special commitments which their income cannot meet. No-one with a genuine case of neeu will be barred from receiving the department’s help.’’]