2017 Valuation Report

The 2017 Valuation Report provides insights into how the current Australian population is likely to use welfare in the future.

This signature piece involves advanced data analytics to improve the welfare system’s sustainability and effectiveness.

Data from the 2017 Valuation Report confirms that the national future lifetime welfare bill is still around $4.7 trillion, presenting an ongoing challenge for the Government to help the most vulnerable.

As the Australian Priority Investment Approach to Welfare annual valuations have continued to be developed and further refined, greater detail on the impact of welfare dependency on young people has been derived from the evidence.

The findings of the 2017 Report demonstrate that persistent dependence on income support not only impacts the recipient, but also has the potential to influence the outcomes of children in their care.

As well as analysing the intergenerational effects of income support and changes associated with Government policies, the 2017 Report provides detailed evidence outlining:

  • differences in future welfare dependence for people undertaking study across the education sector, and
  • the impact of barriers to work for job seekers.

This analysis will further inform Government policies that aim to help Australians live independently of welfare and achieve more positive life outcomes.

Subsequent annual valuations will increase the evidence base and help identify what is working.

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