Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2014 23:42:57 GMT 7
The same crackdown on under 35's on the DSP, ANdrews would like to apply to people 35-45 in next years budget.
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Minister Kevin Andrews ready to extend age limit in DSP crackdown
TOUGH rules that target people under 35 on the Disability Support Pension will be extended to older people on the payment in the first tranche of reforms to the welfare system to be rolled out in next year’s May budget.
Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews told The Australian he would receive the McClure welfare review’s final report by Christmas, and then embark on a “phased” reform process, with an extension of the crackdown on the DSP to older people on the payment the most immediate priority.
The toughening of the scheme could affect about 665,000 people. As of six months ago, 832,533 people received the DSP, about 80 per cent of them older than 35.
In July 2012, Labor introduced a controversial requirement for DSP recipients aged under 35 with some capacity to work to attend regular interviews with Centrelink to develop participation plans to help them get into employment.
The Coalition has since made this requirement a lot tougher, so that under-35s on the DSP have payments suspended or cancelled if they fail to comply with strict eligibility rules.
Mr Andrews has revealed he believed this measure should go a lot further.
“I think our response is likely to be a phased response and if there are things which we think are important to do which we can do in the context of next year’s budget, well then obviously we will give consideration to it,” he said.
“Under the existing legislation we are able to seek to activate people that are under 35, but hypothetically that could go to 40 or 45, that would be something which could be a shorter-term approach that would be entirely consistent with the legislative approach, which both we’ve taken and the previous Labor government have taken.”
As at October 17, 13,605 people had signed a participation plan with a compulsory activity and 6621 had been referred to employment service providers as their compulsory activity with the view to finding work. The government said 4269 people had begun the review process. Mr Andrews said dealing with people on the DSP who experienced episodic mental illness was another necessary reform.
The Coalition is still pushing to get several welfare-related measures from this year’s May budget through the parliament.
The Australian has learned that the government will this week push for the Seniors Supplement for self-funded retirees to be abolished, believing the Greens will support it. If passed, the measure would save $1.1 billion. The government will also attempt to push through a social security bill supported by Labor that applies a new $100,000 means test for family tax benefits and new reviews of the DSP for those under 35.
Mr Andrews has conceded that his bill before the Senate to kick under-30s off the dole for six months of each year cannot start in January next year unless the Senate deadlock is solved, which is unlikely.
He said while it remained Coalition policy, changes by crossbenchers would be accepted, including a one-month period without Newstart instead of six months. “It is still our policy and it is still obviously in the bills before the parliament and we are having further discussions with the crossbenchers and we will see what comes out of that,” Mr Andrews said.
“I’m waiting if any of the crossbenchers want to put a cross or counter proposition to me then the government will consider that proposition.
“I know, for example, that (independent senator) Bob Day has been looking at the idea of a one-month provision, but he hasn’t formally come back to about that.
“But if he does come back with that proposition well, then, obviously I would have to discuss it with the cabinet colleagues and see what our attitude was.”
He said welfare reform was a longer-term project that would run over a few years, particularly because the Centrelink IT system required a major overhaul.
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Minister Kevin Andrews ready to extend age limit in DSP crackdown
TOUGH rules that target people under 35 on the Disability Support Pension will be extended to older people on the payment in the first tranche of reforms to the welfare system to be rolled out in next year’s May budget.
Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews told The Australian he would receive the McClure welfare review’s final report by Christmas, and then embark on a “phased” reform process, with an extension of the crackdown on the DSP to older people on the payment the most immediate priority.
The toughening of the scheme could affect about 665,000 people. As of six months ago, 832,533 people received the DSP, about 80 per cent of them older than 35.
In July 2012, Labor introduced a controversial requirement for DSP recipients aged under 35 with some capacity to work to attend regular interviews with Centrelink to develop participation plans to help them get into employment.
The Coalition has since made this requirement a lot tougher, so that under-35s on the DSP have payments suspended or cancelled if they fail to comply with strict eligibility rules.
Mr Andrews has revealed he believed this measure should go a lot further.
“I think our response is likely to be a phased response and if there are things which we think are important to do which we can do in the context of next year’s budget, well then obviously we will give consideration to it,” he said.
“Under the existing legislation we are able to seek to activate people that are under 35, but hypothetically that could go to 40 or 45, that would be something which could be a shorter-term approach that would be entirely consistent with the legislative approach, which both we’ve taken and the previous Labor government have taken.”
As at October 17, 13,605 people had signed a participation plan with a compulsory activity and 6621 had been referred to employment service providers as their compulsory activity with the view to finding work. The government said 4269 people had begun the review process. Mr Andrews said dealing with people on the DSP who experienced episodic mental illness was another necessary reform.
The Coalition is still pushing to get several welfare-related measures from this year’s May budget through the parliament.
The Australian has learned that the government will this week push for the Seniors Supplement for self-funded retirees to be abolished, believing the Greens will support it. If passed, the measure would save $1.1 billion. The government will also attempt to push through a social security bill supported by Labor that applies a new $100,000 means test for family tax benefits and new reviews of the DSP for those under 35.
Mr Andrews has conceded that his bill before the Senate to kick under-30s off the dole for six months of each year cannot start in January next year unless the Senate deadlock is solved, which is unlikely.
He said while it remained Coalition policy, changes by crossbenchers would be accepted, including a one-month period without Newstart instead of six months. “It is still our policy and it is still obviously in the bills before the parliament and we are having further discussions with the crossbenchers and we will see what comes out of that,” Mr Andrews said.
“I’m waiting if any of the crossbenchers want to put a cross or counter proposition to me then the government will consider that proposition.
“I know, for example, that (independent senator) Bob Day has been looking at the idea of a one-month provision, but he hasn’t formally come back to about that.
“But if he does come back with that proposition well, then, obviously I would have to discuss it with the cabinet colleagues and see what our attitude was.”
He said welfare reform was a longer-term project that would run over a few years, particularly because the Centrelink IT system required a major overhaul.
