Strategic review of Cape York Income Management - Final report

Implemented in 2008, the Cape York Welfare Reform (CYWR) initiative aims to address passive dependence on welfare and commit people in the communities of Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale, and Mossman Gorge to resume primary responsibility for the wellbeing of their families and their communities. This review examines one aspect of CYWR—income management (IM). Under the Cape York IM (CYIM) model, IM is administered by the Department of Human Services based on the guidance and decisions of the Family Responsibilities Commission (FRC). Ultimately, only a relatively small proportion of FRC clients have ever been subject to a CYIM order. At its peak in 2008– 2009 the percentage of FRC clients placed on a CYIM order was 20.7%, a figure which has declined annually to the 2017- 2018 figure of 7.7%. This review seeks to understand the impact of CYIM over the past ten years (2008 –2018) in the original CYWR communities (i.e. excluding Doomadgee 1 ), drawing on available qualitative and quantitative data (e.g. qualitative accounts in the existing literature, FRC reports and FRC client data). Cape York communities are looking to make a decision about evolving from CYWR towards new arrangements based on the empowerment/development model. There is an expectation from communities that this review will inform a decision about the future of welfare quarantining in Cape York and what role the current CYIM approach can/should have in any future models. Different communities have different needs and may come to different conclusions. CYIM is unique and, thus, conclusions arising from this review may not be able to be transferred to IM in other contexts. In fact, many of the conclusions depend on the unique IM delivery system that is peculiar to the CYIM model, rather than simply IM alone.