Australian Opposition Proposes Restricting Welfare Access for Non-Citizens

Australian Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has unveiled a proposal requiring migrants to become Australian citizens before accessing a range of welfare payments, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Under the policy, non-citizens would be barred from accessing 17 government programs, including JobSeeker, paid parental leave, Family Tax Benefit, and the NDIS, until they obtain Australian citizenship.

Existing recipients would not be affected.

Taylor said the policy addressed strains caused by high migration levels.

“This is about mass migration running ahead of the homes, roads, hospitals, schools and services Australia can provide,” he told reporters in Canberra.

He said it was unfair for Australian taxpayers to fund welfare payments for non-citizens while many Australians faced cost-of-living pressures.

“We have got, right now, a government that is slashing support for private health insurance for older Australians, and at the same time dishing out billions and billions of dollars to people in this country who are not citizens for welfare,” he said.

“The simple principle is this: if you commit to this country, we’ll commit to you. That’s the Australia I grew up in, and it’s the Australia I want to see again.”

Taylor said people committed to Australia should become citizens.

“If you are not an Australian citizen, then you don’t get the privileges of an Australian citizen,” he said.

Welfare Bill Projected to Reach $335 Billion by 2030

Taylor’s proposal comes at a time where social security and welfare is making up 37 percent of the Federal budget.

Budget paper No. 1 reveals (pdf) the government is estimated to spend $308.7 billion (US$223.8 billion) on welfare in 2026-27, and this will increase to nearly $335 billion by 2029-30.

For the current financial year, the welfare and social security bill is forecast to hit $297.8 billion.

“The most significant component of government spending relates to social security and welfare,” the budget papers state.

“The social security and welfare function accounts for 37.1 per cent of total expenses in 2026–27 and includes expenses for pensions and services to the aged, assistance to the unemployed and the sick, people with disabilities and families with children, and income support and compensation for veterans and their dependents.”