Up to 101,620 women would join or rejoin the workforce if the Childcare Activity Test was abolished - and our economy would get a $4.4 billion boost! These are just some of the incredible findings of a report by Impact Economics and Policy that was recently released. The report shows that the Activity Test is preventing parents, usually mothers, from joining or rejoining the workforce, and makes one thing very clear; it’s time for this confusing and complicated “test” to be abolished. I’ve heard stories from mums who would like to return to work or work more days but can’t, from parents who wish their child could have more days in early learning but don’t qualify for the subsidies needed to make it affordable, from families who are fearful of inadvertently running up a debt with Centrelink when their hours at work change. The Activity Test is a major barrier to families accessing early learning – in fact, its contributing to 126,000 children missing out on critical early childhood education and care, including single parent families – who are 3 times more likely to have children limited to 1 day a week of early learning and childcare. Parents have to update their activity regularly with Centrelink to ensure they are not overpaid – a nightmare for busy parents with changeable hours. The Activity Test actually discourages people from finding work.
As the new report shows, scrapping the test will benefit women, families, the economy and most importantly, children. That’s why I want to hear from you. Because while facts and statistics are critically important for making the case to scrap to the Activity Test, it is real stories from real people that change hearts and minds. Will you take a moment to share your story about how the Activity Test is affecting you or your family? Click here to tell us now.
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