Evidence of exclusion amongst PSP participants
Daniel Perkins
Brotherhood of St Laurence
Contact Email:   dperkinsbsl.org.au

Amidst the current debate about welfare reform and increased participation, insufficient attention is being paid to the nature of disadvantage of those at the bottom end of the labour market. This paper suggests that the concept of social exclusion provides a useful way to understand disadvantage and shape appropriate policy responses for this group.

The paper explores the level of social exclusion amongst participants on the Personal Support Programme (PSP). Participants on PSP represent some of the most disadvantaged job seekers in the labour market: typically they are long-term unemployed, suffer from mental health problems and have less than year 11 education in addition to other personal barriers.

Data collected as part of an evaluation of the PSP being undertaken by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Melbourne Citymission, Hanover Welfare Services, and The University of Melbourne will be used to measure social exclusion across four dimensions: exclusion from the labour market, from services, from social relations, and from adequate income or resources. Where possible the results will be compared to the broader population.

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Paper123.ppt

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