It seems like every time we turn on the news or open the paper, the topic of Centrelink and welfare payments is a hot topic. The debate on whether or not the current system is too generous, too stingy, or just right can cause emotions to run high.

With the cost-of-living prices skyrocketing, some individuals are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, especially without a stable and regular income.

Case in point: A recent radio row between an unemployed graphic designer and a breakfast radio host ignited discussion and caused quite a stir.

It all began when an unemployed Melbourne man named Jez Heywood (47) complained online about the $20 per week increase to JobSeeker and called it ‘insufficient’.

Mr Heywood is the President of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union.

2GB’s host Ben Fordham called Mr Heywood a ‘dole bludger’ and told him to ‘get a job’ on air.

The pair had a heated exchange live on air. Credit: Skylar Kang/Pexels

‘Jez says you have to weigh up every financial decision you make. Why don't you weigh up getting a job? Any job? Because we're here to tell you there are half a million of them available right now,’ he stated.

This sparked a heated response from Mr Heywood.

‘Hey, Ben Fordham, you f****ng gronk, don't just take a cowardly swipe from the comfort of your studio. Call me up, and let's have a chat. Have me on your show, you coward,’ Mr Heywood said in a post online.

The interview resulted in a major uproar among Mr Fordham’s listeners, with many calling in to accuse Mr Heywood of ‘making excuses’ not to work.

‘Just go out and flip burgers. Doing something is better than nothing,' one caller said.

Mr Heywood fired back at the radio host. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels

‘I'm 71 years old. I’m just leaving for work now, so he can get an extra $40 a week from my taxes. I’ll call him a dole bludger,’ another replied.

The interviewee at the centre of the issue had been unemployed since 2017 and defended why he couldn't commit to full-time work, stating that limited job options–given his mental health issues–were seriously affecting his capacity to find stable employment.

Fellow radio host Ray Hadley chimed in and stated that Mr Heywood was a ‘dole bludger’ – something that Mr Heywood accused Mr Fordham of calling him.

‘Can I just point something out? You calling me a dole bludger on national radio,’ Mr Heywood said to Fordham during the heated exchange.

Mr Fordham replied that he didn’t.

‘You didn't? What did you call me?' Mr Heywood responded, to which Fordham told him he needed to 'get your facts straight'.

Mr Fordham fired back: ‘I never called you a dole bludger. I said: “Jez, why don't you get a job?”.’

Mr Heywood then said that while he was not explicitly called a dole bludger, it had been ‘inferred’. To which Mr Fordham laughed off the accusation and explained that he only wanted to help Mr Heywood find a job.

‘Do you? Because you're not saying very nice things about me on the radio,' was Mr Heywood’s reply.

‘It’s hard to find things that my brain can handle. The last job I applied for on Seek, I got an email back saying there were over 100 applicants, so there's a lot of people out there looking for jobs, and it's a really tough market,’ Mr Heywood admitted.

Mr Fordham then inquired whether his mental health issues were brought on by the fact that he was not working.

‘There are 54,000 jobs available in Melbourne. None of those 54,000 jobs are suitable for you? Or you're applying for them, but they're not giving you the nod?’ Mr Fordham questioned, to which Mr Heywood said he was applying for jobs that were suitable to him.

‘I can't consistently commit to something. My brain just gets so incredibly exhausted. The best thing that happened to me in the past three years was when the Morrison government doubled JobSeeker,’ Mr Heywood proclaimed.

Mr Heywood also said he did not have the physical capacity to do manual labour.

While some might argue that the response given to Mr Heywood is harsh, it is important to recognise that there is still a stigma attached to being unemployed and receiving Centrelink payments.

The complexity of each individual's circumstances must be taken into account, as the reasons for being unemployed vary wildly, and mental health issues can make finding suitable work extremely challenging.

When asked if he would take a part-time job in a pub, Mr Heywood said: ‘The problem with those kinds of situations is, I have a cousin who runs a supermarket and once I asked him if he'd employ me, and he said he wouldn't because I have a postgraduate degree in graphic design and 20 years of experience.’

‘He said he wouldn't see me as a full-time employee. He would see me as not a permanent employee. If he had a resume from me and a resume from someone who'd already worked in supermarkets, he'd take the supermarket person,’ he continued.

Mr Fordham then asked: ‘What would you say to anyone out there in the graphic design industry who's thinking “alright, I desperately need someone, and I'm happy to give Jez a go?”.’

Mr Heywood then called on employers to get in contact and stated he was willing to work part-time, eight hours a week.

Key Takeaways

• An unemployed graphic designer, Jez Heywood, clashed with 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham over unemployment benefits and job seeking.
• Mr Heywood has been unemployed since 2017 and claims limited options due to mental health issues are the reason for his inability to find a job.
• Mr Fordham's listeners criticised Mr Heywood for making excuses and not working, with one caller stating that people have to work hard every day to pay for those who do nothing.
• Mr Heywood called on employers to contact him for part-time graphic design work, expressing his willingness to work eight hours a week.

We want to hear your thoughts – let us know in the comments below.

 

[Mikeyboy2012]

It seems like every time we turn on the news or open the paper, the topic of Centrelink and welfare payments is a hot topic. The debate on whether or not the current system is too generous, too stingy, or just right can cause emotions to run high.

With the cost-of-living prices skyrocketing, some individuals are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, especially without a stable and regular income.

Case in point: A recent radio row between an unemployed graphic designer and a breakfast radio host ignited discussion and caused quite a stir.

It all began when an unemployed Melbourne man named Jez Heywood (47) complained online about the $20 per week increase to JobSeeker and called it ‘insufficient’.

Mr Heywood is the President of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union.

2GB’s host Ben Fordham called Mr Heywood a ‘dole bludger’ and told him to ‘get a job’ on air.

View attachment 20075

The pair had a heated exchange live on air. Credit: Skylar Kang/Pexels

‘Jez says you have to weigh up every financial decision you make. Why don't you weigh up getting a job? Any job? Because we're here to tell you there are half a million of them available right now,’ he stated.

This sparked a heated response from Mr Heywood.

‘Hey, Ben Fordham, you f****ng gronk, don't just take a cowardly swipe from the comfort of your studio. Call me up, and let's have a chat. Have me on your show, you coward,’ Mr Heywood said in a post online.

The interview resulted in a major uproar among Mr Fordham’s listeners, with many calling in to accuse Mr Heywood of ‘making excuses’ not to work.

‘Just go out and flip burgers. Doing something is better than nothing,' one caller said.

View attachment 20076

Mr Heywood fired back at the radio host. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels

‘I'm 71 years old. I’m just leaving for work now, so he can get an extra $40 a week from my taxes. I’ll call him a dole bludger,’ another replied.

The interviewee at the centre of the issue had been unemployed since 2017 and defended why he couldn't commit to full-time work, stating that limited job options–given his mental health issues–were seriously affecting his capacity to find stable employment.

Fellow radio host Ray Hadley chimed in and stated that Mr Heywood was a ‘dole bludger’ – something that Mr Heywood accused Mr Fordham of calling him.

‘Can I just point something out? You calling me a dole bludger on national radio,’ Mr Heywood said to Fordham during the heated exchange.

Mr Fordham replied that he didn’t.

‘You didn't? What did you call me?' Mr Heywood responded, to which Fordham told him he needed to 'get your facts straight'.

Mr Fordham fired back: ‘I never called you a dole bludger. I said: “Jez, why don't you get a job?”.’

Mr Heywood then said that while he was not explicitly called a dole bludger, it had been ‘inferred’. To which Mr Fordham laughed off the accusation and explained that he only wanted to help Mr Heywood find a job.

‘Do you? Because you're not saying very nice things about me on the radio,' was Mr Heywood’s reply.

‘It’s hard to find things that my brain can handle. The last job I applied for on Seek, I got an email back saying there were over 100 applicants, so there's a lot of people out there looking for jobs, and it's a really tough market,’ Mr Heywood admitted.

Mr Fordham then inquired whether his mental health issues were brought on by the fact that he was not working.

‘There are 54,000 jobs available in Melbourne. None of those 54,000 jobs are suitable for you? Or you're applying for them, but they're not giving you the nod?’ Mr Fordham questioned, to which Mr Heywood said he was applying for jobs that were suitable to him.

‘I can't consistently commit to something. My brain just gets so incredibly exhausted. The best thing that happened to me in the past three years was when the Morrison government doubled JobSeeker,’ Mr Heywood proclaimed.

Mr Heywood also said he did not have the physical capacity to do manual labour.

While some might argue that the response given to Mr Heywood is harsh, it is important to recognise that there is still a stigma attached to being unemployed and receiving Centrelink payments.

The complexity of each individual's circumstances must be taken into account, as the reasons for being unemployed vary wildly, and mental health issues can make finding suitable work extremely challenging.

When asked if he would take a part-time job in a pub, Mr Heywood said: ‘The problem with those kinds of situations is, I have a cousin who runs a supermarket and once I asked him if he'd employ me, and he said he wouldn't because I have a postgraduate degree in graphic design and 20 years of experience.’

‘He said he wouldn't see me as a full-time employee. He would see me as not a permanent employee. If he had a resume from me and a resume from someone who'd already worked in supermarkets, he'd take the supermarket person,’ he continued.

Mr Fordham then asked: ‘What would you say to anyone out there in the graphic design industry who's thinking “alright, I desperately need someone, and I'm happy to give Jez a go?”.’

Mr Heywood then called on employers to get in contact and stated he was willing to work part-time, eight hours a week.

Key Takeaways

• An unemployed graphic designer, Jez Heywood, clashed with 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham over unemployment benefits and job seeking.
• Mr Heywood has been unemployed since 2017 and claims limited options due to mental health issues are the reason for his inability to find a job.
• Mr Fordham's listeners criticised Mr Heywood for making excuses and not working, with one caller stating that people have to work hard every day to pay for those who do nothing.
• Mr Heywood called on employers to contact him for part-time graphic design work, expressing his willingness to work eight hours a week.

We want to hear your thoughts – let us know in the comments below.

Sounds like he should get on a Disability Pension if he's only physically/mentally capable of working 8 hours per week.

Otherwise, he should be capable of more than 8 hours/week, especially as he's been previously working for 20 years.

 

[Rob44]

I fully agree with Ben Fordham , if he his healthy and has not got a job , get one , there are plenty of jobs around . They should get rid of the jobseeker payment as there is work everywhere. I am a taxpayer , so he lives from my hard earned money , I am a self funded retiree.
When I came to AU a long time ago , I am a Registered Nurse and a Midwife , I was unable to work in that field as I did not hold the AU Qualifications. I went to live in Sydney where I obtained my NSW. Registration as a R/N. Went back to Qld , where my family lived and went to the Nurses Board of Qld , they refused to give me the Qld registration .
So , I worked for a year or so as an Assistant Nurse just to make money , while I was dealing with some organisations to get my R/N registration .
I did send the Nurses Registration board a letter , if they will not give me the registration , I will write a letter to the Health Minister .
14 days later I got a note in the mail , if I pay $15-. , they would send me my registration. ( that is how cheap the registration was back then . )
Later on , everything changed and they took any nurse from overseas , even if they could not speak basic English.
You see , I’ve been there and done that , so it makes me very cross if there is work and people just not taking up any job , it’s just crazy.

"they took any nurse from overseas , even if they could not speak basic English".

Not true.

 

[MYK]

Jez, is clearly capable of work but simply won't and relies on the handout of money made by those who do work. This kind of waste of taxes should have an end point in time and with so many jobs available, his sucking on the teat of tax payers should come to an end. He's clearly not a deserving individual.

 

[Macarj]

I love how people say just do this just do that. before I was old enough to get the pension I applied for 90 jobs a few years ago I didn't care what I did the Government say you can't discriminate on age but on every application they ask for your date of birth so I never got the offer of a job

A lot of responses were you are over qualified for this job even when I said I don't care how much it pays

 

[Vio Kot]

With all due respect for Mr Heywood, if he is capable of running his dole bludgers organisations then he has blown his argument that his mentality is affected by working more than 10 hours a week. It is about time this government started taking responsibility for these dole bludgers and stop all payments if they can not prove that they are senior citizens or physically disabled. And, if I am right, is not 10 hours a week the maximum time a person can work before loosing their tax payers money.
This creep should be fully investigated by Social Security and charge him with fraud if they can prove that he is bludger using the system to rip off the tax payer as it is the working class that are paying the dole to this alleged “sick” person and the first place to look is this dole bludgers Union.

Here here. Didnt realise there's an unemployment union, go figure. Some people have it too easy rorting the system and then have a hide to complain.

 

[Vio Kot]

What more can be said than, good luck Mr Heywood for rorting the system as the system is broke and the government seems to not care, just complain

 

[Les Brett]

The Centrelink Unemployment Benifit was introduced to help people survive until they got their next job, it was never intended to be lived on. The majority of unemployed people all have mobile phones, drink, smoke, gamble and do without very little. Australia is fast becoming a welfare country, I hope we can all afford it

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

"they took any nurse from overseas , even if they could not speak basic English".

Not true.

I worked with them , even doctors spoken to patients in hospital beds and after they left the patient , did not understand what the doctor was talking about , if I could explain what the doctor said . That happened with nurses as well . You may have a different experience, it happened many times patients did not understand the medical staff.

 

[Jan Purcell]

What a no hoper, he is a dole bludger, There are jobs out there, we are crying out for crossing supervisors, some people just don't want to work, they prefer to stay on the dole. I am 82 and still work on my crossing 32 years, it gets you up and out meeting all sorts of people, and the children are loverly and it supplements the age pension, its a good wage, plus supper sick and holiday pay and long service leave. I had a young man come on my crossing and he had been on the dole, he told me he has just got a job, I replied and said good on you, he then said yeah but its only a factory job, I told the young man be proud yourself your of the dole and got yourself a job, and do it well, in the mean time you can still keep an eye out for the job that you want,his reply was gee I didn't think of that, and he went away happy. If they are not disable or have a mental illness, then they should get of their bums and get a job, the government is to soft, and should say get a job and stop the dole, they have it to easy these days. Jan Purcell.

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

What a no hoper, he is a dole bludger, There are jobs out there, we are crying out for crossing supervisors, some people just don't want to work, they prefer to stay on the dole. I am 82 and still work on my crossing 32 years, it gets you up and out meeting all sorts of people, and the children are loverly and it supplements the age pension, its a good wage, plus supper sick and holiday pay and long service leave. I had a young man come on my crossing and he had been on the dole, he told me he has just got a job, I replied and said good on you, he then said yeah but its only a factory job, I told the young man be proud yourself your of the dole and got yourself a job, and do it well, in the mean time you can still keep an eye out for the job that you want,his reply was gee I didn't think of that, and he went away happy. If they are not disable or have a mental illness, then they should get of their bums and get a job, the government is to soft, and should say get a job and stop the dole, they have it to easy these days. Jan Purcell.

Good on you Jan , you are a good example for some people

 

[Jencat]

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, quite so thrilling as getting off on being indignant and self-righteous about one's fellow human being having a misfortune and then receiving very minor government support to help him/her through that misfortune. "Dole bludger"; what a perfect excuse to get angry and point fingers of blame. Misfortune can happen to any one of us at any time so think before you blame; are we a society or just a pack of snarling dogs biting each other to see who is top dog.

Very true.

 

[Catherines]

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, quite so thrilling as getting off on being indignant and self-righteous about one's fellow human being having a misfortune and then receiving very minor government support to help him/her through that misfortune. "Dole bludger"; what a perfect excuse to get angry and point fingers of blame. Misfortune can happen to any one of us at any time so think before you blame; are we a society or just a pack of snarling dogs biting each other to see who is top dog.

Well said. We do not know the real reason/s behind others’ inabilities to get a job. However, on reading this chap’s reasons and the above article in full it would seem there are reservations on his part for job seeking. Union boss?, 10 hours a week only?, mental health issues? - are these real reasons or his excuses?

Explain yourself better Mr Heywood and people may not judge you. Any prospective boss should be able to give you something to do and with reasonable hours, not the paltry hours you say you are prepared to put in each week. Bear in mind that the 10 hours you say you are available to do is very disruptive to a business. Staff walking in and out all the time - it takes sometimes 15-30 minutes to settle down when starting work leaving only 1 1/2 hour out of perhaps a 2 hour working day. No boss will want that.

 

[Ezzy]

I fully agree with Ben Fordham , if he his healthy and has not got a job , get one , there are plenty of jobs around . They should get rid of the jobseeker payment as there is work everywhere. I am a taxpayer , so he lives from my hard earned money , I am a self funded retiree.
When I came to AU a long time ago , I am a Registered Nurse and a Midwife , I was unable to work in that field as I did not hold the AU Qualifications. I went to live in Sydney where I obtained my NSW. Registration as a R/N. Went back to Qld , where my family lived and went to the Nurses Board of Qld , they refused to give me the Qld registration .
So , I worked for a year or so as an Assistant Nurse just to make money , while I was dealing with some organisations to get my R/N registration .
I did send the Nurses Registration board a letter , if they will not give me the registration , I will write a letter to the Health Minister .
14 days later I got a note in the mail , if I pay $15-. , they would send me my registration. ( that is how cheap the registration was back then . )
Later on , everything changed and they took any nurse from overseas , even if they could not speak basic English.
You see , I’ve been there and done that , so it makes me very cross if there is work and people just not taking up any job , it’s just crazy.

People working in hospitals who speak little or no english with "nursing qualifications" is a questionable point with me. I am aware of a neighbour who immigrated to Australia & works in one of our major hospitals who has friends & relatives overseas who send her paperwork for nursing jobs which she fills in & sends back. These together with Immigration paperwork is submitted to the appropriate department to get to Australia.

 

[Ezzy]

How do you become President of The Unemployed Worker's Union? How many members does he represent? Besides himself is any other person registered with this (supposed) Union? Is the "Union" registered anywhere? Do members pay membership fees to be a member? Does this Union exist in name only? If he was to find a job, would the President's position need to be passed to another "Unemployed Worker"?

I believe Mr Fordham has many questions to answer. Readers have posed questions here which l feel need to be answered by Mr Fordham.

We have now had two stories recently on this forum about people who claim they are 'doing it hard'. One of a couple who invited the ABC into their home for a story & today from Mr Fordham. Both have similarities where work is concerned. If Mr Fordham has mental problems, MAKE HIM SUBMIT A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE TO CENTRELINK as proof if he hasn't already done so!!!!

I definitely think the National Government via Centrelink needs to do some intense investigation with a view to withdrawing part of a person's benefits if they are doing nothing to find employment or in the case of the couple, are doing their best to do just enough that they do not lose any benefits.

Dole bludging can take many forms. Are these examples of two, perhaps?

 

[Trudi]

"they took any nurse from overseas , even if they could not speak basic English".

Not true.

I would say this happens a lot

 

[Trudi]

The Centrelink Unemployment Benifit was introduced to help people survive until they got their next job, it was never intended to be lived on. The majority of unemployed people all have mobile phones, drink, smoke, gamble and do without very little. Australia is fast becoming a welfare country, I hope we can all afford it

Unemployment benefit has been around for a much longer time than Centrelink and yes, it was meant to be "lived on" during a time of unemployment!

Please stop demonising people that have lost their job!

 

[Trudi]

How do you become President of The Unemployed Worker's Union? How many members does he represent? Besides himself is any other person registered with this (supposed) Union? Is the "Union" registered anywhere? Do members pay membership fees to be a member? Does this Union exist in name only? If he was to find a job, would the President's position need to be passed to another "Unemployed Worker"?

I believe Mr Fordham has many questions to answer. Readers have posed questions here which l feel need to be answered by Mr Fordham.

We have now had two stories recently on this forum about people who claim they are 'doing it hard'. One of a couple who invited the ABC into their home for a story & today from Mr Fordham. Both have similarities where work is concerned. If Mr Fordham has mental problems, MAKE HIM SUBMIT A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE TO CENTRELINK as proof if he hasn't already done so!!!!

I definitely think the National Government via Centrelink needs to do some intense investigation with a view to withdrawing part of a person's benefits if they are doing nothing to find employment or in the case of the couple, are doing their best to do just enough that they do not lose any benefits.

Dole bludging can take many forms. Are these examples of two, perhaps?

You're wondering what the Unemployed Workers Union is? A simple Google search provided the answer you're seeking: https://www.auwu.org.au/

It is a registered charity and, given the amout of sh*t unemployed people are subjected to, I consider it to be a very important one! I see nothing wrong with unemployed Australians having an organisation to lobby on their behalf, after all, age pensioners also have an organisation promoting their issues. https://nationalseniors.com.au/. The difference is that people on the age pension are heard, but jobseekers are not - there is an absolute need to increase the JobSeeker payment to align it with other pensions. Of course this was ignored in the budget! Age pensioners complain about their pension, but try to live on $693 per fortnight with none of the additional payments and benefits that pensioners receive!

As for Centrelink withdrawing benefits, this happens every day. The whole jobseeker system that was put in place by that creep Howard back in 1997, stinks! Prior to that Australia had the CES (Commonwealth Employment Office) and whilst it was not perfect, it was a damn sight better than what replaced it! You only need to look at how many so-called Job Services Providers became very wealthy within a few years! In my mind it is wrong to profit out of someone else's hardship and to top it off, job services providers are threatening job seekers that have found a job without assistance, to blacklist them if the jobseeker does not give them the credit! Pure fraud!

For the record, I am 76 years old, I do not receive an age pension as I have planned for my retirement from the time I started work and have invested to fund my retirement while raising 4 kids mostly as a single mother.

 

[Lesle]

It seems like every time we turn on the news or open the paper, the topic of Centrelink and welfare payments is a hot topic. The debate on whether or not the current system is too generous, too stingy, or just right can cause emotions to run high.

With the cost-of-living prices skyrocketing, some individuals are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, especially without a stable and regular income.

Case in point: A recent radio row between an unemployed graphic designer and a breakfast radio host ignited discussion and caused quite a stir.

It all began when an unemployed Melbourne man named Jez Heywood (47) complained online about the $20 per week increase to JobSeeker and called it ‘insufficient’.

Mr Heywood is the President of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union.

2GB’s host Ben Fordham called Mr Heywood a ‘dole bludger’ and told him to ‘get a job’ on air.

View attachment 20075

The pair had a heated exchange live on air. Credit: Skylar Kang/Pexels

‘Jez says you have to weigh up every financial decision you make. Why don't you weigh up getting a job? Any job? Because we're here to tell you there are half a million of them available right now,’ he stated.

This sparked a heated response from Mr Heywood.

‘Hey, Ben Fordham, you f****ng gronk, don't just take a cowardly swipe from the comfort of your studio. Call me up, and let's have a chat. Have me on your show, you coward,’ Mr Heywood said in a post online.

The interview resulted in a major uproar among Mr Fordham’s listeners, with many calling in to accuse Mr Heywood of ‘making excuses’ not to work.

‘Just go out and flip burgers. Doing something is better than nothing,' one caller said.

View attachment 20076

Mr Heywood fired back at the radio host. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels

‘I'm 71 years old. I’m just leaving for work now, so he can get an extra $40 a week from my taxes. I’ll call him a dole bludger,’ another replied.

The interviewee at the centre of the issue had been unemployed since 2017 and defended why he couldn't commit to full-time work, stating that limited job options–given his mental health issues–were seriously affecting his capacity to find stable employment.

Fellow radio host Ray Hadley chimed in and stated that Mr Heywood was a ‘dole bludger’ – something that Mr Heywood accused Mr Fordham of calling him.

‘Can I just point something out? You calling me a dole bludger on national radio,’ Mr Heywood said to Fordham during the heated exchange.

Mr Fordham replied that he didn’t.

‘You didn't? What did you call me?' Mr Heywood responded, to which Fordham told him he needed to 'get your facts straight'.

Mr Fordham fired back: ‘I never called you a dole bludger. I said: “Jez, why don't you get a job?”.’

Mr Heywood then said that while he was not explicitly called a dole bludger, it had been ‘inferred’. To which Mr Fordham laughed off the accusation and explained that he only wanted to help Mr Heywood find a job.

‘Do you? Because you're not saying very nice things about me on the radio,' was Mr Heywood’s reply.

‘It’s hard to find things that my brain can handle. The last job I applied for on Seek, I got an email back saying there were over 100 applicants, so there's a lot of people out there looking for jobs, and it's a really tough market,’ Mr Heywood admitted.

Mr Fordham then inquired whether his mental health issues were brought on by the fact that he was not working.

‘There are 54,000 jobs available in Melbourne. None of those 54,000 jobs are suitable for you? Or you're applying for them, but they're not giving you the nod?’ Mr Fordham questioned, to which Mr Heywood said he was applying for jobs that were suitable to him.

‘I can't consistently commit to something. My brain just gets so incredibly exhausted. The best thing that happened to me in the past three years was when the Morrison government doubled JobSeeker,’ Mr Heywood proclaimed.

Mr Heywood also said he did not have the physical capacity to do manual labour.

While some might argue that the response given to Mr Heywood is harsh, it is important to recognise that there is still a stigma attached to being unemployed and receiving Centrelink payments.

The complexity of each individual's circumstances must be taken into account, as the reasons for being unemployed vary wildly, and mental health issues can make finding suitable work extremely challenging.

When asked if he would take a part-time job in a pub, Mr Heywood said: ‘The problem with those kinds of situations is, I have a cousin who runs a supermarket and once I asked him if he'd employ me, and he said he wouldn't because I have a postgraduate degree in graphic design and 20 years of experience.’

‘He said he wouldn't see me as a full-time employee. He would see me as not a permanent employee. If he had a resume from me and a resume from someone who'd already worked in supermarkets, he'd take the supermarket person,’ he continued.

Mr Fordham then asked: ‘What would you say to anyone out there in the graphic design industry who's thinking “alright, I desperately need someone, and I'm happy to give Jez a go?”.’

Mr Heywood then called on employers to get in contact and stated he was willing to work part-time, eight hours a week.

Key Takeaways

• An unemployed graphic designer, Jez Heywood, clashed with 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham over unemployment benefits and job seeking.
• Mr Heywood has been unemployed since 2017 and claims limited options due to mental health issues are the reason for his inability to find a job.
• Mr Fordham's listeners criticised Mr Heywood for making excuses and not working, with one caller stating that people have to work hard every day to pay for those who do nothing.
• Mr Heywood called on employers to contact him for part-time graphic design work, expressing his willingness to work eight hours a week.

We want to hear your thoughts – let us know in the comments below.

He only wants to work part time, 8hours a week so he doesn’t lose his unemployment benefits

 

[Marj53]

He can only work 8 hours a week!!! That's crazy. At his age he should be able to work full time. Why is everything these days blamed on mental health problems or having a bad childhood. Most people that work full time know it makes you feel good to be supporting yourself. I know of 3 people who have never had a job in their life and are in there 40's. How do they get away with it ?

 

[Nelida RTAMBOLERO]

It seems like every time we turn on the news or open the paper, the topic of Centrelink and welfare payments is a hot topic. The debate on whether or not the current system is too generous, too stingy, or just right can cause emotions to run high.

With the cost-of-living prices skyrocketing, some individuals are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, especially without a stable and regular income.

Case in point: A recent radio row between an unemployed graphic designer and a breakfast radio host ignited discussion and caused quite a stir.

It all began when an unemployed Melbourne man named Jez Heywood (47) complained online about the $20 per week increase to JobSeeker and called it ‘insufficient’.

Mr Heywood is the President of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union.

2GB’s host Ben Fordham called Mr Heywood a ‘dole bludger’ and told him to ‘get a job’ on air.

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The pair had a heated exchange live on air. Credit: Skylar Kang/Pexels

‘Jez says you have to weigh up every financial decision you make. Why don't you weigh up getting a job? Any job? Because we're here to tell you there are half a million of them available right now,’ he stated.

This sparked a heated response from Mr Heywood.

‘Hey, Ben Fordham, you f****ng gronk, don't just take a cowardly swipe from the comfort of your studio. Call me up, and let's have a chat. Have me on your show, you coward,’ Mr Heywood said in a post online.

The interview resulted in a major uproar among Mr Fordham’s listeners, with many calling in to accuse Mr Heywood of ‘making excuses’ not to work.

‘Just go out and flip burgers. Doing something is better than nothing,' one caller said.

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Mr Heywood fired back at the radio host. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels

‘I'm 71 years old. I’m just leaving for work now, so he can get an extra $40 a week from my taxes. I’ll call him a dole bludger,’ another replied.

The interviewee at the centre of the issue had been unemployed since 2017 and defended why he couldn't commit to full-time work, stating that limited job options–given his mental health issues–were seriously affecting his capacity to find stable employment.

Fellow radio host Ray Hadley chimed in and stated that Mr Heywood was a ‘dole bludger’ – something that Mr Heywood accused Mr Fordham of calling him.

‘Can I just point something out? You calling me a dole bludger on national radio,’ Mr Heywood said to Fordham during the heated exchange.

Mr Fordham replied that he didn’t.

‘You didn't? What did you call me?' Mr Heywood responded, to which Fordham told him he needed to 'get your facts straight'.

Mr Fordham fired back: ‘I never called you a dole bludger. I said: “Jez, why don't you get a job?”.’

Mr Heywood then said that while he was not explicitly called a dole bludger, it had been ‘inferred’. To which Mr Fordham laughed off the accusation and explained that he only wanted to help Mr Heywood find a job.

‘Do you? Because you're not saying very nice things about me on the radio,' was Mr Heywood’s reply.

‘It’s hard to find things that my brain can handle. The last job I applied for on Seek, I got an email back saying there were over 100 applicants, so there's a lot of people out there looking for jobs, and it's a really tough market,’ Mr Heywood admitted.

Mr Fordham then inquired whether his mental health issues were brought on by the fact that he was not working.

‘There are 54,000 jobs available in Melbourne. None of those 54,000 jobs are suitable for you? Or you're applying for them, but they're not giving you the nod?’ Mr Fordham questioned, to which Mr Heywood said he was applying for jobs that were suitable to him.

‘I can't consistently commit to something. My brain just gets so incredibly exhausted. The best thing that happened to me in the past three years was when the Morrison government doubled JobSeeker,’ Mr Heywood proclaimed.

Mr Heywood also said he did not have the physical capacity to do manual labour.

While some might argue that the response given to Mr Heywood is harsh, it is important to recognise that there is still a stigma attached to being unemployed and receiving Centrelink payments.

The complexity of each individual's circumstances must be taken into account, as the reasons for being unemployed vary wildly, and mental health issues can make finding suitable work extremely challenging.

When asked if he would take a part-time job in a pub, Mr Heywood said: ‘The problem with those kinds of situations is, I have a cousin who runs a supermarket and once I asked him if he'd employ me, and he said he wouldn't because I have a postgraduate degree in graphic design and 20 years of experience.’

‘He said he wouldn't see me as a full-time employee. He would see me as not a permanent employee. If he had a resume from me and a resume from someone who'd already worked in supermarkets, he'd take the supermarket person,’ he continued.

Mr Fordham then asked: ‘What would you say to anyone out there in the graphic design industry who's thinking “alright, I desperately need someone, and I'm happy to give Jez a go?”.’

Mr Heywood then called on employers to get in contact and stated he was willing to work part-time, eight hours a week.

Key Takeaways

• An unemployed graphic designer, Jez Heywood, clashed with 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham over unemployment benefits and job seeking.
• Mr Heywood has been unemployed since 2017 and claims limited options due to mental health issues are the reason for his inability to find a job.
• Mr Fordham's listeners criticised Mr Heywood for making excuses and not working, with one caller stating that people have to work hard every day to pay for those who do nothing.
• Mr Heywood called on employers to contact him for part-time graphic design work, expressing his willingness to work eight hours a week.

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