Post by Banker on May 1, 2013 4:33:40 GMT 7
Disability Support Pension to be targeted by Federal Government
A CRACKDOWN on the $14 billion dollar a year disability support pension is being considered as the Government battles to fill its budget black hole.
Disability groups say the government has raised the possibility of further changes to the scheme in recent months including extending the requirement to draw up a return to work plan to more disability pensioners.
The government has also discussed making the return to work plans enforceable for the first time.
Welfare groups say a UK style clampdown, which involved subjecting the 400,000 DSP recipients grandfathered from work test requirements, to health checks could save the government serious money.
A spokeswoman for Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin said the government never ruled in or out any changes ahead of the May budget.
''The government has already made substantial reforms to the disability support pension and we've achieved the biggest drop in the disability support pension population in 30 years,'' she said.
For first time since October 2006, the number of pension recipients has dropped, from 831,908 in December 2011 to 824,082 in February 2013.
Since the reforms began in 2010 the rate at which the pension has been granted has fallen from 63.3 per cent of applicants to 42.4 per cent.
National Disability Services spokesman Dr Ken Baker said changes to the disability support pension were a ''very live option'' as the government battles to make up declining tax revenue.
And he said he would not be hostile to some constructive changes to the payment.
''A fairly constructive thing to do would be to engage people to think about work, to plan ahead,'' he said.
Return to work plans currently only apply to disability pensioners aged under 35 years of age and are not enforced.
One option being discussed would be to extend the requirement to draw up such plans to those aged under 45.
''You would want to ensure you were not imposing conditions that the person couldn't meet but it is certainly worth considering the extension of participation plans to a wider group and ensuring people follow through,'' Dr Baker said.
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes said he would be surprised if the government tried to fiddle with the disability support pension at the same time as it was trying to introduce a national disability insurance scheme.
The government is under pressure from welfare groups and its own caucus to lift dole payments by $50 a week in the budget.
Changes to the dole are being discussed but the government is understood not to favour increasing the rate of payment.
Instead, it is examining options that include doubling from $62 to $124 a fortnight the amount of money an unemployed person can earn before their welfare benefits begin to be clawed back.
It would be easier to sell this change as an incentive to work that a straight increase in the dole.
Welfare groups have also suggested the government could raise the amount it pays in rent assistance as this would cost less than an increase in the dole and would ensure money went directly to necessities of life.
www.adelaidenow.com.au/federal-election/disability-support-pension-to-be-targeted-by-federal-government/story-fnho52jl-1226632586788
A CRACKDOWN on the $14 billion dollar a year disability support pension is being considered as the Government battles to fill its budget black hole.
Disability groups say the government has raised the possibility of further changes to the scheme in recent months including extending the requirement to draw up a return to work plan to more disability pensioners.
The government has also discussed making the return to work plans enforceable for the first time.
Welfare groups say a UK style clampdown, which involved subjecting the 400,000 DSP recipients grandfathered from work test requirements, to health checks could save the government serious money.
A spokeswoman for Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin said the government never ruled in or out any changes ahead of the May budget.
''The government has already made substantial reforms to the disability support pension and we've achieved the biggest drop in the disability support pension population in 30 years,'' she said.
For first time since October 2006, the number of pension recipients has dropped, from 831,908 in December 2011 to 824,082 in February 2013.
Since the reforms began in 2010 the rate at which the pension has been granted has fallen from 63.3 per cent of applicants to 42.4 per cent.
National Disability Services spokesman Dr Ken Baker said changes to the disability support pension were a ''very live option'' as the government battles to make up declining tax revenue.
And he said he would not be hostile to some constructive changes to the payment.
''A fairly constructive thing to do would be to engage people to think about work, to plan ahead,'' he said.
Return to work plans currently only apply to disability pensioners aged under 35 years of age and are not enforced.
One option being discussed would be to extend the requirement to draw up such plans to those aged under 45.
''You would want to ensure you were not imposing conditions that the person couldn't meet but it is certainly worth considering the extension of participation plans to a wider group and ensuring people follow through,'' Dr Baker said.
Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes said he would be surprised if the government tried to fiddle with the disability support pension at the same time as it was trying to introduce a national disability insurance scheme.
The government is under pressure from welfare groups and its own caucus to lift dole payments by $50 a week in the budget.
Changes to the dole are being discussed but the government is understood not to favour increasing the rate of payment.
Instead, it is examining options that include doubling from $62 to $124 a fortnight the amount of money an unemployed person can earn before their welfare benefits begin to be clawed back.
It would be easier to sell this change as an incentive to work that a straight increase in the dole.
Welfare groups have also suggested the government could raise the amount it pays in rent assistance as this would cost less than an increase in the dole and would ensure money went directly to necessities of life.
www.adelaidenow.com.au/federal-election/disability-support-pension-to-be-targeted-by-federal-government/story-fnho52jl-1226632586788
