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Anticipated overhaul of welfare payments for long-term recipients

Young parents, carers and students are being targeted for a planned radical welfare overhaul.

A file image taken Wednesday, May 14, 2014 of Centrelink signage at the Yarra branch in Melbourne. Australia's unemployment rate has fallen to 6.3 per cent, official figures show, Thursday, March. 12, 2015. (AAP Image/Julian Smith) NO ARCHIVING
Source: AAP

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Source: AAP


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Australians who've been on welfare for long periods could soon see an overhaul of their payments under changes being considered by the federal government.

A new report is set to demonstrate how long-term welfare dependency is affecting young students, young parents and carers.

It will show how young carers will rely on welfare payments over 43 years in their lifetimes while university students will draw on welfare over 37 years, The Australian reports.

Social Services Minister Christian Porter is using this data to call for a "staged revolution" in welfare policy.

"The data we have now assembled tells us that in too many areas the welfare system is not making life any better for the Australians caught in that system, " Mr Porter said.

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"Too often it seems to make life worse over the long run."

Mr Porter will release the long-awaited PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the dependency data next week.

He'll also provide details of a "Try, Test and Learn Fund" announced in the May budget which will help people get off and stay off welfare.


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