Senator Fifield Reply

[Banjo]

Thank you for your email of 22 January 2011 regarding the Government’s proposed changes to the overseas portability arrangements for the Disability Support Pension (DSP).

The Disability Support Pension is an income support payment made to Australians with a disability. Its main purpose is to assist people with a disability with the cost of living in Australia and to engage people of workforce age in activities in Australia that will lead to greater levels of economic and social participation.

The Government has introduced the Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2010 that will introduce an ongoing residence requirement for recipients of the disability support pension. This will mean that recipients must maintain their Australian residency status in order to continue receiving the DSP.

There are no changes to the existing arrangements that allow DSP recipients to travel overseas for up to 13 weeks without losing their entitlement.

The Coalition agrees that the current arrangements, whereby a recipient can effectively live permanently overseas, constitute a loophole that ought to be closed. We will therefore not be opposing the Government’s changes.

The Coalition will continue supporting people with a disability as we pursue opportunities to maximise the workforce participation of all Australians.

Thank you for taking the time to write to me.

Regards

Mitch

Senator Mitch Fifield

SHADOW MINISTER FOR DISABILITIES, CARERS AND THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR

MANAGER OF OPPOSITION BUSINESS IN THE SENATE

Senator for Victoria

Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel [phone] Fax [phone]

42 Florence Street Mentone VIC 3194 Tel [phone] Fax [phone]

www.mitchfifield.com

[Banjo]

My reply...

Dear Senator Fifield,

thank you for your reply to my email.

I realise you are a busy man but I would be interested to know why you consider that a Disability Support Pension recipient who has undergone all the necessary assessments and been deemed unemployable and of no further use to this great country should have restrictions placed on where he lives?

Could you tell me whether the Coalition is planning to support the Gillard government when they inevitably move to place the same restrictions on old age pensioners?

Yours faithfully,

[Banjo]

A very interesting reply back.

Hi banjo

Thanks for your reply. My understanding is that this legislation seeks to bring the DSP into line with the existing residency requirements that already apply to the age pension. I think that's one of the Government's objectives, to bring the residency requirements for the payments into alignment.

If you have also raised your concerns with the Government, I would be interested in their reply to you.

Yours sincerely


Mitch

[ram]

How about that Banjo, Mitch wants you to help him to attack the government while he agrees with the changes. Will he be putting you on his staff? If he does can you try and get me a job too.

[Banjo]

It's been an interesting exchange of emails, it's the first time I've had anything other than the stock replies from someone at his level.
I took the opportunity to mention my own problems re the residency review.
I'm going to make a big deal of this regardless of the outcome, they have no right to keep me hanging around like this for four weeks.

[Banjo]

The latest email...

There are currently residency requirements for workforce age payments and the age pension, as I understand it. As you would appreciate, pension portability is also complicated by whether or not Australia has a pension treaty with the particular country in question.

My view of the Government's intention is formed from reading the Explanatory Memorandum (EM) from their Bill which refers to section 7 of the Social Security Act relating to residency requirements.

The EM also says "the new requirement will also not apply to a pensioner who is grandfathered from certain portability changes made in 2000 and 2004".

I would recommend, however, that detailed advice in relation to residency requirements for particular payments be sought from Centrelink.

If you would like me to send you a copy of the EM or the current residency requirements, please let me know.

I hope this is of assistance.

Mitch

[Banjo]

Must be a quiet day in the office, like we said, it took him 2 months to reply to the original.