Australian Government to trial "cashless welfare cards"

[Palmares]

Something similar to this is already in place in the Northern Territory, as a part of the overall racist project known as the NT intervention. And now they are attempting to make it ubiquitous: the Australian food stamps...


Federal Government to trial cashless welfare card, with payments not allowed to be spent on alcohol or gambling

By political reporter Susan McDonald (http://www.abc.net.au/news/susan-mcdonald/166944)
Updated about 5 hours ago
http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/3204352-3x2-340x227.jpg (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-22/generic-eftpos/6339120) Photo: The cashless welfare card would operate like an ordinary EFTPOS debit card. (AAP: Alan Porritt) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-22/generic-eftpos/6339120)
Related Story: BasicsCard users buying cigarettes, bartering for alcohol (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-31/welfare-recipients-skirting-around-income-management-rules/5708012)
Map: Australia (javascript:void(0))

The Federal Government will trial a cashless welfare card, with payments not allowed to be spent on alcohol or gambling.
The idea was raised in an Indigenous employment review, provided by Andrew Forrest to the Government last year.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Alan Tudge, confirmed the Government would go ahead with a trial in a number of locations around the country by the end of this year.
Mr Tudge said it would apply to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, with the card operating like an ordinary debit card.
"You could use it for anything, you could use it anywhere - but you simply could not purchase alcohol or gamble with it," Mr Tudge said.
A percentage of cash would not be controlled, but Mr Tudge said because the amount of cash was limited "you would not be able to purchase drugs with it".
"This could have a dramatic impact on the community in terms of rates of violence and rates of assaults, particularly against women," he said.
Community consultations will decide trial locations

Mr Tudge has promised to consult communities before deciding where the trials will take place, based on certain criteria.
"Firstly, where there is high welfare dependence and high harm caused by welfare-fuelled alcohol and drug abuse," he said.
"Secondly, where there's some community leadership which is at least open to trialling the card in their community."
Social Services Minister Scott Morrison said it was an "excellent" idea but the Government needs to learn the lessons from the trials before going any further.
"There's no suggestion at this stage that the card will have mainstream application," Mr Morrison said.
"It's there as a key tool to target particular areas of disadvantage and to see whether it can make the big difference that we believe and hope that it can."
Greens and ALP respond to proposal

The Greens have already voiced their opposition to the idea.
"I think it's really offensive to all Australians to see our Prime Minister standing up with a wealthy and privileged other white man, a mining magnate, telling people throughout Australia who are less well off how they should manage their income," Greens leader Christine Milne said.
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert added "the Government has failed to acknowledge that this patronising and paternalistic policy decision will not work".
"It is time for the Federal Government to sit down with communities and develop cooperative programs that address local needs and issues," Senator Siewert said.
The Opposition wants to see more details of the Government's proposal, but Labor's Families spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said Labor does believe in "targeted" income management.
"Labor supports efforts to assist vulnerable Australians in dealing with drug and alcohol abuse," Ms Macklin said in a statement.
"Labor does not believe that everyone on income support requires income management. But Labor does believe that targeted income management can be helpful for vulnerable Australians."
More than 20,000 Australians already have their welfare payments controlled using the Basics Card which bans spending on alcohol, cigarettes and gambling.
But the Basics Card can only be used at approved retailers, while the cashless welfare card could be used through regular EFTPOS transactions.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-22/government-trial-cashless-welfare-card-payments-alcohol-gambling/6339080

Is anything like this happening, or already in place elsewhere? As I already alluded to, the US is the only place I can think of where they dictate how you spend your welfare payment in such a way.

Hopefully this trial fails. :mad:

[Palmares]

I forgot about this fact... the original related report was written by a mining magnate in reference to Indigenous welfare...

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/andrew-forrest

[Die Neue Zeit]

Is anything like this happening, or already in place elsewhere? As I already alluded to, the US is the only place I can think of where they dictate how you spend your welfare payment in such a way.

Hopefully this trial fails. :mad:

There have been some left proposals in the US to implement a universal "food stamp" system, recognizing the need for affordable access to healthy food.

[John Nada]

Is anything like this happening, or already in place elsewhere? As I already alluded to, the US is the only place I can think of where they dictate how you spend your welfare payment in such a way.Yeah, it's this way in the US. It used to be food stamps, which were like dollars but for food only. But you could buy something cheap like a candy bar, then spend the change on something else;). It's separate from cash benefits, which was a check for real cash. But later Reagan and Clinton "ended welfare as we knew it", then they came up with EBT (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Benefit_Transfer) cards and the "fun"(as little as possible when poor) ended:(

It sounds exactly like the system the US has had for awhile. It won't change shit, except harass and annoy the fuck out of the poor. If it's' a debit card, they can still get cash. Even if it's like food stamps(it's only for food, people in the US still call it that, though it's a card), one could still trade the food. But this is bad, because for some reason the poor must live like monks. Righteous pity will somehow guide the "Invincibly Hand" of God "The Markets" to pluck the poor out of poverty. Someday a part of the means testing will be to flagellate yourself while chanting the Lord's Prayer.

It's funny that to sell that bill they're he's says it's to "stop welfare-dependency, welfare-fueled addiction and welfare-fueled spouse abuse". It's the "dog whistle"(rhetoric that cryptically appeals to racists, while giving them the benefit of the doubt) As if an Indigenous Australians' only problem is to just "pull themselves up by their bootstraps".:rolleyes: Ironically not only will this bill not stop these supposed "welfare-induced" problems, it's welfare for the card companies. It's ran by private companies. They're giving handouts to capitalists! The ones who are the real cause of all poverty. "Why are Australia's tax-paying and exploited workers subsidizing these lazy brats who do nothing but keep Malthus's antiquated ideas alive. Cut them off, and end this culture of war and poverty":lol:.