Earlier this year, the federal government launched an initiative that would distribute welfare payment cards to three trial sites across the country. Lawmakers are currently deciding on the areas in which the cards will be tested, and Western Australia’s Goldfields could be one of the locations. The new welfare cards, named BasicsCard, will contain 80% of the payments that welfare recipients receive every two weeks.

They cannot be used to purchase alcohol to spend money on gambling. The idea behind this is to help people manage their finances more effectively while potentially reducing problem gambling rates and drug use within low-income communities. While the welfare cards are aimed at helping people across the country, there has been a great deal of resistance to them.

The Greens state that government-mandated income management is ineffective. "There are better ways to go about addressing the very real concerns of alcohol and substance abuse," says Rachel Siewert, spokesperson for the political party. "It's more an ideological belief than a process that is actually based on what does work."

She states that this is the time for the government to try something different, as restricting spending has not worked in the past. Placing limits on the amount of money that individuals can spend on alcohol and gambling has not shown itself to be very effecting, and there is also the potential for people to try getting around the system by engaging in bartering.

Community members in Western Australia are currently considering allowing the trial to take place locally. However, the community seems quite divided on the issue. There is likely to be a great deal of debate before a final decision is made on where the next trial site for welfare payment cards will take place in Australia.

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George Anderson
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