Peter Whiteford
@peterwhiteford.bsky.social
Interested in most aspects of social policy in Australia & internationally (also certain literary genres and restricted musical choices); also history (art too)
ANU, Canberra crawford.anu.edu.au/crawford_peopl…
ANU, Canberra crawford.anu.edu.au/crawford_peopl…
Very clear explanations: Aged care at home is changing. Here’s what you’ll pay for and how to plan theconversation.com/aged-care-at... via
@ConversationEDU
@ConversationEDU
Aged care at home is changing. Here’s what you’ll pay for and how to plan
A contested component of the new system is that older Australians will pay for more of their non-clinical care, such as showering, cleaning and meal delivery.
theconversation.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Very clear explanations: Aged care at home is changing. Here’s what you’ll pay for and how to plan theconversation.com/aged-care-at... via
@ConversationEDU
@ConversationEDU
Australia's fertility decline: Evidence and policy experience e61.in/how-financia...
How financial incentives shape fertility in Australia – e61 INSTITUTE
e61.in
October 12, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Australia's fertility decline: Evidence and policy experience e61.in/how-financia...
The latest report from the ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership shows that 3.7m people are experiencing poverty. That number represents 1 in 7 people. Read the report at bit.ly/povertyoverv...
Poverty in Australia 2025: Overview – Poverty and Inequality
bit.ly
October 12, 2025 at 10:22 PM
The latest report from the ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership shows that 3.7m people are experiencing poverty. That number represents 1 in 7 people. Read the report at bit.ly/povertyoverv...
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
Draft program for the Senate Community Affairs Committee public hearing on the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2025 tomorrow from 9am - www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentar...
In Canberra but will be streamed: www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Eve...
In Canberra but will be streamed: www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Eve...
October 2, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Draft program for the Senate Community Affairs Committee public hearing on the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Technical Changes No. 2) Bill 2025 tomorrow from 9am - www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentar...
In Canberra but will be streamed: www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Eve...
In Canberra but will be streamed: www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Eve...
When a partner has a health shock, our study shows what happens to work, chores and fun
theconversation.com/when-a-partn...
theconversation.com/when-a-partn...
When a partner has a health shock, our study shows what happens to work, chores and fun
Research shows exactly how entire families adjust when a partner’s sick.
theconversation.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:05 AM
When a partner has a health shock, our study shows what happens to work, chores and fun
theconversation.com/when-a-partn...
theconversation.com/when-a-partn...
My review from 2024: ‘The social engineering of shame’: Rick Morton’s Mean Streak exposes the populism behind the unlawful Robodebt scheme theconversation.com/the-social-e...
‘The social engineering of shame’: Rick Morton’s Mean Streak exposes the populism behind the unlawful robodebt scheme
Rick Morton brings complex evidence into an accessible format for the public – and policy makers – to understand.
theconversation.com
September 30, 2025 at 2:48 AM
My review from 2024: ‘The social engineering of shame’: Rick Morton’s Mean Streak exposes the populism behind the unlawful Robodebt scheme theconversation.com/the-social-e...
The more in favour of welfare you are, the more likely you are to support cycle lanes
theconversation.com/the-more-in-...
theconversation.com/the-more-in-...
The more in favour of welfare you are, the more likely you are to support cycle lanes
Findings show that the most political people have the strongest views on green transport infrastructure, potentially skewing the debate.
theconversation.com
September 24, 2025 at 5:42 AM
The more in favour of welfare you are, the more likely you are to support cycle lanes
theconversation.com/the-more-in-...
theconversation.com/the-more-in-...
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
And if you’d like the whole ebook (or any of the 27 chapters) completely free, it’s always just a one-click download from @LSEPress here press.lse.ac.uk/books/e/10.3...
September 18, 2025 at 8:35 AM
And if you’d like the whole ebook (or any of the 27 chapters) completely free, it’s always just a one-click download from @LSEPress here press.lse.ac.uk/books/e/10.3...
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
Happy to say that the paperback book edition of “Australia’s Evolving Democracy” can be purchased for less than £11 from Amazon UK. Great value for 600 pages. www.amazon.co.uk/Australias-E...
September 18, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Happy to say that the paperback book edition of “Australia’s Evolving Democracy” can be purchased for less than £11 from Amazon UK. Great value for 600 pages. www.amazon.co.uk/Australias-E...
The ABS has released an Information Paper on why it did not release results from the 2023-24 Survey of Income and Housing www.abs.gov.au/statistics/d...
Survey of Income and Housing 2023-24 Review Report
The paper provides additional background on the decision to not release statistics from the Survey of Income and Housing
www.abs.gov.au
September 12, 2025 at 2:26 AM
The ABS has released an Information Paper on why it did not release results from the 2023-24 Survey of Income and Housing www.abs.gov.au/statistics/d...
Rising health expenditures and population ageing prompted OECD governments to increase social security contributions in 2024, reflecting a broader trend towards increasing revenues to strengthen the long-term sustainability of social protection systems. www.oecd.org/en/publicati...
Tax Policy Reforms 2025
This is the tenth edition of Tax Policy Reforms: OECD and Selected Partner Economies, an annual publication that provides comparative information on tax reforms across countries and tracks tax policy ...
www.oecd.org
September 11, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Rising health expenditures and population ageing prompted OECD governments to increase social security contributions in 2024, reflecting a broader trend towards increasing revenues to strengthen the long-term sustainability of social protection systems. www.oecd.org/en/publicati...
1 in 8 households don’t have the money to buy enough food (in 2023) theconversation.com/1-in-8-house...
1 in 8 households don’t have the money to buy enough food
Food insecurity is widespread and shaped by disadvantage – and has serious health consequences.
theconversation.com
September 8, 2025 at 10:44 PM
1 in 8 households don’t have the money to buy enough food (in 2023) theconversation.com/1-in-8-house...
We can’t fix what we don’t track. That’s why Australia needs an official poverty measure
theconversation.com/we-cant-fix-...
theconversation.com/we-cant-fix-...
We can’t fix what we don’t track. That’s why Australia needs an official poverty measure
Some estimates say up to one in seven people are living in poverty, but Australia doesn’t properly measure it. Here’s how we could.
theconversation.com
September 5, 2025 at 7:22 AM
We can’t fix what we don’t track. That’s why Australia needs an official poverty measure
theconversation.com/we-cant-fix-...
theconversation.com/we-cant-fix-...
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
New jobs here! I'm on the Advisory Board of this Leverhulme Trust-funded project investigating 'The long-term impact of New Labour’s social and economic policies', and there are two Research Fellowship posts available: jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
Job Vacancy at the University of Nottingham: Research Fellow (Multiple positions, fixed term)
We are now recruiting 2 full time Research Fellows to work with Stephen Farrall and colleagues at Warwick (Emily Gray) and Queen Mary College, University of London (Maria Grasso) on their research int...
jobs.nottingham.ac.uk
September 2, 2025 at 9:11 AM
New jobs here! I'm on the Advisory Board of this Leverhulme Trust-funded project investigating 'The long-term impact of New Labour’s social and economic policies', and there are two Research Fellowship posts available: jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... An overview of yesterday’s announcement
The robodebt class action settlement may be the biggest in Australian history – but the trauma isn’t over | Peter Whiteford
Class action members will have the option of individualised assessments, which means some will receive more than others
www.theguardian.com
September 4, 2025 at 8:17 PM
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... An overview of yesterday’s announcement
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
Using my first Bluesky post to share that Marsha Wood & I have a new article out! 🎉
We take a gendered street-level look at how Universal Credit policies shape parents’ everyday realities of navigating work, care & welfare.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
We take a gendered street-level look at how Universal Credit policies shape parents’ everyday realities of navigating work, care & welfare.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
“They’re Not Thinking on the Same Side We Are”: Street-Level Activation of Parents under Universal Credit | Social Policy and Society | Cambridge Core
“They’re Not Thinking on the Same Side We Are”: Street-Level Activation of Parents under Universal Credit
www.cambridge.org
August 18, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Using my first Bluesky post to share that Marsha Wood & I have a new article out! 🎉
We take a gendered street-level look at how Universal Credit policies shape parents’ everyday realities of navigating work, care & welfare.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
We take a gendered street-level look at how Universal Credit policies shape parents’ everyday realities of navigating work, care & welfare.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Australian Economic Review: Volume 58, Issue S1
Fifty Years Beyond the Henderson Inquiry: Rethinking Poverty Measurement for Australia (free) at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14678462...
Fifty Years Beyond the Henderson Inquiry: Rethinking Poverty Measurement for Australia (free) at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14678462...
Fifty Years Beyond the Henderson Inquiry: Rethinking Poverty Measurement for Australia: Australian Economic Review: Vol 58, No S1
Click on the title to browse this issue
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
August 28, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Australian Economic Review: Volume 58, Issue S1
Fifty Years Beyond the Henderson Inquiry: Rethinking Poverty Measurement for Australia (free) at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14678462...
Fifty Years Beyond the Henderson Inquiry: Rethinking Poverty Measurement for Australia (free) at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14678462...
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
And one on housing policy www.aph.gov.au/About_Parlia...
July 17, 2025 at 3:55 AM
And one on housing policy www.aph.gov.au/About_Parlia...
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
Brand new publication type from the Parliamentary Library - Policy Brief. Here's the first batch: www.aph.gov.au/About_Parlia...
Research
Research
www.aph.gov.au
July 17, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Brand new publication type from the Parliamentary Library - Policy Brief. Here's the first batch: www.aph.gov.au/About_Parlia...
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
DSS statement here: www.dss.gov.au/news/update-...
Ministerial media release: ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releas...
Ministerial media release: ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releas...
www.dss.gov.au
July 17, 2025 at 12:41 AM
DSS statement here: www.dss.gov.au/news/update-...
Ministerial media release: ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releas...
Ministerial media release: ministers.dss.gov.au/media-releas...
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
Importantly, the Fed Court rejected the AAT's interpretation of when income is first 'earned'. The AAT's interpretation overturned how DSS/Centrelink had assessed earnings for decades and would have created a lot of issues for calculating pre-December 2020 debts
July 17, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Importantly, the Fed Court rejected the AAT's interpretation of when income is first 'earned'. The AAT's interpretation overturned how DSS/Centrelink had assessed earnings for decades and would have created a lot of issues for calculating pre-December 2020 debts
Reposted by Peter Whiteford
Federal Court decision in Chaplin v DSS Secretary (test case relating to method used to recalculate unlawful income apportionment debts) - accepts DSS' preferred method for assessing income where there is insufficient info on when the income was earned. www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Ju...
Chaplin v Secretary, Department of Social Services [2025] FCAFC 89
www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au
July 17, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Federal Court decision in Chaplin v DSS Secretary (test case relating to method used to recalculate unlawful income apportionment debts) - accepts DSS' preferred method for assessing income where there is insufficient info on when the income was earned. www.judgments.fedcourt.gov.au/judgments/Ju...
Social Services cleared to pursue historical welfare debts www.themandarin.com.au/295770-dss-c...
Social Services cleared to pursue historical welfare debts
Court backs DSS use of tax data to pursue paused welfare debts, drawing a legal line between robodebt and evidence-based recovery.
www.themandarin.com.au
July 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Social Services cleared to pursue historical welfare debts www.themandarin.com.au/295770-dss-c...
Synergy to repay $2.29 million after overcharging Centrelink customers for power www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...
Synergy to repay $2.29 million after overcharging for power
WA's main electricity bill utility Synergy overcharged nearly 2,850 vulnerable customers on their electricity bills dating back to 2009, with the total amount owed equalling $2.29 million.
www.abc.net.au
July 14, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Synergy to repay $2.29 million after overcharging Centrelink customers for power www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...