The Federal House of Representatives Select Committee on Intergenerational Welfare Dependence has released its final report. The report identifies groups at higher risk of experiencing entrenched disadvantage, and the factors that contribute to families receiving welfare support. The report made 16 recommendations to government, including prioritising place based initiatives; supporting comprehensive service delivery especially in cases where barriers to education and employment are complex; and changing the point at which single parents move to Newstart Allowance from when their youngest child turns eight to when their youngest child turns twelve. The report recommends several steps leading to effective welfare programs: long-term flexible funding; improved data and evaluation; coordinated funding; building community capacity; and strategic government leadership. The report also showed evidence that many government initiatives based on ‘conditionality’ and ‘mutual obligations’ have little to no evidence of success. Read the report.
