Dead Ends: How our Social Security System Is Failing People with Partial Capacity to Work

People deemed to have 'partial capacity to work' are an overlooked but growing group of those receiving JobSeeker Payment. The growth in this category reflects a decade of changes in eligibility and assessment for other types of income support, especially the Disability Support Pension. For many people with disabilities and/or chronic health conditions the impact has been severe. The partial capacity to work (PCW) category illustrates how the social security system is failing many vulnerable individuals due to design faults that create poverty traps. This paper examines the development of this classification and its impact on the lives of individuals and their households. It recommends urgent policy change to enable those who are unable to work full-time due to disability or ill health to live with dignity.