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Examining the Consequences of Welfare Conditionality: A Case Study of Compulsory Income Management in the Regional Community of Ceduna, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2021

Steven Roche ,
Philip Mendes ,
Greg Marston ,
Shelley Bielefeld ,
Michelle Peterie ,
Zoe Staines  and
Louise Humpage
Steven Roche
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, Monash University, Australia E-mail: steven.roche@monash.edu
Philip Mendes
Affiliation:
Social Inclusion and Social Policy Research Unit (SISPRU), Department of Social Work, Monash University, Australia E-mail: philip.mendes@monash.edu
Greg Marston
Affiliation:
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia E-mail: g.marston@uq.edu.au
Shelley Bielefeld
Affiliation:
Griffith Law School, Griffith University, Australia E-mail: s.bielefeld@griffith.edu.au
Michelle Peterie
Affiliation:
School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong, Australia E-mail: mpeterie@uow.edu.au
Zoe Staines
Affiliation:
School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Australia E-mail: z.staines@uq.edu.au
Louise Humpage
Affiliation:
Faculty of Arts, The University of Auckland, New Zealand E-mail: l.humpage@auckland.ac.nz
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Abstract

Welfare conditionality, whereby eligibility for income support payments is linked to prescribed forms of behaviour or values, is intended to encourage responsible behaviour in marginalised populations. However in practice, it may have consequences that worsen rather than improve their life chances. One of the most invasive forms of conditional welfare is income management (IM), involving the quarantining of up to 90 per cent of income that cannot be spent on excluded items in order to reduce substance abuse and gambling and enhance financial management and parenting capacity. This qualitative study examines the views of IM participants and community stakeholders in the regional community of Ceduna, Australia. Its findings are presented – pertaining to practical experiences of IM, the impact of IM on participant wellbeing, and community divisions around IM – and the study discusses whether or not it has advanced key program objectives. It is concluded that the negative effects of IM exceed any perceived benefits.

Keywords

Income managementwelfareconditionalitysocial policyIndigenous issues
Type
Article
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 21 , Issue 3: THEMED SECTION: Towards a Sustainable Welfare State , July 2022 , pp. 369 - 384
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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