Post by Banjo on Feb 27, 2011 12:37:34 GMT 7
Disability expert backs cuts to pension roll
The Australian Human Rights Commission's disability discrimination commissioner has backed calls to get people off the disability pension and back into work.
The Business Council caused a stir yesterday when it said the Government should consider introducing cuts to disability pension spending instead of bringing in a flood levy.
The proposal was condemned by Senior Australian of the Year and leading disability advocate Ron McCallum, who said: "The disability pension should not be arbitrarily cut simply because of the Queensland floods."
Disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes says he supports the Business Council's call but he wants to know what the group is doing about it.
"I know that there are people with disabilities who are keen to get back into the workforce rather than to sit on an unemployment or welfare benefit," he said.
"I would absolutely support the call of the Business Council of Australia to reduce the numbers of people on the disability support pension.
"My retort however would be, 'OK, what are you - one of the major employers of Australia - contributing to that reduction?'"
Mr Innes says the Government is keen to boost the budget by getting people off disability pensions.
"I know that the Government is looking to move people with a disability off the disability support pension and back into employment," he said.
"And frankly that will be the best thing for people with disability and the best thing for Australian society."
But Mr Innes says there are misconceptions among employers and government about people with disabilities.
"It's an attitude problem, and it's a problem of lack of information," he said.
"All the research shows that the vast majority of people with a disability - 75 to 80 per cent of them - employing them is at no extra cost to the employer.
"And where there is an extra cost, the Government has programs to resource or subsidise that cost."
The Business Council says businesses would employ more people with disabilities if disability pensions were structured to encourage people into work.
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/15/3139183.htm
The Australian Human Rights Commission's disability discrimination commissioner has backed calls to get people off the disability pension and back into work.
The Business Council caused a stir yesterday when it said the Government should consider introducing cuts to disability pension spending instead of bringing in a flood levy.
The proposal was condemned by Senior Australian of the Year and leading disability advocate Ron McCallum, who said: "The disability pension should not be arbitrarily cut simply because of the Queensland floods."
Disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes says he supports the Business Council's call but he wants to know what the group is doing about it.
"I know that there are people with disabilities who are keen to get back into the workforce rather than to sit on an unemployment or welfare benefit," he said.
"I would absolutely support the call of the Business Council of Australia to reduce the numbers of people on the disability support pension.
"My retort however would be, 'OK, what are you - one of the major employers of Australia - contributing to that reduction?'"
Mr Innes says the Government is keen to boost the budget by getting people off disability pensions.
"I know that the Government is looking to move people with a disability off the disability support pension and back into employment," he said.
"And frankly that will be the best thing for people with disability and the best thing for Australian society."
But Mr Innes says there are misconceptions among employers and government about people with disabilities.
"It's an attitude problem, and it's a problem of lack of information," he said.
"All the research shows that the vast majority of people with a disability - 75 to 80 per cent of them - employing them is at no extra cost to the employer.
"And where there is an extra cost, the Government has programs to resource or subsidise that cost."
The Business Council says businesses would employ more people with disabilities if disability pensions were structured to encourage people into work.
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/15/3139183.htm