A shake-up of the Australian welfare system has been described as the ‘Hunger Games crossed with Black Mirror’.
The major changes to Centrelink will see JobSeeker recipients, who are currently required to complete the process of mutual obligations to find employment, accumulate 100 points through a new system in order to receive their welfare payments.
According to new details released by the department's website, there's a list of more than 30 tasks and activities that each have their own individual points value.
It has since raised questions about why some tasks are valued more.
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For example, those undergoing the PaTH internship earn 25 points a week, totalling 100 points a month; however, those working full-time under the Dole program will only receive 20 points each week.
And although point targets can be decreased under ‘personal circumstances’, many are in uproar over the new Points Based Activation System.
The Australian Unemployed Workers‘ Union (AUWU) has lashed out at the new system, dubbing it ‘the Hunger Games crossed with Black Mirror’.
The AUWU has demanded Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to scrap the change.
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They said in a statement: “Using technology to ‘gamify’ starvation points (score them or lose your payment) is morally offensive to basic human decency.
“This is not the design of a humane welfare system. This is the design of a digital workhouse set up to brutalise people in desperate economic need and push them out of the system and onto the street.”
Questions have also been flagged about what deems a person capable of earning 100 points a month.
The AUWU confirmed they are receiving a large number of calls from people that are telling the advocacy group they don’t understand the new system, according to news.com.au.
AUWU co-ordinator Raquel Araya said: “We are trying to get a handle on this system so that we can advise those reaching out, and we still do not have clarity from the department on how exactly the reporting will work, how problems will be handled or resolved and whether Centrelink has the appropriate capacity to deal with the increased call centre inquiry volume.”
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Cherie Grant, a uni-student with chronic neck and back pain, told ABC News that she tried reaching out to Centrelink for further explanation but has been left in 'dark'.
"I have been to my job agency but they don't know anything about it and I've been trying to contact Centrelink and I just can't get through," she said.
"I tried looking online … and [there was] nothing that seemed to clearly represent my status and what I would have to do."
Charisa Bossinakis