Hi there, and my sympathy for the situation you’ve found yourself in. No doubt over time you’ve formed an opinion of what life is like on welfare, probably informed in large part by newspaper headlines and current affairs shows. That’s why the word ‘shock’ is included in this site – the current arrangements around Covid-19 mean you’ve not yet had to deal with the full difficulties of navigating government departments and surviving below the poverty line. Since some of those niceties are starting to be wound back, that’s what this site is intended to help with.

I’ll be adding articles with tips and tricks on how to deal with some of the stuff you’ve probably not even thought of yet, like keeping your self-image high enough to do well at an interview when you’ve accumulated piles of rejections and, worse still, radio silence from the dozens of applications you’re going to be required to submit. Some things aren’t going to be an issue just yet, like keeping enough aside to cover transport to an interview when your food budget is basically skim milk and noodles (been there, done that), so I’ll try to prioritise what’s most important now. Having said that, if you’ve got any questions or burning issues, please reach out, and I’d welcome your help in delivering what you want via the weekly poll.

I strongly suggest you start with the articles on “What you need to know about Centrelink” and “Personal Crisis Activity exemptions“, because that will give you the time and breathing space you’re going to need to adapt and, hopefully, set things in place to help you get back on your feet and moving forward, before you add the stress of dealing with mutual obligation requirements.