Post by Borndead on Nov 18, 2013 13:20:45 GMT 7
Andrews flags fast-tracking income management review
ABC Online - 2 hours ago
ELEANOR HALL: And, staying in Canberra, the Government is flagging that it will fast-track an evaluation of income management in its review of the welfare system.
The Minister for Social Services says he is examining a rise in the number of people receiving the disability support pension. But the social services sector is warning the government against moving people from the disability pension to lower welfare payments.
In Canberra, Lexi Metherell reports.
LEXI METHERELL: The Government has released figures showing, last financial year, nearly 822,000 people received the disability support pension. While that's slightly fewer than the previous financial year, it's still equivalent to nearly one-in-20 working-age people.
The Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews is examining the welfare system and the disability support pension looks set to be a key focus.
KEVIN ANDREWS: Look, at the moment we are just looking at the welfare system as any new prudent government would do. We know that there's been growth in certain areas over the last decade - for example in the disability support pension - and we are going to carefully look at that over the next few months, consult broadly with stakeholders in the area so that we can have a grip on what's actually happening and what responses we might make.
LEXI METHERELL: And what do you attribute that growth in recipients of the DSP to?
KEVIN ANDREWS: Well, if you look at the actual figures, where the most growth in the DSP has been occurring is in relation to depression, anxiety, mental and psychological illness. Now, that's something that we obviously need to understand better as to why that's an area which has been growing when overall there's been a slight diminution in other areas.
And in the last 12 months or so there's been a slight reduction, I suppose, in terms of the numbers - although if you take it over 10 years, there's been quite a substantial increase of about 22 per cent.
LEXI METHERELL: The chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, Cassandra Goldie, says the focus needs to be on creating jobs for people with disabilities. She says the number of people with a disability employed by the federal public service has halved, from 5.8 per cent in 1992 to 2.9 per cent last year.
But she's worried that instead the Government will seek to shift people from the higher disability pension onto the much lower Newstart allowance.
CASSANDRA GOLDIE: The previous government did a major review of disability support pension and eligibility, and we've moved from one in three people being declined the DSP to one in two people. So this is already a very robust system.
We are absolutely there with the new government in doing a responsible review of social security arrangements. That needs to be done in a very considered way to make sure that the dollars are going where they're needed.
We have a commission awarded before us as well, as obviously that will also be considering this area of expenditure as well as others. We need a very considered approach to this because we are talking in many cases about people who are living below the poverty line.
LEXI METHERELL: Income management is also on the Government's radar. It was implemented in 2007 in Northern Territory Indigenous communities and is now being trialled in several places around Australia.
Kevin Andrews says he wants to know if it's working.
KEVIN ANDREWS: Where at a number of trial sites around Australia at the present time with income management: places like the northern suburbs of Adelaide, for example; I think Shepparton in Victoria and a number of other sites around Australia. Those trials have been going for some time now.
I've actually asked my department is it possible to bring forward the evaluation of the trials so we can see what is actually working or not working. And then on the basis of that evidence, we can make decisions of whether or not there's an opportunity to broaden income management.
LEXI METHERELL: But Cassandra Goldie from ACOSS says the verdict is already in.
CASSANDRA GOLDIE: I'm very concerned if the Government is considering putting people with disability onto income management. There is no evidence that this has worked for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and yet on the other hand it's costing between $4,000 and $7,000 per person.
If we are serious about targeting government expenditure where it's needed and where it's effective, we should be focusing on the work we need to do with employers to be helping people with disability who desperately want to be in paid work to achieve that.
ELEANOR HALL: That's the chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, Cassandra Goldie, ending that report by Lexi Metherell.
www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2013/s3893069.htm
ABC Online - 2 hours ago
ELEANOR HALL: And, staying in Canberra, the Government is flagging that it will fast-track an evaluation of income management in its review of the welfare system.
The Minister for Social Services says he is examining a rise in the number of people receiving the disability support pension. But the social services sector is warning the government against moving people from the disability pension to lower welfare payments.
In Canberra, Lexi Metherell reports.
LEXI METHERELL: The Government has released figures showing, last financial year, nearly 822,000 people received the disability support pension. While that's slightly fewer than the previous financial year, it's still equivalent to nearly one-in-20 working-age people.
The Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews is examining the welfare system and the disability support pension looks set to be a key focus.
KEVIN ANDREWS: Look, at the moment we are just looking at the welfare system as any new prudent government would do. We know that there's been growth in certain areas over the last decade - for example in the disability support pension - and we are going to carefully look at that over the next few months, consult broadly with stakeholders in the area so that we can have a grip on what's actually happening and what responses we might make.
LEXI METHERELL: And what do you attribute that growth in recipients of the DSP to?
KEVIN ANDREWS: Well, if you look at the actual figures, where the most growth in the DSP has been occurring is in relation to depression, anxiety, mental and psychological illness. Now, that's something that we obviously need to understand better as to why that's an area which has been growing when overall there's been a slight diminution in other areas.
And in the last 12 months or so there's been a slight reduction, I suppose, in terms of the numbers - although if you take it over 10 years, there's been quite a substantial increase of about 22 per cent.
LEXI METHERELL: The chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, Cassandra Goldie, says the focus needs to be on creating jobs for people with disabilities. She says the number of people with a disability employed by the federal public service has halved, from 5.8 per cent in 1992 to 2.9 per cent last year.
But she's worried that instead the Government will seek to shift people from the higher disability pension onto the much lower Newstart allowance.
CASSANDRA GOLDIE: The previous government did a major review of disability support pension and eligibility, and we've moved from one in three people being declined the DSP to one in two people. So this is already a very robust system.
We are absolutely there with the new government in doing a responsible review of social security arrangements. That needs to be done in a very considered way to make sure that the dollars are going where they're needed.
We have a commission awarded before us as well, as obviously that will also be considering this area of expenditure as well as others. We need a very considered approach to this because we are talking in many cases about people who are living below the poverty line.
LEXI METHERELL: Income management is also on the Government's radar. It was implemented in 2007 in Northern Territory Indigenous communities and is now being trialled in several places around Australia.
Kevin Andrews says he wants to know if it's working.
KEVIN ANDREWS: Where at a number of trial sites around Australia at the present time with income management: places like the northern suburbs of Adelaide, for example; I think Shepparton in Victoria and a number of other sites around Australia. Those trials have been going for some time now.
I've actually asked my department is it possible to bring forward the evaluation of the trials so we can see what is actually working or not working. And then on the basis of that evidence, we can make decisions of whether or not there's an opportunity to broaden income management.
LEXI METHERELL: But Cassandra Goldie from ACOSS says the verdict is already in.
CASSANDRA GOLDIE: I'm very concerned if the Government is considering putting people with disability onto income management. There is no evidence that this has worked for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and yet on the other hand it's costing between $4,000 and $7,000 per person.
If we are serious about targeting government expenditure where it's needed and where it's effective, we should be focusing on the work we need to do with employers to be helping people with disability who desperately want to be in paid work to achieve that.
ELEANOR HALL: That's the chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, Cassandra Goldie, ending that report by Lexi Metherell.
www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2013/s3893069.htm
