Youth Allowance Applicant Unsure If They Are Mocking Him With Questions Like ‘Do You Own An Investment Property?’

PETE CLARK | Melbourne | CONTACT

A recently jobless man has been left confused and bewildered after attempting to complete a Youth Allowance application. 

Greg Huntsman (21) a plucky in between jobs at the moment young man is in the 4.3% of people who are currently unemployed.

The Youth Allowance application process began as a moderately belittling exercise. Legally declaring his financial status skint and providing ample assurance that he truly earns $0.

As the application went on Mr Huntsman began to wonder, are they taking the piss out of me?

“I thought just being unemployed would be enough to get me over the line.”“When I attached my bank statements I thought that would be enough to convince them of my financial ineptitude, but that was only the beginning. The next question on the application was ‘do you own an investment property?”

“At first maybe I thought I was filling out the wrong application form, why the fuck would I would grovelling over 800 bucks if I owned an investment property?”

Owning an investment property was once an Australian dream for the aspirational working class. Now, the Australian dream for that same class of people is to live in a rental without black mold. 

Home ownership is so concentrated in Australia that unless you inherit a small housing portfolio it is unlikely that you will own your own home, let alone an investment property. 

As such Mr Huntsman was all the more confused. 

“It just feels like there’s someone on the other end of the application mocking me.”

More to come.