Welfare sector calls for fair go for poor

SYDNEY (AAP) - The welfare sector says Labor and the coalition need to stop "putting the boot" into the poor, ahead of next month's federal budget.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott have backed an overhaul of the welfare system in a bid to get more people into work.
Ms Gillard says many of the 800,000 people on disability pensions have the ability to work and a tougher approach is needed to shift the long-term unemployed off the dole.
Mr Abbott has raised the idea of suspending benefits for young people to encourage them into work.
But a dozen of the nation's welfare leaders gathering for pre-budget talks in Canberra on Thursday said the proposals appeared to go too far.
St Vincent de Paul chief Dr John Falzon said Australia had the lowest unemployment benefits among the world's industrialised nations.
Over the past 11 years there has been a drop from 54 to 45 per cent of the basic minimum income after tax for the unemployment benefit.
"Sadly, putting the boot into disadvantaged Australians might be therapeutic for the welfare bashers on both sides of politics, but it will not get one person into employment. It will not give the dignity that the prime minister is fond of spruiking," he said.
"It will do nothing to alleviate the perpetuation of poverty."
Australian Council of Social Service chief Dr Cassandra Goldie said the sector acknowledged the need for better programs to get people off welfare and into work but it was not the right time for a "get tough" approach.
"We have received many calls from people who are deeply distressed by the rhetoric that seems to be suggesting that if you are living on social security the reason you are there is possibly because you are lazy or not trying hard enough," she said.
Dr Goldie said more money was needed for training, which could be found from cracking down on tax breaks for the wealthy.
Ms Gillard told ABC TV she wanted to improve workforce participation.
"We've got to ... enable Australians, some of whom have been outside the labour force for a period of time and faced a lot of disadvantage, to find a way back into the labour force whilst our economy is in this growth phase," she said.
The prime minister was backed by Mission Australia chief Toby Hall, whose agency put 55,000 unemployed people into jobs in the past year.
"What we are seeing at the moment is the government has started to take more seriously the concept of participation," Mr Hall said.
"The welfare system that stands has failed. What we need to do is be bold and creative."
He said there should be new targeted programs to get young people, the disabled and indigenous people into training and work, and better subsidies for employers.
Meanwhile, the government has rejected a proposal to scrap the baby bonus.
The Anglican Church of Australia's public affairs commission has put the proposal to a federal inquiry into the population growth.
Families Minister Jenny Macklin said financial support when a new baby is born was important and changes made to the bonus in recent years had addressed concerns about the lump sum.