For Productivity official use Commission only 1 Housing assistance and employment in Australia 29 October, 215
Per cent A growing share of Australians receive housing assistance For official use only 2 Percentage of individuals receiving housing assistance 16 14 12 1 4.1 4. 4. 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 8 6 4 8.9 8.7 8.6 8.5 8.4 9. 9.4 9.6 9.8 1.3 1.5 2 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 214 Social housing CRA
Per cent Raw data suggest that housing assistance might affect employment For official use only 3 Employment rates of housing assistance recipients by ISP type 45 Commonwealth Rent Assistance Public housing No housing assistance 2 ppts 36 14 ppts 27 6 ppts 1 ppts 5 ppts 18 9 3 ppts 5 ppts 5 ppts Disability Support Pension Newstart Allowance Parenting Payment (Single) Parenting Payment (Partnered) Youth Allowance (Student) Youth Allowance (Job seeker) Carer Payment Other
But is this due to the characteristics of HA or of those who receive it? For official use only 4 Characteristics of working age ISP recipients (%) Renter with CRA Public housing No housing assistance Disability Support Pensioner 3.5 52.5 32. Percentage aged 5 64 23.4 43.1 34.1 Indigenous 1.8 18. 13.2 Medical condition 35.3 54.2 36.2 Live in high disadvantage area (% in lowest IRSD decile) 19.3 48.3 19.1 Work capacity -7 hours a week (DSP recipients) 59.6 64.3.. Jobseeker classification stream 3 or 4 (Newstart Allowance or Youth Allowance (Jobseeker)) 45.5 73.8 44.3
Percentage points It is individuals characteristics that matter to employment not housing assistance When individuals characteristics are taken into account, there isn t much relationship between housing assistance and employment. Percentage point difference in predicted employment rate: HA vs no HA recipients 45 36 Commonwealth Rent Assistance Public housing 27 18 9-9 Disability Support Pension Newstart Allowance Parenting Payment (Single) Parenting Payment (Partnered) Youth Allowance (Study) Youth Carer Payment Allowance (Job seeker) For official use only 5 Other
Effective marginal tax rate EMTRs vary markedly by type of housing assistance and income support For official use only 6 Effective marginal tax rate Contribution of CRA to EMTRs a 1% 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Market income Contribution of public housing rents to EMTRs a 1% 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Market income Newstart allowee, single, childless Disability support pensioner, single, childless Parenting payment single & FTB, one child a Market rent is assumed to be $1 per annum. Source: Estimated using PC Tax and Transfer Model 214.
Effective marginal tax rate Many HA recipients face a large financial disincentive to work due mainly to ISP withdrawal Effective marginal tax rates, single childless Newstart recipient a 1% 9% Full time minimum wage (~$33 p.a.) 8% 7% 6% Newstart, no housing assistance 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Market income (annual) Newstart, social housing tenant Newstart, CRA recipient a Market rent is assumed to be $1 per annum. Source: Estimated using PC Tax and Transfer Model 214. For official use only 7
Patterns of employment suggest welfare locks are not a large concern Per cent 2 15 1 5 Employment rates of working age head tenants (SA) or tenants (WA) South Australia Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Entry onto waiting list Entry into public housing 1 year after entry into public housing 2 15 1 For official use only 8 5 Western Australia Priority Wait-turn In South Australia Cat 1 urgent need Cat 2 long term barriers to accessing housing Cat 3 not urgent need, no long term access barriers In Western Australia Priority urgent need Wait turn not urgent need
$ thousand Withdrawal of transfer payments and housing assistance undermine incentives to work Change in income for a DSP recipient transitioning to part-time work 18 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 Gain Loss Net gain Gain Loss Net gain Without public housing With public housing Increase in private income Increase in rent payable Loss of transfer payments Net gain For official use only 9
There is substantial scope to raise public housing tenants employment rates For official use only 1 Many public housing tenants have some work capacity Work capacity of those who are not working ISP type Estimated population Employed Not working Higher Lower s s s s s Disability support pension 149.5 9. 14.5 52. 83.9 Newstart allowance 62.9 13.3 49.6 8.7 4.9 Youth allow. (job seeker) 1.9 3.2 7.7 3. 4.7 Higher capacity: DSP recipients: work capacity bandwidth (8 hours or more); Newstart and Youth Allowance recipients: Jobseeker classification stream 1 & 2.
Effective marginal tax rate Many HA recipients face a large financial disincentive to work due mainly to ISP withdrawal For official use only 11 Effective marginal tax rates, single childless Newstart recipient a 1% 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % Full time minimum wage (~$33 p.a.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Market income (annual) Newstart, no housing assistance Newstart, social housing tenant Newstart, CRA recipient a Market rent is assumed to be $1 per annum. Source: Estimated using PC Tax and Transfer Model 214.