For over 33 years of my life, I was employed in banking and retail until I was struck by a motor vehicle at a pedestrian crossing.
I had private health insurance, life insurance and income protection. I supported charities and local businesses.
Since the accident in 2006, I have struggled with chronic pain. I have disc bulges throughout my spine. I have nerve pain and PTSD and anxiety.
Over the years, I made several attempts to return to my job, however my position was terminated in 2018 and I went on Newstart (now jobseeker). In my experience, it simply is not enough to help someone secure employment.
A job applicant who is hungry or sick will not perform well in interviews or aptitude tests, even if they can afford the transport fare or fuel to get there.
When former prime minister Scott Morrison said that the best form of welfare is a job – to me that sounded like it means unemployment is a choice.
Many on jobseeker are older or, like me, live with a chronic illness or injury, are waiting for aged pension eligibility or have not met disability support pension requirements.
Employers can be reluctant to hire workers with an illness or disability for fear of liability or them making a claim. A former manager once told me: “If I had my way, I would terminate everyone over 50 and replace them with young fit casuals”. Ageism and discrimination are real.
There are some who argue unemployment is improving and that there is plenty of work available. These figures are meaningless. The definition of employment is working just one hour a week. We need to also consider the participation rate and the type of jobs. Are they highly paid and skilled roles or low-paid positions in the gig economy?
On jobseeker I could not afford to socialise. I was refusing invitations and ultimately, they stopped coming. This led to social isolation and depression. I almost lost my home. I lived on a diet of eggs and noodles to survive.
I am now on the disability support pension. It is more than jobseeker but provides only the basics. It is inadequate.
The current age and disability pensions are a maximum of $987 a fortnight and the jobseeker rate is $642.70.
These are not enough and need to be increased.
Each and every one of us could be affected by illness or injury – just as I have been.
Like many age pensioners and people with disabilities, I have more complex care needs, with more medical visits, medicines and ancillary services such as physiotherapy. There is the medicare safety net, but it does not kick in until a $700 threshold is reached – a lot of money on a pension.
Dental care is unaffordable. I recently lost a tooth and had a dental examination. Several issues were found which would have cost more than $1,600 to treat. I’ve had to defer that. I broke an arm last year and required gallbladder surgery recently. There were large gaps between the fees charged and Medicare rebates.
The rising costs of food staples and energy are affecting my quality of life. They are affecting all of us, however, those at the bottom suffer the most. On jobseeker, I got used to eating one meal a day. Now I am worried I’ll need to get used to that again. I am again reducing social outings and visiting my family in regional Victoria less. I buy discounted food from expired “best before” tubs at the supermarket.
Australia is now facing difficult economic conditions. The nation has record levels of debt, the cost of living is escalating and yet we are told the economy is booming and resilient. The economic benefits are not evenly spread.
Our most vulnerable – those on aged and disability pensions, youth allowance and jobseeker are consigned to poverty. For many years, governments have claimed the safety net needs to be sustainable and increasing it is financially unaffordable and a disincentive to work.
Increasing jobseeker payments must be an urgent national priority.
As opposition leader, Anthony Albanese advocated for an increase to the minimum wage. Jobseeker is only about 40% of that. We are at risk of entrenching a permanent underclass.
The third tranche of Morrison-era tax cuts is proceeding. Surely, given fiscal circumstances, they should be deferred or rescinded.
Poverty is a political choice.
• Peter Sutton is an advocate and retired banker who relies on the disability support pension and previously received Newstart (now jobseeker)
