Inner South Parents and Friends - Disabled 'need help to keep jobs'

"The Federal Government's welfare-to-work reforms could add to the misery of people on disability benefits unless there is targeted support for them a new report has found. The Productivity Commission research report into non full-time work arrangements said even once a person on disability benefits got a job they might need continuing government support to keep it.

The report found that in most cases, a person taking on casual employment had a much better chance of either going on to full-time work or at least finding other casual work.

However, in three groups, it found getting casual work was no guarantee of certainty...

It found people who had a poor command of English had a 20 per cent lower chance of getting full-time work that those who could speak English.

People who had been out of the workforce for a long time also had 20 per cent lower chance of going on to full-time work.

And people with disabilities had a 30 per cent chance of actually leaving the workforce altogether inside a year of getting casual work.

From July 1, the government's welfare-to-work program will kick in. Under the program, people who are assessed as being able to work 15 hours or more will move to the lower Newstart allowance, from the disability pension, and be required to activeley search for work. The commission found there needed to be some ongoing structure support for these people to prevent them being constantly tossed out of even casual work."

From NEWS.com.au 25/5/2006
http://www.news.com.au