Around 17% of Australia’s working age population receive an income support payment.  Around 45% of lone parent and 34% of unemployed welfare recipients experience a diagnosable mental disorder in a 12-month period compared to 19% of non-recipients.

Welfare recipients are more likely to experience mental disorders and have poor well-being than non-recipients, and this can be a barrier to employment. 

This project examines the factors that may improve welfare recipients’ mental health, promote employment outcomes, and help the Commonwealth government develop effective welfare reform policies.

This project is funded by an Australian Research Centre (ARC) Discovery grant.