‘Dole bludger’? Expert explains why common criticism of Centrelink recipients misses the mark

Navigating the job market can be daunting for anyone, but the hurdles can be even higher for those receiving Centrelink benefits.

As the debate over welfare payments flares up with the latest increase in Centrelink payments, it's time to shed light on the hidden struggles many recipients face and dispel the unfair stereotypes that often accompany discussions about unemployment and welfare.



The latest indexation to payments will see five million Australians on Centrelink get a modest increase in their payments, with up to $20 extra per fortnight.

While any increase is welcome, especially in the face of rising living costs, it's important to understand that these payments are indexed to inflation and represent a mere 1.8 per cent rise, hardly enough to keep pace with the rapidly increasing cost of living.

The term 'dole bludger' is a harsh label that has been used to stigmatise those on welfare, suggesting a lack of willingness to work.

However, experts, including Dr Elise Klein from the Australian National University, have highlighted the complex reality many Centrelink recipients face, which often goes unnoticed by the general public.


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Those on Centrelink payments sometimes face criticism for their supposed dependence on welfare. Is it all that simple? Image Credit: Shutterstock


Dr Klein points out that a significant number of those on social security are engaged in work that isn’t compensated financially.

'A lot of folks that are on social security are doing huge amounts of unpaid work, particularly unpaid care work,' Dr Klein said late last year.

Additionally, many recipients grapple with health issues or disabilities that make it difficult, if not impossible, to work.

According to Dr Klein, the tightening of disability support pension eligibility over a decade ago has pushed many with partial work abilities onto the lower-paying JobSeeker benefit, leaving them to struggle with inadequate financial support while dealing with serious health concerns.

'When you're battling cancer or know you have disability, you're not looking for work,' she added.

'You can't be looking for work; you're trying to stay alive.’

'The whole rationale behind JobSeeker is a complete mismatch to where people are at.'

The challenges don't end there.


Dr Klein said that location can be a significant barrier for welfare recipients, particularly in remote areas where job opportunities are scarce.

Moreover, the policy requirements for Job Seekers and Youth Allowance recipients to fulfil mutual obligations, such as actively seeking work, attending interviews, and participating in training, can be overwhelming and counterproductive.

For Dr Klein, it’s high time for a change—or an overhaul.

'The payments are so low that people are finding themselves below the poverty line, and that's a major barrier for people being able to go out and look for work,' she said.

'There's a huge body of Australian-specific research that shows that mutual obligations work against people.’

'Folks that are actually subject to mutual obligations don't want them and say that they're really harmful and impact their confidence and ability to go out and look for work.’

'They take up people's precious time, and they're completely at odds with the reality.'


The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) has advocated for an increase in income support payments to a level that allows recipients to afford basic necessities.

Cassandra Goldie, CEO of ACOSS, argues that the current rate of JobSeeker and related payments is insufficient, leaving over a million people struggling to make ends meet.

To address this, she says bumping JobSeeker and related payments to $80 daily would be adequate.

'The changes will still leave more than one million people relying on JobSeeker and related payments struggling to survive, with JobSeeker rising by just 96 cents a day to $55 a day,' Ms Goldie said.

'It is completely insufficient for people who are barely surviving, forced to ration food and medicine or suffer through sweltering heat because they cannot afford to cool their homes.

'With unemployment expected to rise this year, lifting income support is not only the right thing to do; it provides an essential buffer against falling living standards and rising job losses.'
Key Takeaways

  • Centrelink recipients are facing challenges and misconceptions when it comes to finding employment, with unfair comments like 'get a job' undermining their efforts.
  • Dr Elise Klein from the Australian National University has identified volunteering commitments, health issues, financial hardship, and location as key obstacles for Centrelink recipients seeking jobs.
  • The debate over welfare payments is in focus as Centrelink payments have been indexed, providing a modest increase to recipients that some argue is still insufficient to lift them above the poverty line.
  • Advocates, including the Australian Council of Social Service, are urging the government to increase income support payments to match the pension rate to ensure recipients can afford basic living expenses.
Members, share your thoughts and experiences with Centrelink and the job market (for those who’ve decided to return to work). Have you or someone you know faced these challenges? What changes would you like to see to make the system fairer for everyone?
 
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You have no idea what you are talking about, why don't you talk about those, that they have disability or illness, talk about those that are long term recipients who have done their utmost not to obtain work. Never worked a day in their lives, and use every excuse under the sun not to work. Go on give them more money for being a burden on our society.
 
We have worked all our lives and when my kids were young and having 13 kids I would have received more on centrelink than working. But I chose to work.

Unfortunately 3 years ago after negligent surgery I had to leave work.
I was the breadwinner due to hubby having health issues.

Now I am on jobseeker waiting to see if I'm approved for dsp , I had my centrelink doctors appointment last week. So hopefully will get an answer soon.

I'm in constant pain with nerve pain due to losing whole umbilicus and large ammount of abdominal wall with huge stitches pulling my stomach muscles together and now causing nerve pain.

I suffer severe depression and anxiety and sometimes don't leave my room for 3 days.

I hate the term dole bloggers and I truly believe most people won't stay on it for long as it's impossible to live on it.

I thank God that I had worked hard and paid off my house because there is no way I could pay a mortgage or rent on jobseeker.

Hubby was a hard worker then 18 years ago became unwell and was undiagnosed for 2 years. Turns out he had diverticulitis which because it wasn't diagnosed it grew into an abscess and grew that big it ate a hole in his bladder. He had surgery and had 1/3 of his bowel removed and has never been well since, hence why I was the breadwinner. He never once went on the dole or filed medical negligence.

Sadly now we depend on centrelink and he has become the one looking after me.

So to all you people who think that people on the dole are bludger than think again. These so called bludgers are a small minority
 
You have no idea what you are talking about, why don't you talk about those, that they have disability or illness, talk about those that are long term recipients who have done their utmost not to obtain work. Never worked a day in their lives, and use every excuse under the sun not to work. Go on give them more money for being a burden on our society.
There are obviously a lot of people on Centrelink benefits who are deservant of it....disabled people etc.
There are also a lot of people, mostly young, who are not interested in working and while they are getting a handout, they will never look for work
either !
Should be compulsory for these young people to have to learn something, I.e. a trade or anything, so their prospects of maybe getting some sort of job is improved.
There's always jobs out there and unless there's a good reason, like being disabled or bad health, there should be no excuses for everyone not working!!
 
That is why the Centrelink payment should never go up, Dole Bludgers they know who they are and they NEVER intend to work EVER. If you go to a Centrelink Office and just sit, you can definitely see the people who are only ever collecting money for NOTHING. They are the ones with TATTOO'S from 1 end of them to the other, same goes for piercings, then there is always the stench of cigarette smoke, and they are the loudest to tell you it is not enough to live on. I personally know a few kids who are exactly like that and smirk when asked how looking for a job is going.
 
Dr Klien mentions many people on benefits are doing unpaid work. Isn't that a Centrelink thing now that if you do 15 hours voluntary work a week you don't have to look for a job. Pretty good deal isn't it. The whole system needs to be revised. Those who have been on long term benefits need to explain why & given a time frame to find work. People on the invalid pension need to be assessed also as there are many of them that don't deserve or need it & are just playing the system & those that genuinely need it are struggling to receive recognition. They should also be means tested like a normal aged pensioner. NDIS is a joke. A couple that are on NDIS own a house in the town here where I reside and have it rented out as an Air B & B while they live in NSW. They are both on invalid pensions raking in a fortune. They are not means tested & get away with it.
 
Dr Klien mentions many people on benefits are doing unpaid work. Isn't that a Centrelink thing now that if you do 15 hours voluntary work a week you don't have to look for a job. Pretty good deal isn't it. The whole system needs to be revised. Those who have been on long term benefits need to explain why & given a time frame to find work. People on the invalid pension need to be assessed also as there are many of them that don't deserve or need it & are just playing the system & those that genuinely need it are struggling to receive recognition. They should also be means tested like a normal aged pensioner. NDIS is a joke. A couple that are on NDIS own a house in the town here where I reside and have it rented out as an Air B & B while they live in NSW. They are both on invalid pensions raking in a fortune. They are not means tested & get away with it.
Yes the system is very broken, there are probably a lot more who have worked out how to play the game and it is the mugs who work who foot the bill. But heaven forbid that we should point a finger at the lazy ones.
 
Young people, after leaving school, need to get into the working world. Some will have desires to go to university, some will get apprenticeships, or be pushed by their parents into some job. But a lot of young people due to bad parenting, lack of ambition, or even not knowing what career they should choose, will end up as shrinking violets and develop a life, not around work, but around just surviving. After a few years, with no marketable skills, and the fear of entering a job, it's easier to just keep 'existing'.
The government should make sure every young person is involved in learning a skill or trade with which they will eventually be able to earn a living in. The gov. should help financially, and provide free TAFE courses and councillors, to make sure every student passes the exams. It would be money well spent because it would save the gov. a lot of money not having to support these people later in life, and also deal with less crime. The devil finds work for idle hands.
 
the dole is a right for unemployed...and should not be looked at in a negative way,its one of the reasons we pay tax...what is to be frowned upon is a permanent dole. situation, if one cant find employment in say 12 months ..then that person IS unemployable or doesn't want a job (THAT is a dole bludger) and should be limited to a time frame. There's jobs and fantastic jobs ...when one is unemployed one needs to take a job whilst looking for a fantastic job
 
Unfortunately, there is no 'one size fits all' when navigating the Social Security nightmare. Yes there is a high number of 'dole bludgers' in the original sense, those that are genetically opposed to working and often have been brought up in households where this was the 'norm'.
There is also an ever increasing number of 'disabled' in receipt of welfare payments as well as those not able to get welfare even though deserving/needing it. Today's health system has many more options that fit the 'disabled' banner than previously, including mental health issues.
Some people well know how to navigate this to claim a pension even if not deserved and others are just too unwell to be able to navigate the system to be able to claim.
Then there are the 'carers' who sometimes are lucky enough to have managed the pitfalls of being able to claim and those who have no idea what they are elligible for but still spend time and money caring for family etc.

My best option to resolve some of the issues would be to have personal 'advocates' within the Centrelink system to assist those wanting/needing to claim that for whatever reason cannot work through the mire of forms. Then for those on some form of support, an annual review. Not to penalise or criticise but just to 'check-in', call it a 'welfare check' for want of a better term. This would have the additional benefit of reducing the number of people needing to visit offices or call in to the overworked call centres and possibly free up some of the (non-existent) staff to take on 'advocate' roles.

Finally, get rid of the basically 'useless' system of job search providers as this is a financial drain on the system and from experience with this, personally and through others, they do very little to actually help find work for those attending. It seems to be just an extension of the 'obligatory' system that help those NOT wanting to work.

Just my thoughts, but this is how I see it.
 
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Many years ago I was made unemployed because of a state government decision to close the department depot where I worked, living in rural areas employment was not easy to find, while I was unemployed I was called to Centrelink office for interviews every few weeks and asked why I didn't find employment as I explained living in a small town jobs were scarce.
But I was contacted by a person who offered me a job for 6 weeks which I very quickly said yes it then went to a 6 month period during this period I was offered full-time employment which is were I stayed until I retired.
I just wanted a chance to get a foot in the door which I was giving and I made it pay for me.
 
We have worked all our lives and when my kids were young and having 13 kids I would have received more on centrelink than working. But I chose to work.

Unfortunately 3 years ago after negligent surgery I had to leave work.
I was the breadwinner due to hubby having health issues.

Now I am on jobseeker waiting to see if I'm approved for dsp , I had my centrelink doctors appointment last week. So hopefully will get an answer soon.

I'm in constant pain with nerve pain due to losing whole umbilicus and large ammount of abdominal wall with huge stitches pulling my stomach muscles together and now causing nerve pain.

I suffer severe depression and anxiety and sometimes don't leave my room for 3 days.

I hate the term dole bloggers and I truly believe most people won't stay on it for long as it's impossible to live on it.

I thank God that I had worked hard and paid off my house because there is no way I could pay a mortgage or rent on jobseeker.

Hubby was a hard worker then 18 years ago became unwell and was undiagnosed for 2 years. Turns out he had diverticulitis which because it wasn't diagnosed it grew into an abscess and grew that big it ate a hole in his bladder. He had surgery and had 1/3 of his bowel removed and has never been well since, hence why I was the breadwinner. He never once went on the dole or filed medical negligence.

Sadly now we depend on centrelink and he has become the one looking after me.

So to all you people who think that people on the dole are bludger than think again. These so called bludgers are a small minority
A very typical and tragic scenario - I’m glad I live in a country where people in your circumstances have access to at least some help. Blessings to you both
 
What a vindictive country is Australia. Ah, those evil dole bludgers!

Once a Jolly Swagman sat by a billabong.....up came the Squatter riding on his thoroughbred, Up came the troopers one , two , three......You know the song. Headlines in newspapers next day, "Swaggie chokes on stolen Jumbuck whilst swimming!"
 
I am a 71 year old widow on age pension get an increase and my rent as of 8th April goes up $20 extra week yes I share with my son but it’s still very very tight he works
My pension rose by 1.78%
Inflation is 1.78% over the past 6 months?

Govt MPs received 2.75% increase in June 2022 and 4% in August 2023.
That's $14,600 increase in a couple of years.
They deserve that?
Their cost of living has increased by $14,600?

The Remuneration Tribunal said it wanted to ensure that MPs pay should “increase relative to that of other public office holders.”

I would like pensioner's to receive increases "relative to Politicians."
Or at least relative to REAL cost of living expenses.

It seems unfair to leave pensioner's behind - after all, as Elaine has rightly - and sadly - said, "It's very tight."
Our rents, food, energy, etc also increase along with those who are working.
In 2023 the Fair Work Commission said "Inflation is running at 7% and looks to remain at 6% for 2023-2024."
How then does this equate to 1.78% given that pensioners continue to fall behind on every measure.
Remember - what we accept today will form the baseline for future increases.

This is a presentation of the facts - not a whinge - as we are grateful to live in such an extraordinary country that does help those in need.
It seems not much falls on the ground while the pigs are at the trough.
George Orwell was right.
 
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That is why the Centrelink payment should never go up, Dole Bludgers they know who they are and they NEVER intend to work EVER. If you go to a Centrelink Office and just sit, you can definitely see the people who are only ever collecting money for NOTHING. They are the ones with TATTOO'S from 1 end of them to the other, same goes for piercings, then there is always the stench of cigarette smoke, and they are the loudest to tell you it is not enough to live on. I personally know a few kids who are exactly like that and smirk when asked how looking for a job is going.
Oh dear, my 38 year old son is full of tattoos, unfortunately he smokes but has never ever been on centrelink.
He is a builder and a dam hard worker , at times working 10 to 12 hour days and 6 days aweek,
Please don't stereotype tattooed smokers
 

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