Welfare reform in the radical sixties

"Nobody came today".

The speaker was a small aged lady in a large 1960s city. A lonely aged lady. The image remains. There are many like her in modern cities.

In the Brisbane of the 1960s - Dylan, Beatles, political demos in City Square, on St Lucia campus - social welfare reform was also on the agenda. Not fun, but radically important for many families.

Mrs G had six children aged 10 years to two months. Her husband had fled. Mrs G was without income and $18 a week rent to find. A St Vincent de Paul counsellor described her in 'mental turmoil', the police gave her $10, Mr G could not be found. The family qualified for Queensland State Family Assistance but it was insufficient to pay the rent, let alone buy food.

The inevitable happened: the family was evicted, children taken into State care, three fostered, three placed in an institution. Mrs G could then seek employment but was living alone. A family split apart by government.

The Gs were among a thousand Queensland Mums and 2500 kids struggling to survive in the 1960s without Dads,some of them in jail, others with new partners.Officially designated 'Deserted Wives', lone mothers could receive a Commonwealth Government widow's pension for themselves and their children once they had been without a breadwinner for six months, but during that initial period financial support varied from State to State. Herewith the rub: in Queensland Family Assistance was not enough to pay the rent, let alone other expenses so families became homeless, children placed in institutions and foster homes. Many Dads disappeared.

One social worker suggested the Department of Children's Services pay a Housing Commission rent and cover basic needs to keep the family together. But DCS said No, if Mum could not care for the family herself then the kids would have to enter government care, if necessary split up. This infuriated newly graduating social workers.

When Mrs Lam's six children were taken into care two were looked after by a foster mother who was paid $16 per week for their up-keep. If they had stayed at home the mother would have been allowed only $5 a week.

Also, 'Deserted Mothers' had to prove they were 'deserving' and 'of good repute' before they could receive help.

Social workers kick in

Although Social workers had been professionally trained since the 1930s in New South Wales and Victoria, it was not until 1958 that the University of Queensland created a Diploma in Social Studies and 1961 when students first graduated in a four year degree course, the first in Australia.

The new breed were puzzled that families were broken apart even when supported by the State. They reported the anomaly to the Queensland Branch of the Australian Association of Social Workers who referred it to the Queensland Council ofSocial Services.

On 22 October 1966 QCOSS held a well-attended seminar on The Problems of Deserted Wives, withChairman Robert Hay pointing out that family break-up 'affects the mental, social and economic health of the nation'.

Lifeline's Lawrie Hayes came straight to the point in Desertion as a Financial Problem: "often the worker's time is wasted helping the family adjust to a totally inadequate income".

Social work graduate Graham Zerk of Children's Services followed the theme: "until the finances are corrected every other facet of the problem is grossly distorted".

Lawyer Michael Freney looked at Legal Aspects, Brisbane Gaol chaplain Rev Tom Scarlett Family Reactions, and psychiatrist Rod Milton Family Process.

After group discussion Jack Stoll, UQ Lecturer in Social Studies, reported more on Financial Aspects, lawyer Tom McCawley on Legal Angles, and sociologist Elizabeth Timms on Family and Social Issues. The core finding of the day remained the lack of cash for basic family needs, adding not only to serious personal consequences but also to long-term government expenditure.

Select Committee

On 5 December 1966 CSSQ set up a Select Committee on Deserted Wives to carry out a detailed study of the problems and arrive at concrete recommendations, with priority given to financial issues. Members were Lawrie Hayes, Elizabeth Timms, and convener Harry Throssell who had just arrived at

QueenslandUniversity's Social Work Department after a child welfare and psychiatry career in UK.

The Committee met three days later on 8 December 1966 then weekly.

The rights of the child

Deliberations were based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Children:

'The child, for the full, harmonious development of his personality needs love and understanding.He shall, where possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility ofhis parents …in an atmosphere of affection and of moral and material security. A child of tender years shall not, save in exceptional circumstances, be separated from his mother… Public Authorities shall have the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and without adequate means of support. Payment of State and other assistance towards the maintenance of children of large families is desirable ...

'We regard as a matter for serious consideration that separation of a mother and her children can occur as a result of financial need alone, where it is neither psychologically nor socially desirable … it is society's responsibility to ensure external support for the family to cope with its problems as a family unit. The basic criterion for assistance is need, not … moral eligibility'.

Four categories of 'widow' were recognised: Parents married but father left home; father in prison; parents not legally married; mother a non-British migrant. Mothers and children in the first two groups were eligible for a Commonwealth widow's pension but not until the husband had been absent six months.

When the parents were not married legally the mother was not eligible for a pension on the grounds of desertion.

When the mother was a non-British migrant she could only be paid a widow's pension after residence in Australia of five years. During the first six months of marital separation family assistance could only be paid if the mother instigated proceedings for maintenance. Wives of prisoners were treated the same even though the authorities knew exactly why they were not athome.

What is poverty

Hardship was judged by comparing Family Assistance with the survival cost of a family of three.

Figures quickly showed why these families were falling apart: State assistance for children under 17 years had not risen for 11years; for mothers not for 14 years - and could not be paid if she had $400 in the bank or owned a car.

While the family's financial state was being assessed, Emergent Family Assistance was paid - at an even lower rate.

The male basic wage, $32.70 a week in May 1966, indicated the cost of living. However, while the basic wage had risen 60 per cent since1952, State assistance had not increased at all. And family assistance payments were the maximum allowed, not even at basic wage level. Family income was not allowed to exceed Family Assistance payments there was no incentive for Mum to earn.

When dietician Mrs Fogarty listed the cost of food requirements for a parent and three children it transpired they would receive less than needed for an adequate diet, let alone other living expenses.

Another anomaly: while the State would pay $19.50 per week for three children to live in a foster home they would fork out only $7.50 pw for them to stay at home.

So even when receiving the official allowance it was frequently necessary in Queensland to approach charitable bodies, but often they did not have sufficient funds. 'Deserted Wives' were provided for more adequately in all other States.

RECOMMENDATIONS presented to the CSSQ Executive Committee on 12 April 1967 :

Abolish Emergent Family Assistance;

When a man goes to jail the Commonwealth Government to pay widow's pension to his spouse;

Non-British migrant women able to apply for a widow's pension after one year;

Welfare payments to keep pace with the basic wage;

Separate payments to cover housing;

Government to take full financial responsibility for the welfare of families;

No suggestion of 'deserving' help;

Consideration given to suitable employment for mothers;

Family day care to be provided for children, including atplaces ofemployment; Counsellors to work with prisoners to ensure they do not become demoralised at lack of immediate employment on leaving jail;

Industrial work in prisons so prisoners can learn skills;

Information on separation law available.

The report was forwarded to government departments, Federal Parliamentarians, and the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Fronting the director

After the report was put to bed Throssell, in his role as supervisor of the student training unit in Queensland State Children Department, called on the Director, Charlie Clark, expecting a cool reception. But Clark smiled and said quietly "That was a good report".

When the report was released to the public on 19 May 1967 Throssell was interviewed by Derek White of ABC Radio. In July Lawrie Hayes addressed the State Liberal Womens' Council, reported in the Sunday Mail with the headline 'Desertion ... wives face grim choice' and in the Courier-Mail 'Nothing done for deserted wives'.

On 9 August Throssell's feature in the Courier-Mail was headlined 'Poverty of deserted wives in Queensland' with sub-head 'Allowance not enough to buy family's food'. The story recommended abolition of discrimination betweendifferent kinds of widows, and employment opportunities for Mums with kids.

It was suggestedgovernment resources be employed to keep familes together at home in the long-term interests of the children, hopefully thus resulting in fewer demands on prisons, health services, psychiatric hospitals, childrens' homes.

A Courier-Mail editorial argued the Commonwealth and States should cooperate quickly on a solution. The following year one letter to the editor suggested deserted wives should join a church, while 'Worried Sick Mother' said she had taken in children 'in a shocking state of health' for their lone invalid father who paid her $10 a fortnight. She had applied for a foster mother's allowance four months before, but 'all I received was a visit from a young student social worker'.

Breakthrough

The big change came on 2 May 1968 when Liberal Party Social Services Minister Bill Wentworth presented a Bill in Federal parliament 'To grant Financial Assistance to certain States in respect of benefits provided for Deserted Wives, and certain other Women, having the Custody, Care and Control of Children'.

The new legislation was to provide a more uniform level of assistance with the Commonwealth sharing the cost. This was particularly important in Queensland, where the general level of State assistance "has been considerably below that obtaining elsewhere". Unmarried mothers also became eligible for the pension.

All States agreed except Victoria which since 1947 had been paid special benefits by the Commonwealth Government. Wentworth hoped Victoria would now join the national scheme.

Moral stance continues

But there was not yet the hoped-for revolution in social philosophy.

Whilst acknowledging the Federal Government's plan, Jack Pizzey, Queensland Country Party Premier (until his death on 31 July 1968)continued to raise the question whether parents really deserved help. He argued mothers who received welfare payments should be required to 'bring the deserting father to account' and spoke of 'uniform legislationto help tighten the net on absconding husbands whoindulge in border-hopping in efforts to escape their obligations'.

The Premier seemed pleased that between 1962 and 1966 the number of children placed in foster care had increased from 618 to 1042, adding 'The atmosphere in State institutions is kept as close as possible to family life ... we [the State Government] have laid the foundations of a social structure which … can … keep pace with the ever-changing demands of modern civilisation'.

A Queensland Liberal politician said Australia too readily accepted responsibility for husbands who had 'blown through ... We spend $15 million a year caring for the families of shirkers and dodgers', although in Sunday Truth he acknowledged deserted wives in Queensland get 'the worst deal in Australia'.

The new pensions were paid immediately, in July 1968.

Crucial Announcement

Twenty months after the Exploratory Seminar of June 1968, Health Minister Doug Tooth announced the ground-breaking decision: improved rates of assistance were to be paid to 'deserted' mothers, married or not, including wives of prisoners, half the cost from the Commonwealth Government.

A mother with one child would now receive $18.50 a week instead of $4.85; a mother with six children $26 instead of $17.35.

In spite of hiccups the Little Brisbane Revolution of 1966 could now be considered successful in exposing a major problem and how to improve it, with significant initial results for many battlers.