Call for bigger benefits

UNEMPLOYMENT is the devil that resid- es in every country. The majority of people don’t like to be on welfare payments and, in most of the cases, you can’t blame them, because it’s not their fault. It’s our moral obligation to look and care after the people at the very bottom of our society .

The government should provide an increase for unemployment payments, currently at $272.90 a week for a single unemployed person.

Newstart should be increased between $50-$75 a week. For over 20 years Newstart has failed to keep pace with the national living standards and minimum wage.

It would be money well spent because the extra money that unemployed people receive will flow straight back to the economy (increased consumption), helping economic growth.

To have a fairer and better welfare system it should be taken out of politician’s hands and given to an independent body comprising economists, social workers and other experts. Let them decide and review welfare payments on a yearly basis. Josip Crljen, Parramatta Park