The Australian federal government has a new scheme to streamline the management of social housing occupants. Using the convenience of electronic funds transfer, social housing occupants can automatically have welfare payments added to their electronic accounts, and pretty much anything subtracted from their accounts that their landlord (government) wants to deduct: rent, utilities, damages, penalties, surcharges, whatever.
Trouble is, no other Australian citizens are required to hand to landlords the unilateral management of their finances. It appears to be an efficient money-saver for any participating Australian government (and not all the states are onside with this scheme). But it would seem on the surface to be extremely discriminatory towards a fragile social class, with little or no fairness check on the grasping hand of the landlord dipping into their pocket.
Read more in the NEWDAILY: Turnbull government’s plan to tackle homelessness would ‘make people poor’
