Insights into the Implementation of Compulsory Income Management in the Northern Territory

This study investigated the implementation of Compulsory Income Management (CIM) schemes in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, including the introduction of the Cashless Debit Card in 2021. The authors explore policy stakeholder views on the specific rationale and impact of the implementation of CIM schemes, which disproportionately impact Aboriginal communities in the NT. Drawing on semistructured interviews with 26 policy stakeholder participants, the findings revealed implementation characterised by overly optimistic expectations in the design of CIM, limited collaborative policy making, and low engagement with the NT’s diverse subnational governance. They identified an underestimation of the complexity of the welfare recipients lives, leading to poor policy design and an absence of self-determination principles. Policy implementation should be strengthened to improve social outcomes and communication between the government, community services, and members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.IMPLICATIONS All facets of the implementation of Compulsory Income Management schemes in the Northern Territory have lacked genuine community engagement, collaborative policy making, and principles of self-determination, leading to problematic and harmful policy design and outcomes.Future social policy implementation in the Northern Territory needs to incorporate genuine collaboration, codesign, power sharing, and principles of self-determination to develop relevant and beneficial policy.