Hundreds of thousands of dole recipients are skipping appointments. Picture: istock

AROUND a quarter of all dole recipients are skipping job interviews or failing to accept decent work.

Data released by the Departments of Employment has revealed that in just three months — between 1 July and 30 September 2015 — an alarming 276,000 job seekers had their welfare payments suspended.

Overall, there are around 800,000 people receiving welfare in the form of the Newstart or Youth Allowance.

Most of the suspensions were handed down because welfare recipients failed to turn up for appointments, or shirked obligations like work for the dole, and were back-paid once jobseekers re-engaged with job active.

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More than 270,000 job seekers had welfare payments suspended in a three-month period. Picture: AAP / Dan PeledSource:AAP

Another 8900 people on the dole were slapped with heavier financial penalties for repeatedly shunning interviews, failing to accept appropriate work, or for misconduct.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said the high number of suspensions demonstrate why the parliament needs to pass tough new penalties for job seekers.

“Australia’s income support system is there as a safety net for people who genuinely cannot find a job — not as an option for those who simply refuse to work,” Senator Cash said.

“Failure to address loopholes results in taxpayer funds being wasted by those who have the ability to engage in paid employment but instead prefer to remain on welfare payments.”

The tougher penalties, which are currently opposed by Labor Party MPs, extend dole suspensions to job seekers who fail to adequately hunt for work, and remove the waivers that allow people who turn down decent jobs to remain on welfare.

The federal government wants tougher penalties for people on welfare who shirk their obligations. Picture: istockSource:Supplied

They would also ensure suspensions and penalties could be issued immediately and remove any back-paying provided to dole recipients who had their penalties suspended.

The Department of Human Services has previous revealed some of the excuses used by dole recipients for turning down jobs or shirking interviews — including that shifts would interfere with playing golf, or that working more than three hours a day would be too onerous.

Owen Bennett, president of the Australian Unemployed Workers Union, said the penalties are already tough enough and it was the job service providers that were letting the system down.

“This is a completely harsh and punitive system, we’ve had many people call our hotline where and tell us they have been penalised for not attending an appointment that they didn’t even know about,” he said.

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