Women swell 'disability' ranks: Families Departmen

[Banker]

WOMEN are driving the growth in the Disability Support Pension, switching to a different form of welfare as the government shuts down widows' and wife pensions, tightens parenting payments and raises the aged pension age.

The revelation comes as the government embarks on the biggest-ever crackdown on disability support pensioners, dramatically tightening the eligibility criteria for new applicants from January.

A Families Department analysis, released under Freedom of Information laws, reveals that most of the 127,000 women who joined the ranks of disability support pensioners from 1998 to 2008 did so from other income support payments.

"The growth in female DSP recipients in the past 10 years is mainly due to the closure of alternative payments for women," the analysis said.

"The growth in total DSP recipients is likely to continue to outstrip growth in the working-age population until the full effects of these payment closures have flowed through (post-2014)."

More Here:

www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/women-swell-disability-ranks/story-fn59niix-1226105576125

[Banker]

If you read the full story on this it might explain why C/L are taking certain actions at this time. "To Save Money"

[spaceyone]

This is pretty much what I have said all along. That you cannot take, say, a 55 year old widowed female who has never worked, put her on Newstart, then bump her up to DSP when she cannot find a job, to avoid her being cut off payments for being unable to meet her Newstart requirements. Then turn around and complain that too many people are going onto DSP, and assert that all disabled or sick people must be bludgers. Especially in a time of high unemployment!

Same with the single mothers. It is hard for them to get jobs. It is hard for them to work well in a job, when having to also tend to the demands of the children's routines. Newstart is not enough to maintain a rental property and feed a family, when the person is unable to find paid work.

Once the single mums were all out working, and they wanted the aged pensioners to work, they then had to ask for exemptions - because they were busy providing free child care for their grandchildren. It all just went around in a big circle.

Howard's welfare reforms caused all of these problems with the numbers of people on DSP. Too many people were bumped up to it by compassionate welfare workers. While on the other hand, people like myself who had been sick for years but surviving on my SPP, were treated like payment-jumpers, when it was clearly demonstrated that my health was creating a huge barrier to my ability to work.

When Kevin Rudd gave out those $800 cheques to most people on welfare, I used mine to catch up on rent. I was behind after loosing a job after my back went out, and then being unable to find a new job for many months.

However, I watched many of my children's teenage friends spend that money on new tattoos and new face piercings. Making it ultimately harder to get themselves employed. The whole thing was just a stupid waste, of funds.

Wake up Jooliar. The government created the problem, now fix it yourselves. Don't expect us to get out of our sick beds and work to refund the coffers that you are all draining with your sheer stupidity.

[spaceyone]

These are some comments from people on DSP, that had been posted to another article linked to the page above.


Christine, Posted at 4:01 PM June 02, 2011

How easy is it for you to judge people on Disability Pensions, and to assume that you know what life is like for us. As usual, it is assumed that we are all abusing the system, because of those who do. I would like you to walk a day in my shoes - or hobble about in constant pain - would be a more exact description. Believe me, I certainly don't enjoy not being able to do those things that I enjoyed, such as working, shopping, holidaying, going out etc, as I had always done.

I had thoroughly enjoyed working but it would be impossible for me to get to work, even by car, as I cannot walk more than a few steps. My clotting problems, chronic bronchitis, and numerous other health problems, would ensure that I would never be able to complete a full week. A very good day for me is being able to get out of bed and shower. I hate this life and the fact that I am on a Disability Pension but must accept what life has dealt me. Don't assume you know what life is like for those on a Disability Pension.


Adrian, Posted at 3:46 PM June 02, 2011

I am extremely disappointed in the tone of your lead article in the paper today. You are inferring that people who receive a disability pension are somehow bludging off society. I invite you to visit our daughter who lives with us. She was born with cerebral palsy, is non-verbal, can't walk or feed herself, and wears nappies. The vast majority of people who receive the disability pension are genuine and you have denigrated all of them with your lead article. Instead of bagging the malingering few, why don't you try and get behind the NDIS campaign to try and get a better deal for the disadvantaged in our society. Shame on you.


Jamie, Posted at 3:00 PM June 02, 2011

I am not happy that I have to rely on the Government to give me money to live while I cope with my PERMANENT Mental Illness. But if I don't receive this payment, I cannot live. I rely on the discount for public transport to get me to job interviews which I'm always unsuccessful for because I can't work more then 14 hours a week without wanting to commit suicide. So don't you dare judge me.

[Banjo]

A lot of women went onto parenting benefits at a relatively young age.
By the time they went onto NewStart they not only had no work skills but were also long term unemployed.

The government needs to reconsider these people and encourage them to improve their education while raising their children.
Many women work and raise children, and men for that matter, so completing their education and acquiring job skills would also be possible.

[spaceyone]

Yes. They cannot educate themselves, while having to work in a low paying job to supplement their N/S allowance enough to be keep a roof over their family's head. They need the stability of a payment which will give them time to do that.

A single mum can go to a TAFE each day, once she has gotten her kids off to school, and return back home before their school day ends. Without fretting about leaving her kids alone, she will do better in her own studies.

Employers are less flexible with their hours. Working hours which don't fit into school hours, is difficult if you don't have someone you can trust to care for your children before and/or after school, whether you are on welfare or not.

Then they dare to criticise parents on tv, about the number of kids who are sitting at home alone after school, waiting for their parents to get home from work. Again, whether the parent is on welfare or not.

I am stating the obvious, as we all know. So why is it not obvious to those who consider themselves smart enough to be running the country and/or these huge departments.

I believe the Rudd/Gillard government was voted in to fix John Howard's workplace and welfare reforms. If they do not do that, then they are in their jobs on false pretenses.

I don't follow either party. Australia appreciated JH getting the country out of debt, until he kept the screws on us for too long afterwards. We forgave Labour's previous mismanagement of the country, to send the message to JH that he had gone too far.

And yet what has changed? Life is getting even tougher still financially, they are still carrying on with the welfare reforms and Fair Work Australia is just a joke, because it enforces Liberal's work laws.

I was joking before the last election that I should run for PM and fix the country up. Maybe next time. Can't see how I can be any worse than the ones who are doing a really bad job of it at the moment.