More than 8 million Australians now access some form of income support, with mental health accounting for around one‑third of claims across major schemes.
These insights come from new research on income support and work participation commissioned by the Council of Australian Life Insurers, led by Associate Professor Ross Iles and Ivan Volkov of Superfriend.
As Ross explains in his interview with the ABC, this isn’t just a health issue, it’s a workforce participation and productivity challenge. “Mental health seems to be having a bigger toll on people’s ability to work,” Ross notes, highlighting how fragmented income support systems add further pressure on people who are already unwell.
Ross points to a critical issue: the lack of coordination between workers’ compensation, insurance, sick leave and social security systems, which creates administrative overload and delays care. The longer people are disconnected from work, the harder it becomes to return — increasing both personal and national costs.