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Take it from me: there is no shame in being on the dole Take it from me: there is no shame in being on the dole
(4 months later)
Budgets kick people in the guts in different Budgets kick people in the guts in different ways, and this time around there seemed there were more choices than ever for how to get knocked down by it all. I was particularly keen to hear how the anticipated welfare cuts came out. They were signalled from early on as the Coalition seemed to test public reaction to their measures.
ways, and this time around there seemed there were more choices than ever for Throughout social media, there was an immediate collective sense of being aghast. A six month waiting period for under 30s before being allowed to even apply for Newstart payments is pretty inconceivable – ignoring all the realities of being out of work at that age. Who has savings at that age to live off for the six month waiting period until some kind of support become available? You wouldn’t ask a broken down driver to have roadside supplies for that long before being allowed to call up the NRMA.
how to get knocked down by it all. I was particularly keen to hear how the anticipated welfare cuts came As I tried to get my head around it all, I got very upset. As someone who was on and off the welfare due to periods of mental illness through my early 20s, the proposed changes were truly devastating. Not because being on the dole was a painful time for me, but because I believe in it so fundamentally. I look back on my time on the dole with deep sense of gratitude, as many do. Indeed, Melbourne band Dick Diver penned a brilliant, cheeky paean to the payment system.
out. They were signalled from early on as the Coalition seemed to test public All I want to say about the budget right now, for those under 30, who face the realities of this policy: there is no shame in welfare. Don't let those who have never had the need to rely on it message you otherwise through these cuts. I was on the dole, on and off, for four years, and basically found my way and myself by being on it. It was as important as any professional development program or university course I attended during the same time. I worked harder in those four years than I have in my entire life. It was not by choice, it was by circumstance, but every day I felt supported by everyone in this country to take the time needed and never once was I disenfranchised. I worked as a freelancer, I tried to do as much independent work as I could and then I got a one day a week job and then, a little later, I became the artistic director and CEO of a leading arts organisation. The dole – I love the muscularity of the word, dole – was deeply important to that process.
reaction to their measures. The very idea of the "dole bludger" is such a disastrously outdated concept and the culture of fear around "welfare fraud" simply needs to come to an end. Someone needs to tell the government its resoundingly dud rhetoric and that it deserved retiring long before Current Affair infamously vilified the Paxton family and John Safran, in turn, took up their cause, putting himself in physical danger while trying to break down the stereotypes.
Throughout social media, there was an What Safran understood then is that being on the dole doesn’t dramatically change your day compared to the wealthy. Ray Martin’s life was not all that different to the Paxton’s. Joe Hockey’s day has its own down times too. There are only so many hours in the day to spend working or not working, and productivity often comes down to circumstance – simply having work in front of you to do – and a circumstance that is often defined by privilege.
immediate collective sense of being aghast. A six month waiting period for These words and ideas simply ignore the realities of living off the amount of money afforded to "bludgers" too. I’ve never met an unemployed person who I would dare describe as lazy – it’s the hardest job out there. The language needs to change to reflect this and to encourage young people to use welfare creatively, to truly assist them in finding the right career path if they so choose.
under 30s before being allowed to even apply for Newstart payments is pretty You get the feeling that Joe Hockey is the kind of guy who must have been disappointed when his children were born under 30 and that they did not come out as fully-employed non dependants straight away. There’s a serious rigidity to his thinking and everything about his decision marks a critical misunderstanding about the way we learn to work and live. Work for the Dole programs are an unimaginative solution, being inherently rote and discouraging self-determination (and at 25 you’re way beyond doing your chores for pocket money).
inconceivable – ignoring all the realities of being out of work at that age. We need to fail to find out what we are good at. To carve the right path, you need to head down many. And without a safety net of unemployment benefits during periods of uncertainty – when you’ve found one path is a dead end, before taking the next – well, you’re creating an unimaginative workforce, fearful of taking risks, right at the stage when they should be doing exactly that.
Who has savings at that age to live off for the six month waiting period I want to live in an era where failure is embraced for success’s sake; where space, time and resources are afforded equally to everyone to find their way in youth. It’s no utopia; it’s really just a friendly place. These cuts were not made in my name: I want to be able to pay for welfare in this country and give someone else the same opportunity I was given.
until some kind of support become available? You wouldn’t ask a broken down driver to have roadside
supplies for that long before being allowed to call up the NRMA.
As I tried to get my head around it all, I
got very upset. As someone who was on and off the welfare due to periods of
mental illness through my early 20s, the proposed changes were truly
devastating. Not because being on the dole was a painful time for me, but
because I believe in it so fundamentally. I look back on my time on the dole
with deep sense of gratitude, as many do. Indeed, Melbourne
band Dick Diver penned a brilliant, cheeky paean to the payment system.
All I want to say about the budget right now,
for those under 30, who face the realities of this policy: there is no shame in
welfare. Don't let those who have never had the need to rely on it message you
otherwise through these cuts. I was on the dole, on and off, for four years,
and basically found my way and myself by being on it. It was as important as
any professional development program or university course I attended during the
same time. I worked harder in those four years than I have in my entire life.
It was not by choice, it was by circumstance, but every day I felt supported by
everyone in this country to take the time needed and never once was I
disenfranchised. I worked as a freelancer, I tried to do as much independent
work as I could and then I got a one day a week job and then, a little later, I
became the artistic director and CEO of a leading arts organisation. The dole –
I love the muscularity of the word, dole – was deeply important to that
process.
The very idea of the "dole bludger" is such a
disastrously outdated concept and the culture of fear around "welfare fraud" simply needs to come to an end. Someone needs to tell the government its
resoundingly dud rhetoric and that it deserved retiring long before Current
Affair infamously vilified the Paxton family and John Safran, in turn, took up
their cause, putting himself in physical danger while trying to break down the
stereotypes.
What Safran understood then is that being
on the dole doesn’t dramatically change your day compared to the wealthy. Ray
Martin’s life was not all that different to the Paxton’s. Joe Hockey’s day has
its own down times too.
There are only so many hours in the day to spend working or not working, and
productivity often comes down to circumstance – simply having work in front of
you to do – and a circumstance that is often defined by privilege.
These words
and ideas simply ignore the realities of living off the amount of money
afforded to "bludgers" too. I’ve never
met an unemployed person who I would dare describe as lazy – it’s the hardest
job out there. The language needs to change to reflect this and to encourage
young people to use welfare creatively, to truly assist them in finding the
right career path if they so choose.
You get the feeling that Joe Hockey is the
kind of guy who must have been disappointed when his children were born under
30 and that they did not come out as fully-employed non dependants straight
away. There’s a serious rigidity to his thinking and everything about his
decision marks a critical misunderstanding
about the way we learn to work and live. Work for the Dole programs are an
unimaginative solution, being inherently rote and discouraging
self-determination (and at 25 you’re way beyond doing your chores for pocket
money).
We need to fail to find out what we are good
at. To carve the right path, you need to head down many. And without a safety
net of unemployment benefits during periods of uncertainty – when you’ve found
one path is a dead end, before taking the next – well, you’re creating an
unimaginative workforce, fearful of taking risks, right at the stage when they
should be doing exactly that.
I want to live in an era where failure is
embraced for success’s sake; where space, time and resources are afforded equally
to everyone to find their way in youth. It’s no utopia; it’s really just a
friendly place. These cuts were not made in my name: I want to be able to pay
for welfare in this country and give someone else the same opportunity I was given.