The number of Australians who have been on the dole for more than five years has doubled in the last half decade.
There are now a total of 116,682 long term working-age welfare recipients, up from 62,853 five years ago.
Queensland is seeing a similar trend, with the number of people receiving Newstart or Youth Allowance increasing from 10,269 to over 22,000.
Working-age welfare cost Australian taxpayers $31.8billion in 2017.
The number of Australians who have been on the dole for more than five years has doubled in the last half decade (stock image)
Increases in those receiving the dole long-term come as the total number of welfare recipients has decreased, The Courier Mail reported.
Social Services Minister Dan Tehan has been calling for cashless welfare cards to break the cycle of long term welfare dependency.
‘The evidence shows that children born to welfare-dependent parents are more likely to become welfare dependent themselves,’ he said.
‘I visited Bundaberg recently and met with a community leaders and residents who were unanimous that they wanted the cashless debit card, because doing nothing was no longer an option.’
Bundaberg has Queensland’s highest number of long term working-age dole recipients, and is a site for a potential cashless debit card trial.
Mr Tehan said 90 per cent of those living in the region aged under 25 and on the dole had parents has been on welfare at some period during the past 15 years.
Keith Pitt, Federal Member for Hinkler, which includes the Bundaberg region, supports a cashless card.
The cashless card could prevent people from spending their welfare payments straight away, and could help break the cycle of dependency, he said.
Federal Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services Jenny Macklin said the onus was on the government to create more jobs.
‘There are men and women who have simply given up on looking for work after years of trying, their lives diminished and their spirit broken. It’s just not good enough,’ she said.
There are now a total of 116,682 long term working-age welfare recipients, up from 62,853 five years ago (stock image)