Quiz: how much do you know about surviving on Newstart?

1. How long has it been since there was a real increase in the Newstart allowance?

   1. Nearly five years

   2. Nearly 10 years

   3. More than 15 years

   4. More than 25 years

2. How many times has Labor or the Coalition promised to increase the Newstart rate in that time?

   1. None

   2. Once

   3. Four times

   4. At every election

3. How much is the Newstart allowance worth for a single person without a dependent?

   1. $50 a day

   2. $40 a day

   3. $39 a day

   4. $38.98 a day

4. What does that equate to, as a percentage of the minimum wage?

   1. 40%

   2. 50%

   3. 55%

   4. 60%

5. How much did the average household spend per day on groceries in 2015-16, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics?

   1. $15

   2. $23

   3. $33

   4. $41

6. How many Australians does the Australian Council of Social Service estimate are living below the poverty line in Australia?

   1. 500,000

   2. 1 million

   3. 1.5 million

   4. 2.5 million

7. What percentage of those are on Newstart?

   1. 35%

   2. 45%

   3. 55%

   4. 65%

8. Liberal MP Julia Banks says she could live on $40 a day “knowing that the government is supporting me with Newstart looking for employment”. How much is Banks, like all federal MPs, given as a travel allowance, on top of her salary, on each sitting day?

   1. $95

   2. $150

   3. $215

   4. $285

9. Which of these organisations has voiced support for a significant increase to the Newstart payment?

   1. The Australian Industry Group

   2. Deloitte Access Economics

   3. The Australian Council of Social Service

   4. All of the above

10. What is the Business Council of Australia’s position on the current Newstart payment?

    1. It no longer meets a reasonable community standard of adequacy and may be so low it creates a barrier to employment.

    2. It doesn’t matter how low it is because everyone on it should just get a job and get off it.

    3. It is unfortunate that it is so low, but it will cost taxpayers too much to increase it.

    4. Welfare payments would be more efficient if they were privatised.

11. How many rental properties in Australia does Anglicare rate as affordable for a single person on Newstart?

    1. Three

    2. 50

    3. 500

    4. 2,000

Solutions

1:D, 2:A, 3:D, 4:A, 5:C, 6:D, 7:C, 8:D, 9:D, 10:A, 11:A

Scores

1. 8 and above.

   Well done!

2. 5 and above.

   Not bad

3. 0 and above.

   You haven't done that well here