The Demographic Implications of Escalating Welfare Payments in Australia

This paper addresses the steady increase in Australian welfare beneficiaries. From 1979 to 2006, working-age welfare recipients on full income support increased from 5.6 to 10 per cent of the population. From 1996 to 1999, children of welfare recipients were found to be five times more likely to be receiving welfare benefits and were producing four and a half times more children than independent families.