Get Help - Fight Unfair Decisions!
Un & Underemployed People's Movement against Poverty
This
page contains links to information about your rights and to organisations
which can assist you to access
your rights: Click on the field below to be directed to the information
you want:.
We apologise for any broken links and appreciate a message from you.
We
take no responsibility for the content of the page we linked you to and
may not always agree with the views
expressed on those sites.
Links to your rights in regards to Centrelink payments:
Connect with Centrelinks information on the internet or other relevant organisations, which can assist you further.
If you have been breached, occurred debts, or doubt you get the right payments:
Contact Welfare Rights Centres
National Welfare Rights Centre - provides links to all State branches. The organisation to assist you in appealing against Centrelink decisions like breaching you, demanding unreasonable things of you, recovering unreasonable debts or not allowing you access to benefits, you think you are eligible to receive.
Double click here to get transferred and choose your area to find your Welfare Rights Centre
Freedom of Information - If you want to appeal to decisions of Centrelink, you may need access to Centrelink's files about you. You can request your files or documents from Centrelink under the Freedom of Information Act.
Click here for more information!
If you still can't get your right or you want to make a complaint contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman
If you are interested in participating in the creation of a Union for Work-for-the-Dole participants click here and you will be able to sent an e-mail to us.
Links in regards to your rights as a part time, casual or permanent employee:
United Trades and Labor Council: gives advise about which union is responisble for your area of work and has links to these unions on its website. Double click on their web address and you will be linked to their site:
The ACTU Australian Council of Trade Unions has also links to all sites and information about which union covers your area of work:
You can also access the Employment Advocate's web site:
http://www.eao.gov.au/
Civil Rights and Common/Family Law:
Contact Electronic Frontiers Australia
Community Legal Centres: Many Community Legal Centres give free advice and assistance on social security and student assistance matters. See the: Directory of Community Legal Services.
Double click here to get connected to the Community Legal Services Directory
Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement:
Lots of links to assistance and other relevant sites.
The following good tips were taken from ALRM's website and are valid for anyone getting arrested!
IF YOU ARE EVER ARRESTED:
DO ... ask why you are being arrested.
DON'T resist arrest.DO ... give your name and address.
DON'T be abusive.DO ... ask the police for a telephone so you can contact ALRM.
DON'T give a statement before speaking to an ALRM field officer.DO ... ask for bail and, when it's granted, contact ALRM immediately.
DON'T ... plead guilty to anything before you've spoken to a solicitor.http://www.oocities.org/Athens/Acropolis/7001/alrm.htm
Law for You - Welcome to Law For You (South Australia) - your one-stop law shop. Click a topic for fact sheets, find a lawyer, do-it-yourself, forms and letters and more.
Information on the web about your rights:
Legislation Commonwealth Acts of Parliament - AUSTLII or SCALEplus (Window on the Law)
Social Security Act 1991 - pensions, allowances and student assistance payments (eg newstart allowance, youth allowance, AUSTUDY)
Student Assistance Act 1973 - AUSTUDY and student loans for AUSTUDY recipients (and certain others)
Student and Youth Assistance Act 1973 - student loans for ABSTUDY recipients (and certain others)
Employment Services Act 1994 - case management system for the unemployed
Australian Law on the Internet -
National Library of Australia Foundation Law - the Law Foundation of NSW
Community Legal Centres often work in close conjunction with other public and private legal service providers, including Legal Aid Commissions and similar services. The links below are from a variety of sources.
Double click here to connect with the site with access to:
- Legal Aid Office (ACT).
Legal Aid NSW,
Aboriginal legal services in the West, South Coast and North;
and LIAC's and LawLink's sources of assistance in NSW.- Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission (also with NT Aboriginal Legal Service offices). Legal Aid Queensland and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander legal services.
South Australian Legal Services Commission and the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (South Australia).
Tasmanian Legal Aid Commission.
Victoria Legal Aid.
Western Australian Legal Aid.
Legal Aid and Family Services section in the Federal Attorney General's Department.
Family Court Decisions on line
http://austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/family_ct/
Family Law Council
Up to date info re inquires, past and present. Good site link to other government organisations
http://uniserve.edu.au/law/pub/family/
Family Law Services & Reports
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~divorce/
Law for You - Welcome to Law For You (South Australia) - your one-stop law shop. Click a topic for fact sheets, find a lawyer, do-it-yourself, forms and letters and more.
http://www.law4u.com.au/Sa/National Council of Single Mothers and Her Children: Advocacy and assistance for single mums in all regards
http://www.ncsmc.org.auSole Parents Union - Advocacy and Information for single parents with links to Child Support, Social Security Advocacy and other parent sites.
http://go.to/soleparentsunionFederation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia:
http://coombs.anu.edu.au/~cims/fecca/fecca.htmlNational Women's Justice Coalition Inc:
http://www.nwjc.org.au/Women with Disabilities Australia: http://www.wwda.org.au
Australian Women Lawyers is the peak body of women legal practitioners' associations across Australia. AWL is concerned with issues relating to the practice and advancement of women in the legal profession and with a wide range of legal, social justice and equity issues affecting women and children. Contact AWL http://www.ozemail.com.au/~awlawyer/
Men's Information and Resource Centre in Adelaide
Information about your rights as a
Young person - information about your right to
- assemble with several others in one place,
- vote,
- access social security benefits, training, education and employment,
- move away from home,
De facto and married Couple
- what constitutes a de-facto relationship
- what rights do you have as a partner
- what benefits can you access as a partner
- what to do if you are accused of living in a de-facto relationship, but you believe you are not.
On Mutual Obligation
Scroll down the list and highlight the topic of your choice. Click on 'Go' and you will be linked to the relevant website.
If you want to appeal against any decisions or want to know your rights it is always helpful to see how other people have done it. Case studies can come from a variety of sources: other welfare rights organisations, individual stories, research, and from the reporting of the media.
This page here will enable us to collect your story for the purpose of documenting the plight of people on low or no incomes.
The links to the other case studies are divided into case studies by other organisations, Appeals Tribunal decisions, Workers' rights decisions and international cases.
Your case studies
Still to come, will happen more quickly if you submit your stories!
Case studies from other Advocacy Groups
Still to come, sorry!
Case studies /Decisions from Tribunals
can be found on the SCALEplus and AUSTLII websites
Worker's rights case studies
The Upjohn Institute did some research on flexible staffiing hours and has case studies on it's website about this:
http://www.upjohninst.org/nproject.html#flex
Cases studies from other countriesStill to come, sorry! Meanwhile look under our links, especially the Poor People's Embassy in new Zealand and Kensington Welfare Rights Unit in the US, they have case studies and may also link to other case studies.
E-mail us with your story.
You can either type it into your e-mail or send your file as an attachment in rtf format or Microsoft Windows 97 document.
Double click on E-mail us! and your e-mail program will be launched with our address.
