Welfare receipt, demoralisation and mental health: how can welfare reform promote personal wellbeing and social inclusion?

The Commonwealth government has announced plans for further welfare reform, driven by concerns about the sustainability of current welfare expenditure and a desire to increase workforce participation. Mental health and wellbeing is strongly associated with welfare dependence and may be a key to effective policies. This project uses longitudinal population data to answer a series of research questions about the role of mental illness in claims for Disability Support Pension, mental disorders as a barrier to work, effects of existing policies on mental health, and the stigmatizing effects of welfare dependence. This project will provide an evidence base for policy development in the areas of welfare and employment policy and social inclusion.