'I feel I'm a lesser person': Living on the cashless welfare card

  • 📰 abcnews
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 49 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Qulity Score:
  • News: 23%
  • Publisher: 83%

The Federal Government's cashless welfare card trial in Central Queensland is getting mixed reviews, with charities and community organisations saying there are signs of improvement but participants are less enthusiastic.

Australia Headlines News

Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines

Despite the complaints by users, some community leaders in the Bundaberg-Hervey Bay region say the debit card is working well.

"People are finding that they're able to budget a lot better, they've got money left over," said the president of the Burrum District Community Centre, Fay Whiffen, who also sits on the Department of Social Security's reference group assessing the local reaction to the trial.

"The only thing the Government is saying you can't do with your money, is saying you can't gamble, and you can't drink and you can't buy drugs.Hervey-Bay-based food charity We Care 2 said the cashless debit appeared to be having the desired effect. "We have noticed, since about July, a significant decrease in the amount of people coming in for free food through the emergency relief program," operations manager Jan Carlson told 7.30.

"In three days we would get 30, maybe 36 people through emergency relief, previously. Now we would probably see 12 a week.Smart use of taxpayers money or financial abuse?

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

'oh yeah they can just apply to us for extra cash if they need it' - that won't work if the person wants something on Gumtree. By the time they get through all the red tape and application BS the item is probably long spoken for.

If individuals want to volunteer great.This won't stop addiction,sounds more like control.Controlling cash 10k & above a few bucks & below, this will expand given time.1 country even has a 'frivolous' spending law for 'all' citizens who gets to decide what is frivolous spending😃

certain cases should be aloud certain circumstances not all are the same, please stop treating people like their all scamming the scammers

can anyone assist this family in anyway, may be center link have any compassion, innocent family obviously, cashless card, what they think, screwing everyone over all for a surplus yet interest rates lowest, government bureaucrats treat people like cattle, numbers

know why, those who choose drug alcohol before anything else to supress bad memory which actually only compounds a vicious circle more until sobriety, usually at some sort of cost to all sadly, & some for power money ego control, a fake waste of life

Sorry don't believe that seriously , what it means you will buy food using card and not spend cash on Cigs & Booz.

I haven’t used cash for at least two years, I don’t spend money on booze, drugs, tobacco or gambling...and I don’t feel like a lesser person

Or perhaps say thankyou to those taxpayers whose money and time they are losing to support your life decisions

You show your true colours by having more kids to get a pay rise from welfare. Can't afford kids but expects tax payers to foot the bill. What a disgrace.

You should just be handed lashings and lashings of cash to do with as you see fit. You’ve earned it 👏🏻

Should have stopped breeding

Cashless welfare card aside, what a profoundly stupid person: four children and living below the poverty line. The planet is dying from a gross excess of sapiens and this clown thinks it has the right to keep popping them out, while expecting others to pay for them.

'I'm losing out on interest that I could potentially be building up in my savings account if I'd been able to transfer that.'

Where is the humility? Why aren't people simply grateful that they're able to get financial support? If you can accept you're being helped, rather than demanding what's yours, it changes the mindset completely

Moving story, great dignity from the card users and uncomfortable commentary from the local support worker. The 'deserving poor' keeps springing to mind when I hear advocates for the card. Unethical IMO

That is so unfair. They just want to keep everyone down.

You are only on the welfare card because every user means riches for the ex Liberal MP who runs the business. Expect it to go to aged pensioners as well or those who are unwell, because their mates make more money!

More click bait. There is always someone whingeing about something.

Hang on, the ABC told us 2 weeks ago that girls were missing school because they can't afford tampons. How can this be when their parents get hundreds or thousands of $ a fortnite in FTB/Parenting Payments? ABC has proved we need cashless welfare card ScottMorrisonMP

Stop having bundle of children and get a job perhaps?

Card overseen by company run by LNP old boys. Government manages to monetise misery and demonise welfare recipients at same time. And gives the bogan right someone to punch down on. Yep, this is who we are now. auspol

I love the cashless welfare cards it helps to remind those among us that government is not your friend and what’s to control your life.🥰 🧐And think about it🤔 is it your money or money that the government has stolen from someone else🤔

Get a job

Really? I’m okay with it.

The ABC cherry picking stories once again.

Modern day financial slavery. Along with looming neg interest rates and the cash ban agenda it is just another measure to completely control the masses. Anyone who say it is a good idea should be careful what they wish for.

We are. That’s exactly how the government wants it too

this is not only humiliating for the recipient but hurtful for local economies, the cash purchases at opshops ,garage sales, small businesses.. Ill conceived, costly & designed to hurt and the hurt flows through to the communities

It’s a complex issue. I honestly see why people consider it a good idea. Drug and alcohol abuse, and gambling can be such massive problems. However, for those who don’t have these issues they may feel villainized and not be able to control their own finances.

She should get some money off her husband

In practical terms is someone meant to ring Centrelink to tell them they need an increase to the 20% available cash, bc they want to buy something on Gumtree, then what? How do they prove that is what they want it for? A receipt, photo? FakeFlexibility BogusReferenceGroup

It’s not looking like it will be permanently implemented so don’t worry. It doesn’t have the support.

Maybe the humiliation will be enough incentive to find a job.

Look for a job thousands of singles mothers work

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

'Bit disrespectful': Pocock says tier-two nations deserve more creditBefore a crucial match against Georgia, Wallabies back-rower David Pocock has heaped praise on some of the lesser-known nations at the World Cup | tomdecent
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »

'Moron' protesters criticised for wasting 'valuable emergency services', as person hangs from bridgePolice are trying to negotiate with a man hanging on a harness 10 metres from the underside of Brisbane’s Story Bridge as peak hour traffic builds. Ah you put it in quotes so it's neutral. Nice. Leave him hanging for few hours. It's a free-will act. Should have just ignored them and left them hanging all day and night.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

'They can't arrest us all': Activists defiant as Hong Kong court rejects second shot to block mask banThey haven't won this time, but activists feel the High Court has acknowledged the anti-mask bill is controversial. HK cannot completely ban masks, some people need to wear surgical masks to avoid disease & pollution & gas masks to avoid tear gas. Faceless rioters who are too shameful to face the world and sneaking around like filthy rats in the drain spreading epidemic... mask-wearing Hong Kong protesters who associate with far-right hacking group Anonymous are contradicting their own democratic-fetishising agenda as they advertise socialist-communistic right-wing propaganda
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Teacher’s horrifying 53-day rape ordeal by obsessed student made into movieShe's now shared the horrific details of the 53 days she was held captive with her daughter. Shame on you ! You post an article about a vile, kidnapper, rapist & murderer, then at the end you include advise on how to report domestic violence and sexual assault. Tying this vile monster with DV is shameful. The way laws are now a simple argument with a .... No need for that type of movie only promotes violence against women totally unnecessary
Source: newscomauHQ - 🏆 9. / 77 Read more »

LIVE: NRL Grand Final 2019, Roosters vs Raiders live score, results, highlights - Nine Wide World of Sports - NRLIt all comes down to this – will the sydneyroosters become back-to-back premiers or will the RaidersCanberra break their 25-year title drought? 9News Watch all the NRLGF action LIVE NOW on Channel9. sydneyroosters RaidersCanberra Channel9 I've never watched NRL. Is this expected to be a Roosters walk over or do the Raiders have a chance?
Source: 9NewsAUS - 🏆 10. / 72 Read more »

LIVE: NRL Grand Final 2019, Roosters vs Raiders live score, results, highlights - Nine Wide World of Sports - NRLBREAKING: The sydneyroosters have won the NRL Grand Final, becoming the first back-to-back premiers in 26 years. NRLGF 9News All the highlights: sydneyroosters Yeah. What a triumph. Big ups to the refs. sydneyroosters Refs ruined the game... as usual! sydneyroosters With the help of the refs. Raiders were robbed.
Source: 9NewsAUS - 🏆 10. / 72 Read more »