Social Security is no piece of cake

“Dole bludger” is a phrase we often hear. So is “Centrelink mum”. They are phrases used to stigmatise people requiring income support (or who are trying to access such support) through the Centrelink system.

Popular mythology tells us that it is so damned easy to dip into the taxpayers’ largesse. Just go to the Centrelink office, fill out a form and viola! Start receiving more money than us poor battlers could dream of.

If only it was that easy. But try reading the Social Security Act 1991 (Cth). Better still, get your solicitor to try reading the Act and make sense of it.

I’m looking at a matter at the moment involving Section 1237AAD. Just think about that. Imagine the average punter trying to locate that even with the benefit online legislation navigation tools. Just imagine the average punter trying to read it all and understand it.


And you thought managing tax was complex.


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