This paper argues that there have basically been massive continuities rather than a sudden step up in State intervention as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is illustrated by examining one regional city in Australia – Geelong in Victoria – which has successfully moved...

This report explores what an alternative to the welfare state could look like.

In this document, the author argues that investment is needed in the creation of a new social settlement — one that can address the very different social, economic technological and ecological crises of today. Arguing that this is a moment of paradigm change, the paper...

Per Capita's key recommendation in this report is that 'work for the dole' be disbanded and replaced with a genuine work experience program for people experiencing long term unemployment. A work experience program could be established through community economic regeneration grants for job creation projects.

This paper makes the case that future tranches of fiscal stimulus should target frontline Australian workers, especially those in retail, health services, public transport and cleaning. Not only is it a way of paying gratitude to their service during an unprecedented crisis, but also as...

This paper uses data from National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Surveys to examine trends in social security receipt among the Indigenous population between 1994 and 2014/15, as well as documenting the declining receipt of Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) wages.

This paper explores data from two early reports related to an evaluation of the trial of the Cashless Debit Card (CDC) roll-out in the Electoral Division of Hinkler, Queensland, which began in January 2019.

This report provides the human face of poverty in Australia and explains who is most affected and at risk. Looked at through the varied aspects of life – our age, gender, family relationships, paid work and sources of income, disability and other characteristics - the...

A number of major disruptive forces will transform life in the United Kingdom and globally in the 2020s and beyond, creating a new set of social risks.

The JobKeeper scheme aims to provide financial assistance to those in danger of being laid off, and to assist business to stay afloat until more familiar economic and employment activity resumes. This paper addresses the question of how the JobKeeper program might be wound down...

The Coronavirus temporary increase to income support should be made permanent to assist with Indigenous Australians currently living in poverty.

This review brings together the existing empirical evidence on the fiscal impact of immigration. It is the first to synthesise empirical studies from both high- as well as low- and middle-income countries.

This paper provides estimates of where Newstart is now and how it will look after the coronavirus supplement for different family types.

A number of questions and issues have been raised in relation to the implementation, impact and consequences of the Job Keeper payment. The authors discuss these in this research brief and present modifications of the Job Keeper payment that would see a fairer outcome between...

A means-tested pension system has a distinct feature that tailors the level of pension benefits according to individual status.

This report summarises preliminary findings from a national independent study into the ongoing expansion of income management (IM) in Australia. The study was funded by the Australian Research Council over a three-year period from 2018-2020.

This publication continues efforts by the ACOSS/UNSW Sydney Poverty and Inequality Partnership to fill the knowledge gap about the prevalence and profile of poverty in Australia. Utilising the latest data available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), it paints a picture of entrenched and...

This research studies the pathways that link welfare receipt across generations in Australia.

People in different age groups have shown to differ in their degrees of risk aversion. This study investigates the macroeconomic implications of population aging when households are assumed to be increasingly risk-averse in future utility when they age.

Universal basic income (UBI) is emerging as one of the most hotly debated issues in development and social protection policy. But what are the features of UBI? What is it meant to achieve? This publication provides a framework to elucidate issues and trade-offs in UBI...

This is the first of several papers from the Institute for Public Policy Research's (IPPR’s) Fairer Welfare programme which will answer the question: ‘what succeeds universal credit?’ This paper argues for greater investment in the social security system and for social security payments to be...

Australia’s current social security system is ill equipped to respond to the technological, demographic, environmental and geopolitical challenges the country faces. In this paper, the authors propose five indivisible principles to underpin Australia’s social security system, so that it contributes to a just, fair and...

This paper provides an overview of the Australian evidence on the extent to which socioeconomic disadvantage is transmitted from one generation to the next. While there is a large literature on the intergenerational transmission of education, occupation and social status, the focus here is on...

This report compares the health and health service use of Australians who receive the Disability Support Pension with those receiving wages or business income. It also examines the health of people receiving Newstart (unemployment benefit).

This paper argues that for fiscal, efficiency, and equity reasons, the U.S. government should provide targeted benefits instead of universal benefits. It should not just provide cash, but rather invest in human capital and pursue redistribution through targeted spending on education, child care, health insurance...