|
Post by Banker on Dec 23, 2012 6:20:31 GMT 7
I received this news letter this morning....It went into my spam.
I will put it here for all to read.DSPoverseas NewsLetter December 2012 It’s been a long year in the Disability Support Pension world. A lot of changes, a lot of disappointments, a lot of people falling through the cracks in the system. We’ve seen the Unlimited Portability offered in one hand and, for many people, taken away with the other. We’ve seen the DSP become a lot harder to get, many people will now stay on NewStart, physically or mentally unable to get work but unable to access the benefits of being on the DSP. We’ve had brilliant successes and shattering failures in the appeals system. A large number of our friends have moved back to Australia after years, sometimes decades, of setting up a life overseas. They now, in many cases, access more than twice the benefits they once received for a far inferior lifestyle. This is what the government calls savings. The Unlimited Portability is not an impossible task, not all genuine cases will receive it, many who are totally unemployable or “having no future work capacity” as specified in the Act will not. The bar has been set too high; it’s been made too hard for many people who are genuine, honest and unaccustomed to dealing with the system to achieve. The improved treatment of people with mental illness promises by the Labor government are a mockery, if you aren’t mentally stable enough to use the new rules and promises you’re wasting your time and Centrelink take full advantage of this. So is there hope at all? There is if we persevere, we keep on at our politicians and we question every Centrelink decision we think is unfair. An election looms next year and nearly a million people on the DSP have a voice. We will never agree with each other on many issues but we have to stand firm on the rights of Disability Support Pensioners. Don’t be bullied or frightened into giving up, if you need a shoulder to lean on, a sympathetic online ear to pour your troubles into, then DSPoverseas.com is about all you have. I’d like to thank the DSPoverseas staff and regular contributing members, without whom I may well have given up myself this year. We are the only friends we have when our pensions are at stake. Merry Christmas. Stay friends and stay safe. Banjo.
|
|
|
Post by Banjo on Dec 23, 2012 7:58:06 GMT 7
Many thanks to all who replied personally by emails, I'll get back to you in the next day or two.
|
|
|
Post by Banker on Dec 23, 2012 8:17:57 GMT 7
Many thanks to all who replied personally by emails, I'll get back to you in the next day or two. Banjo, I put it on the forum for all to see. I know you put a lot of work into those news letters and well I was pissed off when I found it in my spam. All news letters to be made a sticky from now on. ;D
|
|
|
Post by StringsAttached on Dec 23, 2012 15:04:16 GMT 7
Thank you Banjo....I'm glad I found the forum.
|
|
|
Post by Banjo on Sept 18, 2013 11:41:51 GMT 7
DSPoverseas NewsLetter September 2013
Greetings to all our members and we hope all are as well as possible under their circumstances.
The change of government has brought considerable concern to many people on pensions. The main issue is that the new cabinet will instigate a reassessment system for people on the DSP similar to that which has been put in place by the Conservative Government in the United Kingdom.
At this stage there is no news, not even reliable rumours, so we can only wait and see. Members who feel that they may be adversely affected by this should make an appointment to see their MP, go in groups if possible. If you cannot, write, but after years of letter writing and emailing I’m not personally sure it does a lot of good unless the letters arrive in substantial quantities You might like to mention what the projected loss of over a thousand Centrelink staff currently under contract will do to phone waiting times as well.
DSPoverseas will start preparing for the worst; we will watch for any media announcements and any suggestion of legislative changes and contact the relevant ministers to voice our concerns.
The staffing structure at the forum has changed following the departure of popular contributors Banker and Cheetal, we have two new moderators with badly needed ideas and enthusiasm, hopefully we can see a new level of service to our members this year. I would like to point out that ALL members’ ideas and suggestions are welcome while we do not need negativity and the constant promotion of worst case scenarios.
As more of our members are successful in applying for the indefinite portability of the DSP, and I urge anyone procrastinating not to leave it much longer, I’ve set up a new board in the forum about setting up a new home and life overseas. We invite all pensioners with experience here to contribute and advise beginners.
Stay safe,
Banjo
|
|
|
Post by Banjo on Dec 21, 2013 12:38:00 GMT 7
AusPensioner/DSPOverseas NewsLetter December 2013
2013 has been a mixed year for many of us; the Unlimited Portability seemed to become harder to get with a few of the later applicants being unsuccessful. There are appeals underway and hopefully wiser heads will see that “no future work capacity” does not just depend upon the tables used to define Centrelink’s interpretation of a severe impairment.
More problems for some of those wishing to spend time overseas, this time also effecting Age pensioners, as the new Australian Working Live Residency requirements are lowered from 35 to 25 years. Whether this will affect younger DSP recipients who receive Unlimited Portability remains to be seen.
We now have a Twitter account run by our new IT administrator aussieinusa, @auspensioner. Anyone wishing to contribute, or find out more, contact her at auspenioner@gmail.com. Next year we hope to see more user friendly changes in the forum in addition to the work aussieinusa has already done.
Many thanks also to our moderating team who stepped up after the departure of two valuable staff members. Our moderation policy remains unchanged: our members receive enough negativity and belittlement in the corporate media without having to put up with it on their own forum.
Our policies for next year will range partly around unfair assessments; not only for people who want to travel but also those who find their pensions under threat. The threat of random or targeted reassessments must be considered real as welfare recipients continue to be blamed for the state of the economy. It is important for all of us to present a united front and AusPensioner/DSPoverseas will be doing our best to work with like-minded groups. All pensioners must get together on this.
Our best wishes to you all and your loved ones for Christmas and the New Year,
Stay safe,
Banjo
|
|
|
Post by latindancer on Dec 21, 2013 18:29:22 GMT 7
I'm happy to know aussieinusa is our IT administrator....she has a good strong mind.
Have a great festive season yourself, Banjo !
|
|
|
Post by Banjo on Dec 21, 2013 20:42:41 GMT 7
Thanks LD, Aussie also has considerable work place IT experience which has been sadly lacking here for a long time.
|
|
|
Post by Banjo on Dec 22, 2013 18:41:29 GMT 7
NewsLetter Correction
Hi People, under a bit of pressure last week and typed.... More problems for some of those wishing to spend time overseas, this time also effecting Age pensioners, as the new Australian Working Live Residency requirements are lowered from 35 to 25 years. Whether this will affect younger DSP recipients who receive Unlimited Portability remains to be seen.Which no doubt everyone realised should read... More problems for some of those wishing to spend time overseas, this time also effecting Age pensioners, as the new Australian Working Live Residency requirements are raised from 25 to 35 years. Whether this will affect younger DSP recipients who receive Unlimited Portability remains to be seen.
Here's the relevant section of the rules. For the first 26 weeks paid at the full domestic rate. After 26 weeks of absence proportional rate is paid if a person does not have 25 years (subject to the passage of legislation this will be 35 years from 1 January 2014) of Australian working life residence. www.dss.gov.au/about-fahcsia/international/policy/portability-of-australian-income-support-paymentsApologies and continued best wishes to you all, Stay safe, Banjo
|
|
|
Post by Banjo on May 14, 2014 20:19:40 GMT 7
Auspensioner/DSPoverseas News Letter.
Budget 2014.
I’ve been surprised twice in barely a week, once when an earthquake struck my current place of abode and again when a similar unreasonable and unpredictable force struck DSP recipients and their portability.
Four weeks travel a year is the new guide line; for years now we have been demanding to know what Centrelink considers to be “unreasonable overseas travel”. Now we know. Be careful what you wish for.
One of the greatest effects of course is the attack on under 35 year olds on the DSP. Their current status will be summarily dismissed and they will be flung back to the reassessment process; this time not to their own caring doctor and specialists but handpicked government “assessors”. We hope that the medical profession has the guts to stand up to any attempt to discard their opinions on a person’s ability to work. This will target the mentally ill, the more confused and frightened people are the less they will be able to stand up to the system.
What the budget failed to do was even begin to create the thousands of new jobs these people are going to need if they go onto NewStart; the only jobs I can see coming are in the Job Centre industry where they will happily spend government money trying to find work that does not exist for their new customers.
Our membership is going up rapidly this week, this is only logical as many people hang back thinking that the worst is not going to happen to them. Unfortunately it does; expect a new influx of applications for Unlimited Portability of the DSP and a hefty increase in the waiting time as Centrelink, with huge staff cuts, battles to process them along with the new assessments of the under 35s.
We hear today that the treasurer danced to “The Best Day of My Life” before his speech. Anyone who knows that song will find the line “dancing with monsters” appropriate. The poor, the disabled and the jobless of this country are truly dancing with monsters.
Stay safe,
Banjo.
|
|
|
Post by Banjo on Dec 14, 2014 22:32:45 GMT 7
Disability Support, Age Pension and Carers Alliance Forum (incl. DSPoverseas) NewsLetterDecember 2014
And so another year comes to an end and the Grinch that hates pensioners is determined to make sure that there will be little Christmas cheer. Draconian new assessments face Disability Support Pensioners and if that is insufficient their own medical professionals will have their reports disregarded in favour of those employed by Centrelink. The wounded will be bayoneted on the battlefield in the name of the budget deficit. The corporate media, ably led by NewsCorp, is doing it's best to justify the Government's excesses by painting disabled pensioners as rorters, thieves and bludgers. Tens, hundreds of thousands will be forced onto the dole while jobs continue to disappear across Australia. The Disability Support, Age Pension and Careers Alliance Forum (incl DSPoverseas) continues to grow and strengthen as fear runs through the Australian pensioner community. Last week we had a groundswell of angry members call for a class action against The Telegraph for their vile and odious comparison, condemned by the Press Council, of pensioners and wounded Australian soldiers. “The watchdog said the implication that people receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP) were bludgers, compared with the bravery of injured soldiers, was offensive, unfair and inaccurate.” Read more: dspoverseas.proboards.com/thread/3643/daily-telegraph-rapped-press-council?page=1#ixzz3LsoVR6GHI urge members to vote in our poll on the matter and offer their advice and services. dspoverseas.proboards.com/thread/3649/class-action-telegraph?page=1#scrollTo=33869This is something we can all join in, even if it serves no other purpose than to show this country that being sick or disabled does not make you a media punching bag. From the viewpoint of our forum Unlimited Portability successes are the one bright spot of 2014. These continue on a regular basis and those of you still undecided whether or not to apply are strongly advised to make it your new year's resolution. Those deciding not to will face only 4 weeks overseas in a 12 month period next year. It is still attainable and for what it's worth our political leaders insist it will remain in place. It's a terrible thought that while so many people are trying to get into Australia, pensioners are looking for a safe haven overseas. Many of you may have become complacent, but the reassessments of Disability Support pensioners, some of many years standing, are happening already; very few of you, particularly the younger ones should sleep comfortably in 2015. If you think that training and assistance in finding jobs awaits those losing the pension just consider that this will be done in the name of spending cuts, they will not want to spend much of the money they save in finding you a job, even if there were jobs to find. The need to protest and speak out has never been more necessary, our forum has been established particularly for that purpose, log on more regularly and join the discussion. Once again another year passes and I cannot find any soft words of consolation and reassurance to offer, the news is bad. To all of you and your families the staff here offer our best wishes for the new year, Stay safe, Banjo
|
|