More Civil Societies with Eva Cox: Cashless Welfare and Mean Means-Testing
A bit over ten years ago the government initiated massive changes to welfare payments in the Northern Territory. Over half of an individual’s benefits were paid onto a cashless debit card in order to control spending on alcohol, gambling and cigarettes. Of course, the project impacted mostly Indigenous Australians.
Eva Cox thinks that this system isn’t working, but with the government set to expand the program across the country, she has to ask: Is it right to infantilise people like this?