'People often say oh bludger or whatever, they don’t try and think what could be going on': understanding the complexities around labour force participation

A growing body of research in Australia and internationally indicates that the interaction of the taxation and income support systems contribute to unemployment and poverty traps but, as noted by the Reference Group on Welfare Reform (2000), research on behavioural responses to such disincentives is ‘in its infancy’ in Australia. In this paper, we report on qualitative research which explored the attitudes preferences and decisions of people in receipt of Centrelink payments and government housing assistance about paid work relative to other contributors to wellbeing. The research, funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, involved in depth interviews with 105 low income people, two thirds of them women. It found that preferences and decisions about paid work reflected the necessity to manage the logistics of everyday life, including supporting mental and physical health and caring for children. Underlying these were cultural attitudes about what would promote family wellbeing, both now and in the future, including the role and importance of unpaid activities such as child rearing and voluntary work. The research indicated the complex range of factors which underpin decision-making about housing and paid work over the life course