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Post by leijona on Aug 21, 2014 19:24:08 GMT 7
So I was called in as part of the 'participation program' today. And was told when I arrived that's it's now mandatory or they'll cut my payments off and "it's time to start looking for work or studying mate!"
My reply was "I'm a law student...which you've been aware of for over a year now"
his reply ".....oh, umm, that's good then"
Me: "have you not read your notes from previous meetings?"
"oh umm those were voluntary meetings! this one is compulsory!"
Bravo CL....bravo....Can't even read previous case notes, you should've heard the way he spoke to me.
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Post by Banjo on Aug 21, 2014 19:28:30 GMT 7
I'd certainly consider a complaint to the Ombudsman.
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Post by leijona on Aug 21, 2014 19:32:36 GMT 7
is this even allowed? I thought senate changes were needed before they could start screwing over DSP'ers under 35.
Or does that not apply to changing the rules on 'participation programs' and the like?
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Post by Banjo on Aug 22, 2014 7:00:39 GMT 7
I meant about his attitude.
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Post by anotherdsp on Aug 22, 2014 9:49:17 GMT 7
to leijona,yes you are quite within your rights to complain about attitude, i have done it.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2014 11:00:09 GMT 7
So I was called in as part of the 'participation program' today. And was told when I arrived that's it's now mandatory or they'll cut my payments off and "it's time to start looking for work or studying mate!" My reply was "I'm a law student...which you've been aware of for over a year now" his reply ".....oh, umm, that's good then" Me: "have you not read your notes from previous meetings?" "oh umm those were voluntary meetings! this one is compulsory!" Bravo CL....bravo....Can't even read previous case notes, you should've heard the way he spoke to me. If your a law student does that mean your current studies meet all the participation requirements or do you have to do other things like look for part time jobs or training also? People who have a work capacity of less then 8 hours are exempt. What if someones work capacity was 15 hours when they were last assessed 5 years ago and they are called up for compulsory participation but they think their health is a lot worse now and they are under 8 hours, are they allowed to ask for another medical test and work capacity test to see if they are now under 8 hours and expemt |
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Post by leijona on Aug 22, 2014 13:03:28 GMT 7
So I was called in as part of the 'participation program' today. And was told when I arrived that's it's now mandatory or they'll cut my payments off and "it's time to start looking for work or studying mate!" My reply was "I'm a law student...which you've been aware of for over a year now" his reply ".....oh, umm, that's good then" Me: "have you not read your notes from previous meetings?" "oh umm those were voluntary meetings! this one is compulsory!" Bravo CL....bravo....Can't even read previous case notes, you should've heard the way he spoke to me. If your a law student does that mean your current studies meet all the participation requirements or do you have to do other things like look for part time jobs or training also? People who have a work capacity of less then 8 hours are exempt. What if someones work capacity was 15 hours when they were last assessed 5 years ago and they are called up for compulsory participation but they think their health is a lot worse now and they are under 8 hours, are they allowed to ask for another medical test and work capacity test to see if they are now under 8 hours and expemt Yes I am meeting their requirements. What I don't understand is that my score is 50 points but they still regard me as having a capacity to work of 15 hours...and they can't even read notes from previous meetings. I just want to be left alone so I can finish my law degree (which wouldn't be possible without the DSP and the constant support of my university) and ONE DAY get off the DSP, then pay tons of taxes to support others who are on it.  |
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Post by confusedbeing on Aug 22, 2014 14:53:20 GMT 7
Trying to complete a Law degree while on DSP is pretty awesome. Good luck with that and I hope you succeed with your new career.
I think sometimes the staff just like to scare us. Or they're miserable in their jobs and take it out on us. Or both.
My first one participation interview was hilarious because I was already volunteering for 8 hours a week at one place and 1-2 hours editing a church newsletter at home. So all they needed to do was put it on their system so it was official and I was done. However halfway through the process the computer crashed and the girl had problems getting it back online. While we were waiting for everything to work again we just sat and talked about hair. The conversation started all serious about my mothers recent cancer battle and ended up in us discussing our hair (and other peoples). I was there for about 15 minutes all up and more than half that time was spent on hair. :-)
My second interview did not go as well as the girl doing it had done her training three weeks earlier but had not been required to do a plan for anyone until I came in. So she had forgotten everything. She made multiple calls to IT and other people looking for help and twice went and stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her head looking lost. By the time she worked out what she was doing she was quite worked up and frustrated and was therefore quite rude to me about my plan now being compulsory and if I didn't do it I would lose my pension. Managed to scare the crap out of me because sometimes I am unable to go in and work because of my health and sometimes I am required to take my mother to Oncologist appointments and or for tests which is an hours drive away from where I live. If it clashes with my shifts, my mother gets priority.
I got so worried about it all that I went in a couple of days later to ask some questions and got the same girl. She was like a completely different person. She basically indicated that it's expected I won't always be able to volunteer and that it is in the system about my mother and they were not going to yell at me if I only volunteered 4 hours instead of 8, or missed a week due to illness. I got the impression from her that C/L didn't actually care what I did, as long as it was all okay on their computers. Soooo... thanks for scaring me for no reason.
It's fun being under 35 isn't it?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2014 15:42:49 GMT 7
If you want to do volunteer work how many hours a week do you have to do? if you do volunteer work do you have to apply for jobs also?
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Post by confusedbeing on Aug 22, 2014 18:23:44 GMT 7
If you want to do volunteer work how many hours a week do you have to do? if you do volunteer work do you have to apply for jobs also? Since I was assessed as 8-14 hours a week that is how much they want me to do. My participation plan says I have to do 8 hours at one place and my editing at home which is 1-2 hours. I was told at my last appointment that I have to look into courses to do and at the next appointment I have to either start studying as well or sign up for an employment program or both. I assume the end goal is to get me into work for 14 hours a week. |
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Post by roxane on Aug 22, 2014 20:40:42 GMT 7
I have a friend, she applied for the DSP, and she's been told that she has to be two yrs with that dsp employment services, or something like that. Anyway her doctor said that she's sick so she cannot participate and that's where it stands at the moment, she's not participating in anything, because she's sick or ill, and her appeal sits on someone's desk. She doesn't mind, it will be backpaid once she's get it. And as I know her, I'm pretty sure she will get it soon or later.
Maybe you guys could do just the same. get a doctor's certificate that you cannot participate.
She's not under 35 though.
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Post by leijona on Aug 22, 2014 20:47:56 GMT 7
It's not that I can't participate. I'm actually trying my very hardest to one day get off the DSP. I just don't appreciate being threatened when I'm doing the right thing.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2014 6:32:06 GMT 7
If you want to do volunteer work how many hours a week do you have to do? if you do volunteer work do you have to apply for jobs also? Since I was assessed as 8-14 hours a week that is how much they want me to do. My participation plan says I have to do 8 hours at one place and my editing at home which is 1-2 hours. I was told at my last appointment that I have to look into courses to do and at the next appointment I have to either start studying as well or sign up for an employment program or both. I assume the end goal is to get me into work for 14 hours a week. So if you were under 8 hours instead of 8-14 you would be exempt from it all. l was wondering if you asked would they let you take a new medical and work capacity test , especially if your last one was more then two years ago, then theres a chance they could adjust you to under 8 hours work capacity? |
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Post by Banjo on Aug 23, 2014 7:23:05 GMT 7
It's not that I can't participate. I'm actually trying my very hardest to one day get off the DSP. I just don't appreciate being threatened when I'm doing the right thing. I'm sure that most people, particularly the younger ones would prefer to work. The governments slogan "work is the best form of welfare" is ludicrous when there is no work available. Given that the Liberals inherited a strong economy by international standards they have no success in improving the job market at all. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2014 9:50:27 GMT 7
It's not that I can't participate. I'm actually trying my very hardest to one day get off the DSP. I just don't appreciate being threatened when I'm doing the right thing. I'm sure that most people, particularly the younger ones would prefer to work. The governments slogan "work is the best form of welfare" is ludicrous when there is no work available. Given that the Liberals inherited a strong economy by international standards they have no success in improving the job market at all. In the world the liberals live in there is no unemployment ,how many of Abbotts, Hockeys and ANdrews kids , friends or relatives are on newstart or ever been on it, l bet none. In their world they have social, family, business and political contacts that arrange nice well paid jobs for anyone that needs one. Maybe they don't understand what a serious problem unemployment is out in the real world , by the way they talk they seem to think theres millions of jobs out there for anyone who wants one but unemployment just hit a 12 year high of 6.4% |
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