Yahoo News Australia to start giving random drugs tests to people claiming benefits
The Australian government is to start carrying out random drug tests on welfare claimants in an attempt to combat addiction.
From January 2018, 5,000 people who apply for income support because they can’t find work or are studying will have to undergo random saliva, urine or hair tests to see if they have taken illegal drugs.
The two-year trial, that is yet to win parliamentary approval, will test claimants for drugs including MDMA, heroin and cannabis.
Anyone who tests positive will see 80% their welfare cash moved to a BasicsCard – which can only be used to pay for essential items like rent, food and childcare.
If a single claimant tests positive on more than one occasion, they will be sent to a medical professional to undergo treatment for addiction.
The trials will take place in Canterbury-Bankstown in New South Wales, Logan in Queensland, and Mandurah in Western Australia due to their high levels of unemployment and drug use.
Christian Porter, the minister for social services, said the aim of the policy is to help job seekers “to receive the help they need to get on a path towards securing a job and building a better future for themselves and their families.
However the Australian Medical Association (AMA) urged caution against punishing welfare claimants who take drugs.
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AMA president Michael Gannon told New Scientist: “The populist idea is that there are armies of drug-addled people bludging off the welfare system.
“But the reality is, we’re talking about some of the most vulnerable people in the community who need a hand up.
“These proposed measures will only serve to marginalise and stigmatise an already-impoverished group.”
The trial will be extended nationwide if it proves successful.
