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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 5:26:45 GMT 7
Some article in the Australian newspaper today, Kevin Andrews announcing a Dramatic reform of the welfare system for Single parents and others , don't know if it affects us on DSP, if anyone can get the artice and post it here it would be good
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Post by ideas on Sept 27, 2013 5:55:45 GMT 7
Single mums priority in welfare overhaul
Patricia Karvelas •
The Australian •
September 27, 2013 12:00AM
SIMPLIFIED income-support payments and a financial boost for single mothers will be considered as the Abbott government embarks on dramatic reform of the nation's welfare system.
Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews will order a review of all welfare payments to address a system he believes is too ad hoc, comprised of too many payments that have been added without a holistic strategy and approach.
Mr Andrews sees welfare reform as a longer-term project that the Coalition must embark on to create an efficient, rewarding system that moves recipients into work.
The Australian can reveal his immediate priority will be looking at a suite of options to help single parents - most of them women - who have been hit by Labor's decision to shift them from more generous parenting payments on to the regular dole, Newstart Allowance, when their youngest child turns eight.
The move, which took effect in January, affected tens of thousands of single mothers, many working part-time, leaving them between $60 and $100 a week worse off. The decision was to save taxpayers $728 million over four years.
After meetings with many single mothers, Mr Andrews is understood to be convinced that the impact of Labor's cuts has been deep and devastating and believes child welfare should be the government's chief concern.
Mr Andrews is understood to favour creating a more generous income test for parents on Newstart.
In the May budget, the Gillard government changed the rules to allow about 800,000 people on Newstart to keep $38 more in earnings from work before their payments were affected but sources said the minister believes this change should go further to help single mothers.
As a minister in the Howard government, Mr Andrews was involved in the first tranche of cuts to single parents' payments in 2006, but he believes Labor went too far by pushing single parents who had been "grandfathered" off the payment. On wider welfare reform, Mr Andrews believes there is strong support across the welfare sector for a more efficient system to be created.
The review will look again at the disability support pension as well as many other payments. Psychological problems have overtaken muscle and bone injuries as the leading reason for the granting of the DSP.
Despite falls in the number of people receiving the DSP for other disabilities, mental illnesses are the fastest growing category, with a jump of more than 1500 people over two years.
The government's latest figures show 26,247 people with psychological problems were granted the DSP in 2010-11, up from 24,707 in 2009-10.
Of the 824,082 people on the DSP, at a cost of almost $15 billion this financial year, 254,672 are receiving the pension for mental health reasons.
Tony Abbott's decision to put all welfare payments under one minister's control in one department - previously it was split between the Employment Department and the Families Department - is strategic, based on the notion that the welfare system should be managed as one.
The government believes welfare reform is essential because of the rapidly ageing population.
Some key welfare groups, including the Australian Council of Social Service and the National Welfare Rights Network, have welcomed the move to bring all of the income support payments under the one system and department.
Labor leadership aspirant Bill Shorten said at the weekend that if he were elected Labor leader, he would instruct his team to develop a suite of policies targeting single parents, including the possible restoration of the single parents pension he was responsible for slashing as minister.
While both Mr Shorten and fellow leadership aspirant Anthony Albanese have admitted the party was wrong to cut welfare this year, only Mr Shorten has provided details about how he would change the party's policy.
A spokesman for Mr Andrews said: "Labor's legacy of debt and deficit was bad for families and their changes to parenting payments left single parents worse off.
"Their admission the changes were a blunder is little comfort to those affected."
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Post by ideas on Sept 27, 2013 6:00:02 GMT 7
For the information of Banjo and others, a way to get around the paywall at News Limited, and now Fairfax, is to type in the title of the news article into Google with "inverted commas", and then press search.
It's a little bit rough, and doesn't always work, but you usually get the article which can be cut and pasted.
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Post by ideas on Sept 27, 2013 6:21:40 GMT 7
HOW IS KEVIN ANDREWS GOING TO GET THIS PAST THE SENATE?? HE NEEDS 39 VOTES
Until 1 July 2014, the Australian Senate will be controlled by:
31 ALP Senators who want to punish and frustrate the Coalition in revenge for blocking their legislation 2010-2013
9 Green Senators, a far left party that would increase the DSP to $1000 per week, with 12 months portability.
After 1 July 2014, the Australian Senate will be controlled by:
26 ALP Senators who want to punish and frustrate the Coalition in revenge for blocking their legislation 2010-2013
9 Green Senators, a far left party that would increase the DSP to $1000 per week, with 12 months portability.
(Kevin Andrews needs 6 votes from the following 8 Senators: )
3 Palmer United Senators - hates Abbott, said he's going to be worse than Pauline Hanson for the Coalition, elected on a platform of increasing the DSP by $75 a week
Nick Xenophon - left of centre voting record
Australian Motoring Party Senator - "centrist"
DLP Senator - "opposes economic rationalism"
Family First Senator - soft for the disabled
Liberal Democratic Party Senator -similar to the Liberals -only one vote the Coalition can count on, in addition to the 33 Coalition Senators.
39 votes out of the 76 Senators are required to pass bills in the Senate. The bills passed in the Senate determine the Centrelink requirements for receiving the DSP.
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Post by Banjo on Sept 27, 2013 6:24:51 GMT 7
Thank you ideas, I too have found that google-ing the headline is often successful as well. I pay for online Age about $27 a month and always read the free online version of The Guardian. www.theguardian.com/auNice article on Woody Allen today. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 6:25:21 GMT 7
Sounds like its good news for the single parents but probably not for us , sounds like they are not happy with the large and increasing numbers of people on the DSP with Psychological problems. l hope they don't unfairly target them, atleast from 'ideas' post the senate is on our side.
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Post by Banjo on Sept 27, 2013 6:29:05 GMT 7
I wouldn't trust Palmer or Family First on Welfare issues.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 6:36:42 GMT 7
HOW IS KEVIN ANDREWS GOING TO GET THIS PAST THE SENATE?? HE NEEDS 39 VOTES
Until 1 July 2014, the Australian Senate will be controlled by:
31 ALP Senators who want to punish and frustrate the Coalition in revenge for blocking their legislation 2010-2013
9 Green Senators, a far left party that would increase the DSP to $1000 per week, with 12 months portability.
After 1 July 2014, the Australian Senate will be controlled by:
26 ALP Senators who want to punish and frustrate the Coalition in revenge for blocking their legislation 2010-2013
9 Green Senators, a far left party that would increase the DSP to $1000 per week, with 12 months portability.
(Kevin Andrews needs 6 votes from the following:)
3 Palmer United Senators - hates Abbott, said he's going to be worse than Pauline Hanson, elected on a platform of increasing the DSP
Nick Xenophon - left of centre voting record
Australian Motoring Party Senator - "centrist"
DLP Senator - "opposes economic rationalism"
Family First Senator - soft for the disabled
Liberal Democratic Party Senator -similar to the Liberals -only one vote the Coalition can count on
a
SOunds to me Clive Palmers party is the most important to us with 3 senators, if they block any negative changes to the DSP then it would be very hard for the liberals to get enough votes, But as Banjo said l wouldn't trust them, clive Palmer says he supports people on the DSP but could sell us out in return for lower tax on coal miners or something. Big clive will probably put his own interests first like most politicans. l don't know why Clive became a politican but l know it wasn't to help us. |
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Post by newtodsp on Sept 27, 2013 11:55:35 GMT 7
Ideas, I hope you are right about your characterisation of the new senators and your count as well. Surely such a major overhaul would require bills passed through the senate? I wonder what changes can occur to the DSP without a bill. It is sad they will be targeting the mentally ill. I have heard shocking stories about the mental hospitals in this country. I am so glad that my disability is physical, not mental.
Its really quite stressful having Rabid Abbott as our PM, one good thing is that he seems to be into some intervention - eg. paid parental leave, leaving the universities amenties fees in place - but perhaps he will be hardnosed with welfare reform.
And for anyone who thinks welfare reform will be good for us, look what happened in the UK for starters. And I hear NZ is quite punitive too. However with one universal payment that may mean the aged pension is reduced as well - perhaps if this is the case Abbott might be out in one term? Does anyone think hardlined welfare reform will be enough to have the LNP out in 3 years?
All those who voted for him should be the first to be targeted in my view - these are the people making life painful for the rest of us.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 12:43:13 GMT 7
Ideas, I hope you are right about your characterisation of the new senators and your count as well. Surely such a major overhaul would require bills passed through the senate? I wonder what changes can occur to the DSP without a bill. It is sad they will be targeting the mentally ill. I have heard shocking stories about the mental hospitals in this country. I am so glad that my disability is physical, not mental. Its really quite stressful having Rabid Abbott as our PM, one good thing is that he seems to be into some intervention - eg. paid parental leave, leaving the universities amenties fees in place - but perhaps he will be hardnosed with welfare reform. And for anyone who thinks welfare reform will be good for us, look what happened in the UK for starters. And I hear NZ is quite punitive too. However with one universal payment that may mean the aged pension is reduced as well - perhaps if this is the case Abbott might be out in one term? Does anyone think hardlined welfare reform will be enough to have the LNP out in 3 years? All those who voted for him should be the first to be targeted in my view - these are the people making life painful for the rest of us. Yes targeting the mentally ill, How low can those low life politcans get? How many mentally ill could end up on the streets if they get kicked onto the much lower Newstart? l just hope theres enough decent people in the senate that will block it if the liberals try it. How many trillions profits do the big banks make, if they government wants money why not place a tiny tax on them instead of bullying the mentally ill. |
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Post by newtodsp on Sept 27, 2013 13:55:09 GMT 7
Frugle, I am with you a 100% with you on this. I don't know if others who disagree can even conceptualize how much the wealthy and priviledged are favoured by the system. I hear of workers in some sectors sitting on their a**ses earning 80-100k doing nothing much all day. When I was working the bosses were busy terrorising the junior staff, making them do their work while collecting 6 figure salaries. Just disgraceful. Then they get special super tax concessions too. The bankers are especially priviledged. And those at the RBA who are pumping up a housing market to lock out the young and the poor from having a roof over their heads are working for the elite. And if the banks ever fail it will be the average taxpayer bailing them out.
The disabled truly are the most discriminated against in Australia, the second last priority, after the aboriginals.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 14:30:49 GMT 7
Frugle, I am with you a 100% with you on this. I don't know if others who disagree can even conceptualize how much the wealthy and priviledged are favoured by the system. I hear of workers in some sectors sitting on their a**ses earning 80-100k doing nothing much all day. When I was working the bosses were busy terrorising the junior staff, making them do their work while collecting 6 figure salaries. Just disgraceful. Then they get special super tax concessions too. The bankers are especially priviledged. And those at the RBA who are pumping up a housing market to lock out the young and the poor from having a roof over their heads are working for the elite. And if the banks ever fail it will be the average taxpayer bailing them out. The disabled truly are the most discriminated against in Australia, the second last priority, after the aboriginals. Yes what work do the bankers actually do, they just sit on their backsides all day charging us fees and interest collecting trillions, what do they actually produce or contribute to the country , nothing, atleast the miners produce and export something. If the government placed a tiny little tax on their massive profits they would have all the money they need but harrassing mentally ill people for the lousy few dollars they still have left in their pockets is easier for them. Just look what happened when they tried to make the miners pay a tax they fought back with lawyers and media campagins, the disabled can't fight back so they are an easy target. |
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Post by zingzingzing on Sept 27, 2013 15:07:51 GMT 7
An increase to single mothers is to increase his popularity with women.
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Post by ideas on Sept 28, 2013 4:10:08 GMT 7
From the Sunshine Coast Daily, 26th August 2013
Palmer pledges extra $150 a fortnight on disability pension
THE Palmer United Party has promised to increase the disability pension by $150 a fortnight. Party leader Clive Palmer announced the policy to journalists in Canberra today, saying the federal government's national disability scheme did not go far enough. Mr Palmer said the scheme only catered for people aged up to 65. He said his changes would mean that 100% of people with disabilities would benefit through either the NDIS or the Centrelink pension increase. Asked how he would fund it, Mr Palmer said it was a matter of priorities. "There are some things that you do because it is the right thing to do,'' Mr Palmer said. "Do we think national broadband is more important than people suffering in their own homes?'' Mr Palmer said the federal government should be spending more on providing those with disabilities the ability to lead as meaningful and productive lives as possible. He said society was too quick to judge people by their appearance or disability rather than what they could contribute. Mr Palmer said the policy would benefit 25% of Australians with some form of disability. The announcement comes on top of his plan to offer tax cuts of $2500 to average Australians by reducing the tax rate by 15%. Mr Palmer said he had announced policies in the past few days which would provide a combined $94 billion stimulus to the national economy. He said the policy was funded through savings in Centrelink payments as more people obtained employment through a productive economy as well as extra GST revenues as people spent money. The mining magnate said it would particularly benefit the construction industry. He said it may lead to interest rate increases but that would be a good thing for independent retirees relying on that income from investments. Mr Palmer said it was a better to have a vibrant economy with 4 to 5% base rates with full employment than people relying on jobs. www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/palmer-pledges-extra-150-fortnight-disability-pens/1997355/
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2013 5:23:13 GMT 7
Abbotts not going to increase the disability pension by $150 just because Palmer thinks its a good idea. If he did l bet he would fund the increase by moving those he considers less serious onto Newstart.
It seems that Palmer supports us but l wonder if he would sell us out if Abbott promised a tax cut for miners in return for Palmer passing negative changes to the DSP in the Senate. Did Palmer get into politics to help us or to help the mining industry , l think the answers obvious. But if we are going to have a mining magnate in the Senate l thank god its Clive Palmer not Gina Reinhart.
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