Post by greystoke on Apr 10, 2011 16:38:18 GMT 7
I suggest that there needs to be a major policy discussion and debate on this discussion board, about the plans of the Government and the Opposition to remove about 100,000 to 200,000 people from the Disability Support Pension.
The media is reporting that a "horror budget" is looming, and one of the major targets will be Disability Support Pensioners who are deemed to be able to be moved from the DSP into work, or onto Newstart. Julia Gillard and her team are talking about redrawing the Impairment Tables, and removing various medical conditions from eligibility for the DSP. Tony Abbott and his team is talking about two different benefits, one for untreatable disabilities and one for treatable disabilities. There is general talk about 'mild disability', 'moderate disability' and 'severe disability'. We will have to wait until May 10 to see what the Government actually does.
But let us keep this in perspective. Julia Gillard seems to be talking about removing 100,000 to 150,000 DSPers from the DSP, and Tony Abbott seems to be talking about removing 150,000 to 200,000 DSPers from the DSP. That leaves at least 600,000 DSPers, at least 75%, who will probably remain on the DSP, and be considered 'moderately', or 'severely', or 'untreatably' disabled.
That is, at least 75% -the large majority of DSPers- are 100% entitled to their disability benefits. Ruddthedudd is legally blind, severely and manifestly disabled. Banjo decribes the severe pain and agony caused by his return air flights. I am myself severely disabled, having a severe disability of the nervous system, which has been diagnosed and attested to by more than 30 doctors, and which has required multiple lengthy hospitalizations. Many of us are suffering under severe, often untreatable, disabilities.
However, I suggest there needs to be a Major Policy Debate for DSPoverseas discussion board: what should be done about these approximately 100-200,000 people who are deemed to be only 'mildly disabled', or 'treatably disabled', and are able to be pushed into work, or dumped onto Newstart, which is $100 less per week. And what should the policy position of DSPoverseas and it's members be? After all, some of our DSPoverseas members may in fact be only 'mildly disabled', and therefore eligible for Julia and Tony's new programs. Indeed, there may be a perception, which may be a mistake or a misconception, that if you are on the DSP and you are able to get onto an aeroplane, even with the wheelchair lift that they have, this nullifies any medical examinations which found you to be disabled.
DSPoverseas could support the cutting of the 200,000, taking the position that only the severely and moderately disabled should receive the DSP. This would put some distance between this board and a group of people who are perceived by some to be 'malingerers', 'shirkers' or 'idlers'. However, after cutting and slashing the 200,000, it is unlikely that either side of politics will be in the mood to loosen up the rules about overseas travel and residence, at least for a few years.
DSPoverseas could even modify the title of the discussion board to: For Australians Receiving the Centrelink Disability Support Pension, WHO ARE SEVERELY DISABLED, and Who Wish To Have The Right To Travel And Live Where They Please
Or DSPoverseas could take a neutral or opposing position on this issue. One has to keep in mind that everyone who qualified for the DSP had to pass through a series of medical tests, being examined by many doctors, and repeatedly examined over the years. It is unlikely that there is a significant number of DSPers who are committing fraud, which is a crime, as the GPs and medical examiners are trained to detect this, and they usually have a much greater problem with fraudsters seeking painkillers and other drugs of abuse. Centrelink also vigorously investigates this type of fraud, and there have been stories in the newspapers and TV about people who claimed to have a 'sore back', who have been filmed playing tennis by Centrelink investigators.
One has to also consider that whenever there is a 'crackdown' on welfare, there may be some 'welfare cheats' who are weeded out, but there is always some unfortunate, vulnerable people who are perhaps inadvertently victimized by the 'crackdown'. These may be vulnerable disabled people who are unable to speak up and defend themselves, unable to advocate for themselves, perhaps unable to properly articulate their medical condition. They may be severely disabled, and yet they may be unable to defend themselves. And some of them may "fall through the cracks" , the cracks or holes that have been created in the social safety net. And some of these people may end up homeless on the street. You just have to look at the accounts of Spaceyone, who is a new DSPer who has been subjected to the 15-hour rule, and who tells a harrowing story about how her life, her physical and mental health, and the security of her accomodation, have been destroyed by the cruel, vicious and pitiless attacks of Centrelink, leading to her becoming homeless and near-homeless. One can expect this type of story to be repeated 200,000 times over, and for the weakest and most vulnerable ones, who cannot struggle and survive, they will fall through the cracks, and you will soon see them homeless and destitute on the streets. Astute observers have noted that as the DSP expanded during the 1990s and 2000s, it soaked up a lot of unfortunate people who were living on the street in the 1980s and 1990s. Is that the sort of ugliness we want to see return to Australia's cities, in order to save one or two dollars a week?
The media is reporting that a "horror budget" is looming, and one of the major targets will be Disability Support Pensioners who are deemed to be able to be moved from the DSP into work, or onto Newstart. Julia Gillard and her team are talking about redrawing the Impairment Tables, and removing various medical conditions from eligibility for the DSP. Tony Abbott and his team is talking about two different benefits, one for untreatable disabilities and one for treatable disabilities. There is general talk about 'mild disability', 'moderate disability' and 'severe disability'. We will have to wait until May 10 to see what the Government actually does.
But let us keep this in perspective. Julia Gillard seems to be talking about removing 100,000 to 150,000 DSPers from the DSP, and Tony Abbott seems to be talking about removing 150,000 to 200,000 DSPers from the DSP. That leaves at least 600,000 DSPers, at least 75%, who will probably remain on the DSP, and be considered 'moderately', or 'severely', or 'untreatably' disabled.
That is, at least 75% -the large majority of DSPers- are 100% entitled to their disability benefits. Ruddthedudd is legally blind, severely and manifestly disabled. Banjo decribes the severe pain and agony caused by his return air flights. I am myself severely disabled, having a severe disability of the nervous system, which has been diagnosed and attested to by more than 30 doctors, and which has required multiple lengthy hospitalizations. Many of us are suffering under severe, often untreatable, disabilities.
However, I suggest there needs to be a Major Policy Debate for DSPoverseas discussion board: what should be done about these approximately 100-200,000 people who are deemed to be only 'mildly disabled', or 'treatably disabled', and are able to be pushed into work, or dumped onto Newstart, which is $100 less per week. And what should the policy position of DSPoverseas and it's members be? After all, some of our DSPoverseas members may in fact be only 'mildly disabled', and therefore eligible for Julia and Tony's new programs. Indeed, there may be a perception, which may be a mistake or a misconception, that if you are on the DSP and you are able to get onto an aeroplane, even with the wheelchair lift that they have, this nullifies any medical examinations which found you to be disabled.
DSPoverseas could support the cutting of the 200,000, taking the position that only the severely and moderately disabled should receive the DSP. This would put some distance between this board and a group of people who are perceived by some to be 'malingerers', 'shirkers' or 'idlers'. However, after cutting and slashing the 200,000, it is unlikely that either side of politics will be in the mood to loosen up the rules about overseas travel and residence, at least for a few years.
DSPoverseas could even modify the title of the discussion board to: For Australians Receiving the Centrelink Disability Support Pension, WHO ARE SEVERELY DISABLED, and Who Wish To Have The Right To Travel And Live Where They Please
Or DSPoverseas could take a neutral or opposing position on this issue. One has to keep in mind that everyone who qualified for the DSP had to pass through a series of medical tests, being examined by many doctors, and repeatedly examined over the years. It is unlikely that there is a significant number of DSPers who are committing fraud, which is a crime, as the GPs and medical examiners are trained to detect this, and they usually have a much greater problem with fraudsters seeking painkillers and other drugs of abuse. Centrelink also vigorously investigates this type of fraud, and there have been stories in the newspapers and TV about people who claimed to have a 'sore back', who have been filmed playing tennis by Centrelink investigators.
One has to also consider that whenever there is a 'crackdown' on welfare, there may be some 'welfare cheats' who are weeded out, but there is always some unfortunate, vulnerable people who are perhaps inadvertently victimized by the 'crackdown'. These may be vulnerable disabled people who are unable to speak up and defend themselves, unable to advocate for themselves, perhaps unable to properly articulate their medical condition. They may be severely disabled, and yet they may be unable to defend themselves. And some of them may "fall through the cracks" , the cracks or holes that have been created in the social safety net. And some of these people may end up homeless on the street. You just have to look at the accounts of Spaceyone, who is a new DSPer who has been subjected to the 15-hour rule, and who tells a harrowing story about how her life, her physical and mental health, and the security of her accomodation, have been destroyed by the cruel, vicious and pitiless attacks of Centrelink, leading to her becoming homeless and near-homeless. One can expect this type of story to be repeated 200,000 times over, and for the weakest and most vulnerable ones, who cannot struggle and survive, they will fall through the cracks, and you will soon see them homeless and destitute on the streets. Astute observers have noted that as the DSP expanded during the 1990s and 2000s, it soaked up a lot of unfortunate people who were living on the street in the 1980s and 1990s. Is that the sort of ugliness we want to see return to Australia's cities, in order to save one or two dollars a week?