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Bludgers spend 20 years
Bludgers spend 20 years on dole VICTORIANS spending decades on the dole are sucking tens of millions of dollars from taxpayers’ pockets. A total of 105 Victorians have been out of work for more than 20 years, collecting the equivalent of $26 million in payments based on current rates. Unions are calling for dole payments to be in-creased by $50 a week, arguing the current benefit is barely enough to live on. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) says the Newstart allowance hasn’t increased in real terms for 20 years and now represents just 18
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per cent of the average Australian wage. Oppo-sition Leader Tony Abbott dubbed the long-term unemployed figures a national embarrassment, while welfare advocates called for a review of social security payments. The figures, released found a whopping 48,000 Victorians had been unemployed for two years or more. The data included recipients of Newstart Allow-ance and Youth Allowance. But based on the current base Newstart allowance rate of $489.70 a fortnight, the jobless beneficiaries have received an estimated $1.8 billion of taxpayers’ money. It comes as figures found the state’s unemployment rate eased from 5.5
to 5.4 per cent. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted rate fell from 5.3 to 5.2 per cent.A spokes-person for Employment Minister Bill Shorten said the $3 billion Building Australia’s Future Workforce package provided initiatives to ensure the long-term unemployed were engaged and job ready. No. of Victorians who have received unemployment be-nefits for: Between 1 and 2 years: 27,828 recipients Between 2 and 5 years: 36,347? Between 5 and 10 years: 8730? Between 10 and 20 years: 2895? More than 20 years: 105
Roast Suckling Pig
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