The prevalence of handout culture in society has resulted in government handouts being the default response to any misfortune, no matter how big or small. Recently, an increase in indexation to student debt led to a call for another government handout, which was unsurprising. While the problem was correctly identified, the proposed solution leaves much to be desired. Rampant inflation has caused HECS-HELP loans to increase by 7.1 percent next year, compared to the historical indexation rate of around two percent. The crossbench agitators failed to take into account the earning potential of graduates, as these increases are no small issue. A better solution would be to remove tax barriers and unfair red tape, which would allow students on Youth Allowance to enter the workforce without fear of losing their allowance. This would help ease the country-wide shortage of workers and enable students to work off more of their debt while also gaining real-life work experience. The current system sets students up for a life of dependence instead of empowering them to take responsibility for their own lives. Youth Allowance reform would help solve problems such as student debt, worker shortages, and university shortfalls in preparing students for the workforce. Such reform would help fill critical worker shortages in the country, as one-quarter of businesses were unable to find enough workers and there were 438,500 reported job vacancies in February this year. Government relief is only a temporary fix that ignores the broader issue of handout culture in a high-inflation economy. By allowing students to work without losing their student allowance due to exorbitant taxation rates, a solution can be achieved for students and Australia. The author’s views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Epoch Times.