Welfare for everyone!

The so called Welfare Expert Advisory Group has reported and their main recommendations are:

• Remove obligations and sanctions such as work assessments or naming the other parent
• Sole parent support recipients no longer need to look for work until the youngest child is six (instead of three)
• Increase main benefits by up to 47%
• Increase abatement thresholds to $150 a week or $250 a week for supported living
• Index benefits to average wage instead of inflation
• Increase family tax credit to $170 a week
• Allow people to claim welfare even if married or in a relationship to someone who is working

They have conservatively estimated the cost of this to be $5.2 billion a year. Now current spending on benefits are $4.4 billion a year so basically doubling the cost.

An extra $5.2 billion a year on welfare would equate to $3,500 more spending and hence tax per households. So if implemented you’ll pay $70 a week more tax on average (if working) to fund this welfare wishlist (for people not working).

I’m surprised the working group didn’t also recommend free cars under every seat.