Information from John Stapleton, Open Policy: What does an applicant need to apply for a benefit from home?
For an applicant to apply for most benefits from their own home, an applicant must have:
- A reliable address
- A working smartphone
- A computer with internet
It is also desirable to have:
- A printer
- Up to date software for downloads
- Storage for filing
Low income applicants often do not have the basics to apply from home:
- They do not have a reliable address
- Live in an illegal rooming house where mail routinely goes missing or is stolen/redirected
- Are not permitted to use their preferred 'safe' address
- Move often
- Are evicted
They do not have a smartphone:
- Smartphone plans start with free phones at $300 a year with no data and limited calling
- Do not have retail credit
- Are unbanked
They do not have a computer with internet access:
- Computers are expensive
- Software is expensive
- Data plans are expensive
They cannot download the latest software
They do not have a printer
They do not have safe storage