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Welfare benefits

21 Jan 2013

Q. Which of the following statements is closest to your view?

 

Total

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

Income less than $31,200

Income $31,200

$51,999

Income $52,000

$83,199

Income $83,200
+

Australia’s current welfare system has created a culture of dependency, whereby many people, and often whole families, get used to living off Government benefits; the system needs to be radically changed to get such people to take more responsibility for their lives and their families.

53%

42%

67%

32%

40%

44%

47%

69%

Most people who rely on welfare benefits are victims of circumstances beyond their control. The benefits they receive are far from generous, and are the least a civilised society should provide in order to help them and their families avoid living in poverty.

30%

45%

20%

44%

42%

41%

36%

19%

Neither

10%

6%

8%

18%

11%

10%

9%

7%

Don’t know

7%

7%

6%

6%

7%

5%

8%

5%

53% agreed that Australia’s current welfare system has created a culture of dependency . . . . and 30% agreed that most people who rely on welfare benefits are victims of circumstances  . . . .

Those most likely to agree with the first statement were Liberal/National voters (67%), respondents on incomes over $1,600pw (69%) and full-time workers (61%).

Those most likely to agree with the second statement were Labor voters (45%), Greens voters (44%), not working (37%) and incomes under $1,000pw (42%).

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