The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition is investigating the welfare changes made by the last federal budget – with specific focus on cuts to 21 year old unemployed people and single teenage mothers (see below):

• From July 2012, 21 year old unemployed people would lose access to Newstart Allowance and switch to/remain on the lower Youth Allowance. Youth Allowance for singles living away from home is $194pw, Newstart is $237pw, so this is a STRAIGHT CUT IN PAYMENTS OF $43pw.  Further, the Youth Allowance parental income test will also now apply to 21 year old unemployed people.
• From July 2012, social security payments for teenage parents will be cut if they refuse to go back to school to finish Year 12 when their baby turns one. It will start as a trial and initially cover about 4000 of 11,000 of the nation's teen parents, more than half of whom are on the single parent pension.

If you know of any youth workers or services who specifically work with these people, or better still, if you personally know any 20-21 year olds living away from home on Newstart who will be willing to share their stories with us, please contact Natalie Lammas, Policy and Projects Officer (Young People), AYAC: T: 02 9212 0500 / M: 0413 279 957 / F: 02 80796166 / E: natalie@ayac.org.au 

By David Ingles and Richard Denniss / The Australia Institute

This report argues that we should be doing more to help the unemployed as part of any 'stimulus' packages targeted at propping up the economy.

The Parliamentary Library produces a Monthly statistical bulletin (ISSN 1835-6389), updated each month by the Parliamentary Library's Statistics and Mapping Section at http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/MSB/. It contains a selection of the latest economic and social statistics and is issued during the first week of each month. It contains statistics available on or before the day of release. All figures are original data unless otherwise noted. Section 1.5 of the bulletin provides an overview of youth unemployment: see: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/MSB/15.htm.

Source: Youth Field Xpress, Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies

This report by Kate Barnett and John Spoehr explores the role that the vocational education and training (VET) system can play in assisting people relying on social security income to move into the workforce.