Done By Law

13 September 2011: Social Security Special

With nearly one third of the population accessing some form of Centrelink payment social security law affects many members of our community. Many people may not be aware of what their rights are in relation to Centrelink decisions, or what risks are involved in failing to comply with their obligations. Tonight on Done By Law we speak with Len Jaffit and Michael Freedman from Victoria Legal Aid about how to review Centrelink decisions, and what to expect if you are charged with social security fraud.

DBL: The intersection between Poverty and Taxation Law 17 March 2009

Tonight on Done By Law we are speaking with John Fox, visiting scholar at the Department of Business and Law at Monash Uni.

John comes from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and has has developed a course in the USA about the values of the tax laws that focus on social and economic outcomes.    In this course, John teaches about the intersection between tax policies and the issues of poverty.  He has also co-created a course - “Poverty in the United States” which addresses data and opinions about why people are poor, (ie: welfare laws, public and private interventions, perceptions of the poor, issues of housing, health care, education, child care) and focus on what might be the most effective ways to reduce the number and levels of poverty.

John is in Australia for a short time to compare our tax and welfare laws with those in the USA.  We will be discussing with him his observations of Australia’s perceptions of why poverty occurs, and how these observations compare to the USA.  He will also talk about how poor and low-income households can become ‘double losers’ under the tax laws.

Tune in on 855am at 6.00 tonight!