Some points on this paragraph in the AFR today about the payments received by people on jobseeker.

Firstly, the ANU found the average received by people on Newstart all sources of social security is $637, or $45.50 a day. https://theconversation.com/factcheck-do-99-of-newstart-recipients-also-receive-other-benefits-116667#:~:text=How%20many%20people%20are%20on,fortnight%20for%20a%20single%20person.

Data from Senate estimates has shown 51.9% received Newstart, plus "other supplements". The average value of those other supplements was $14.60 a fortnight, or about $1 extra a day.) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/15/newstart-what-are-the-facts-about-the-unemployment-payment

The "four-fifths of jobseekers" who move off Newstart in six months, obscures the massive blow out in the average time all on the payment have been receiving it. See this chart: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/21/newstart-analysis-reveals-huge-leap-in-amount-of-time-people-spend-on-dole

Basically the difference in the measures is that one considers all new people coming onto the payment in a given period and counts how many are likely to come off jobseeker within six months, the other considers all people on the payment and how long they've been on it

What it means is that while there are two cohorts: one group that comes on and off Newstart fairly as they pick up work, and a second group of people who languish on the payment for a long time. The second group is growing

To circle back to the initial point, people often say, it's not true that people are living on $40 a day, jobseekers get all these other payments. But they always stop there – they never outline how much those payments are worth. There is a reason for that.

second last tweet should read "fairly quickly"