My letter to Clive Palmer MP RE: Portability of DSP
Aug 18, 2014 16:20:29 GMT 7
Banjo, roxane, and 1 more like this
Post by leijona on Aug 18, 2014 16:20:29 GMT 7
Hi Everyone, long time lurker here - decided to Join and take what action I can due to the changes proposed to portability of the DSP (I have family overseas). I decided sharing my letter was a bit more important than an Introduction. See Below:
Dear Mr. Palmer.
Hi Mr Palmer, my name is [my name]. I'm a constituent of yours within the electorate of Fairfax. I rang your office and the PUP head office today in relation to a specific policy question relating to proposed changes to the disability support pension (DSP)
Currently, disability support pensioners may travel overseas for upto 6 weeks and keep their payments, if they overstay the 6 weeks the payments are suspended but reinstated upon re-entry into Australia as long as the total stay overseas does not exceed 13 weeks. This enables me personally to see my partner and her family who are currently residing overseas.
The government has proposed to change the portability requirements to a total of no longer than 4 weeks in a 12 month period, if the 4 weeks is overstayed then the DSP is cancelled indefinitely and the person would have to re-apply (and probably not get their pension back)
There are no exceptions for people with family or loved ones overseas. This proposed change has completely shattered myself and many others with the DSP who need to travel overseas to be with family or loved ones, and arguably is breaching our rights to freedom of movement under article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
If the changes are passed through the senate, I face not seeing my loved ones for a very long time. My mother is in ill health and it will be my partner and her family who looks after me once she has passed away.
The government has lied to the Australian people and said that it costs too much to support overseas travel, there are roughly 800,000 DSP recipients in Australia. The government has said this will save them $13.2million
So when $13.2 million is divided by 800,000, that is a saving of $15 per DSP recipient, and if it is over five years, then a $3 saving per DSP person per year - what a huge number, or not, and if not for genuine savings, what is the purpose?
Dividing 13.2 million by 800,000 is a saving of $15 per DSP recipient per year, and if we assume the saving is to be made over 5 years it is only a $3 saving - that is assuming ALL DSP recipients travel, which only a minority do. This doesn't save any money it is just a cruel attack on Disability Support Pensioners, and it stands to shatter my life and the lives of many others. Please do not support this change.
Can you tell me if the PUP will block this measure in the senate?
With the utmost sincerity.
[my name]
I'll keep everyone updated on the progress with this...hopefully this measure does not pass the senate. This is completely unfair
Dear Mr. Palmer.
Hi Mr Palmer, my name is [my name]. I'm a constituent of yours within the electorate of Fairfax. I rang your office and the PUP head office today in relation to a specific policy question relating to proposed changes to the disability support pension (DSP)
Currently, disability support pensioners may travel overseas for upto 6 weeks and keep their payments, if they overstay the 6 weeks the payments are suspended but reinstated upon re-entry into Australia as long as the total stay overseas does not exceed 13 weeks. This enables me personally to see my partner and her family who are currently residing overseas.
The government has proposed to change the portability requirements to a total of no longer than 4 weeks in a 12 month period, if the 4 weeks is overstayed then the DSP is cancelled indefinitely and the person would have to re-apply (and probably not get their pension back)
There are no exceptions for people with family or loved ones overseas. This proposed change has completely shattered myself and many others with the DSP who need to travel overseas to be with family or loved ones, and arguably is breaching our rights to freedom of movement under article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
If the changes are passed through the senate, I face not seeing my loved ones for a very long time. My mother is in ill health and it will be my partner and her family who looks after me once she has passed away.
The government has lied to the Australian people and said that it costs too much to support overseas travel, there are roughly 800,000 DSP recipients in Australia. The government has said this will save them $13.2million
So when $13.2 million is divided by 800,000, that is a saving of $15 per DSP recipient, and if it is over five years, then a $3 saving per DSP person per year - what a huge number, or not, and if not for genuine savings, what is the purpose?
Dividing 13.2 million by 800,000 is a saving of $15 per DSP recipient per year, and if we assume the saving is to be made over 5 years it is only a $3 saving - that is assuming ALL DSP recipients travel, which only a minority do. This doesn't save any money it is just a cruel attack on Disability Support Pensioners, and it stands to shatter my life and the lives of many others. Please do not support this change.
Can you tell me if the PUP will block this measure in the senate?
With the utmost sincerity.
[my name]
I'll keep everyone updated on the progress with this...hopefully this measure does not pass the senate. This is completely unfair
