Welfare reform in Australia: an evidence-based approach
Pamela Kinnear and Ken Oliver
Department of Family and Community Services
Contact Email:   kim.vellafacs.gov.au

Australia, in line with other developed countries, has increasingly adopted a ‘participation’ framework for Welfare Reform. This approach to welfare reform is based on the idea that moving people from ‘welfare to work’ is best facilitated by policies that balance three main policy levers – assistance, incentives and requirements. Using research and evaluation findings from Europe, the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia this paper analyses evidence regarding the effectiveness or otherwise of this approach. The paper also seeks to identify the relative contributions of each policy lever to improved outcomes, both in an overall sense, and for particular categories of income support recipients.

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