What outcomes or recommendations would you like to see from this National Inquiry? Revision and amendment of the criteria for the Restart scheme. The Government provides assistance to employers to implement a Mentoring Programme. This could replace the wage subsidies and Restart payments. All governments at all levels could lead the way by example. All unemployed workers be issued with a Health Care Card if they have not secured a job with a liveable wage after one month. Low cost loans be made available to job seekers with assets. Similar to the HECS scheme, the recipient would begin repaying the loan only after full-time employment is gained. Centrelink to have more flexible guidelines to help people in a crisis. Every Centrelink office to have a person trained to deal with the issues facing unemployed older workers. All unemployed and under-employed workers, who are seeking work, need to be registered and counted in the unemployment figures. Job Active Providers need to be better supervised, or their role be returned to Centrelink. Reinstating the Commonwealth Employment Service is the preferred option of our members. More appropriate help and training needs to be provided for older workers. Affordable Broadband internet services needs to be available to all job seekers, in their homes. Volunteers should not be used to replace paid employees. A taxation review regarding the selling of assets. Newstart be increased at least to the Poverty level. The costs associated with owning Assets be taken into account when being assessed for a Centrelink benefit. (rates, insurances, mortgages etc) Work for the Dole: Use older workers who are currently unemployed as paid Supervisors. The WFD scheme should be a mentoring opportunity/programme. The point at which a Healthcare Card is no longer available needs to be reviewed. Workers who find some casual work (often on their own, not through a Job Active Provider) are penalised by Centrelink cancelling their Health care card. This means that medications etc are more expensive and can be a disincentive for some people to do casual, low hours work.
What outcomes or recommendations would you like to see from this National Inquiry? Revision and amendment of the criteria for the Restart scheme. The Government provides assistance to employers to implement a Mentoring Programme. This could replace the wage subsidies and Restart payments. All governments at all levels could lead the way by example. All unemployed workers be issued with a Health Care Card if they have not secured a job with a liveable wage after one month. Low cost loans be made available to job seekers with assets. Similar to the HECS scheme, the recipient would begin repaying the loan only after full-time employment is gained. Centrelink to have more flexible guidelines to help people in a crisis. Every Centrelink office to have a person trained to deal with the issues facing unemployed older workers. All unemployed and under-employed workers, who are seeking work, need to be registered and counted in the unemployment figures. Job Active Providers need to be better supervised, or their role be returned to Centrelink. Reinstating the Commonwealth Employment Service is the preferred option of our members. More appropriate help and training needs to be provided for older workers. Affordable Broadband internet services needs to be available to all job seekers, in their homes. Volunteers should not be used to replace paid employees. A taxation review regarding the selling of assets. Newstart be increased at least to the Poverty level. The costs associated with owning Assets be taken into account when being assessed for a Centrelink benefit. (rates, insurances, mortgages etc) Work for the Dole: Use older workers who are currently unemployed as paid Supervisors. The WFD scheme should be a mentoring opportunity/programme. The point at which a Healthcare Card is no longer available needs to be reviewed. Workers who find some casual work (often on their own, not through a Job Active Provider) are penalised by Centrelink cancelling their Health care card. This means that medications etc are more expensive and can be a disincentive for some people to do casual, low hours work.
Submission%20No%20235%20-%20Willing%20Older%20Workers%20%28W.O.W%20Inc.%29%20-%20orgainsiation%20%28age%29.docx