Demeaning messaging is a powerful tool promoting disdain not only for those falling outside the so-called individual character of competitive individualism but also more generally for all people doing it tough which influences public attitudes about what kind of welfare policies the government should provide, and who should benefit.
Mental health issues can and do arise due to the constant economic struggle to survive on too little income or living in poverty; negative messaging i.e. propaganda; and for many, the harsh treatment of government income support payments with compulsion and sanctions used to coerce a move from welfare to work.
Adapted excerpt from FGFP Coalition ‘Up In The Air’: A Civil And Caring Society Background Paper, September 2018, prepared by lead author Lorraine Wheeler for Fair Go for Pensioners (FGFP) Coalition, Victoria.
Fight Against Inequality Network Inc. 