IS CENTRELINK ENOUGH?

You will be researching whether Centrelinks Youth Allowance payment is sufficient for young people to
live on.
1. BUDGETING (LESSONS 4-5)
Using the budgeting worksheet given in class, prepare two budgets for someone living on Youth
Allowance:

one for a person living on Centrelink in a rural/regional town (Geelong, Ballarat, Warrnambool,
Warracknabeal)
one for a person living in a metropolitan area (Melbourne, Sydney)

Compare the two budgets. Make note of the similarities and differences in costs.
2. INTERNATIONAL WELFARE (LESSONS 7-8)
From your group Coggle on an international welfare system, prepare an individual report on that
welfare system. Include details such as:

yearly income
annual cost of living in that country
cost of housing in rural/regional vs metro areas
rate of taxation
limits places on welfare seekers (i.e. food stamps vs cash)

Include a paragraph comparing that countrys welfare system to Australias.

3. THE CENTRELINK EXPERIENCE
Working in pairs, interview a person who either is currently receiving welfare payments, or who has
done so in the past.
You will need to prepare a list of 10-15 questions in advance. The interview should be recorded or
written as a transcript (this will depend on the preferences of your interviewee), with a statement from
you or a couple of paragraphs at the end summarizing their experiences on Centrelink.
4. WHAT COULD AUSTRALIA DO BETTER?
From your research on welfare systems in Australia and overseas, write a letter to a politician of your
choice. This could be someone local, the Minister for Social Services, or even the Prime Minister.
In your letter, tell the politician about your research on Centrelink. Include a comparison between
Centrelink and another welfare system, and make suggestions which you think would improve
Australias welfare system.