Post by Banjo on Aug 15, 2011 9:49:05 GMT 7
Bureaucracy makes life too difficult
GETTING the right information on which pension you're entitled to is too complex, writes Ralph Bonig.
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On August 5 I attended the funeral of a World War II veteran.
Bob had been in ill health for several years and his devoted wife took on the task of caring for him.
After having initially been refused a carer's pension and only after her children convinced her that the decision was wrong, did she succeed in obtaining one, six months after the initial application. What else was she entitled to that she didn't know about?
On August 10, the Productivity Commission released its final report into Disability Care and Support. I have previously (14/3/11) commented on some of the Commission's recommendations.
However, one area that needs addressing, and with which I am not satisfied in the report, is the simplification of the bureaucratic process and an enhancement of our ability to understand our rights and entitlements.
Pensions and other Federal Government entitlements are mainly dealt with by the Social Security Act 1991. This Act has more than 1200 sections. This is without counting any rules or regulations that may also exist.
It is unrealistic to expect anyone to be able to go through legislation of this magnitude to know what there entitlements may be.
For those who are computer literate and want to make inquiries, the starting point may well be the internet. I searched "carers' pension Australia". There were 420,000 hits.
The first link took me to the Australian Government's "Centrelink" site for "Carer Allowance (caring for a person 16 years or over)". That tells me that if I am caring for someone with a disability, medical condition or is "frail aged", I may be entitled to a "supplementary payment".
Hold on, the site has a link to "Carer Payment". Is that the same as "Carer Allowance"? I click on the link. No, this provides "income support". Well, for which do I qualify?
There then are links for "Conditions", "Payment of Claims" and "Other Information", and on it goes.
The Productivity Commission report is 976 pages long, without counting the appendices. The report in Part 10 recognises that "Consumers experience profound difficulties in finding out what disability services are available and how to access them". There are then some 59 pages of commentary on this topic. Having read this I am none the wiser as to whether Bob's wife would be any better off in attempting to secure her carer's pension under the proposed new regime.
On August 10, the Prime Minister announced that work would begin immediately on the "foundation reforms" necessary to implement the Commission's recommendations.
The Prime Minister will seek to establish a "select council" at the meeting of the Council of Australian Governments to be held this week and an "advisory group" will also be established.
Funding of $10 million has been allocated to "support this technical work". I ask that whoever is on any of these bodies make their priority the minimisation of the complexity of any new scheme so that it is user-friendly for everyone.
Governments announce new or enhanced entitlements with much fanfare but do you know what you are actually entitled to or how to access that entitlement?
The only efficiency in Bob's case was when his widow rang to advise of his death and she was told that the carer payment was deactivated forthwith. There has to be an easier way and now is the time to think about it when we are contemplating a new regime
Ralph Bonig is SA Law Society president
www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/bureaucracy-makes-life-too-difficult/story-e6freai3-1226114779539
GETTING the right information on which pension you're entitled to is too complex, writes Ralph Bonig.
--------------------------------------------------
On August 5 I attended the funeral of a World War II veteran.
Bob had been in ill health for several years and his devoted wife took on the task of caring for him.
After having initially been refused a carer's pension and only after her children convinced her that the decision was wrong, did she succeed in obtaining one, six months after the initial application. What else was she entitled to that she didn't know about?
On August 10, the Productivity Commission released its final report into Disability Care and Support. I have previously (14/3/11) commented on some of the Commission's recommendations.
However, one area that needs addressing, and with which I am not satisfied in the report, is the simplification of the bureaucratic process and an enhancement of our ability to understand our rights and entitlements.
Pensions and other Federal Government entitlements are mainly dealt with by the Social Security Act 1991. This Act has more than 1200 sections. This is without counting any rules or regulations that may also exist.
It is unrealistic to expect anyone to be able to go through legislation of this magnitude to know what there entitlements may be.
For those who are computer literate and want to make inquiries, the starting point may well be the internet. I searched "carers' pension Australia". There were 420,000 hits.
The first link took me to the Australian Government's "Centrelink" site for "Carer Allowance (caring for a person 16 years or over)". That tells me that if I am caring for someone with a disability, medical condition or is "frail aged", I may be entitled to a "supplementary payment".
Hold on, the site has a link to "Carer Payment". Is that the same as "Carer Allowance"? I click on the link. No, this provides "income support". Well, for which do I qualify?
There then are links for "Conditions", "Payment of Claims" and "Other Information", and on it goes.
The Productivity Commission report is 976 pages long, without counting the appendices. The report in Part 10 recognises that "Consumers experience profound difficulties in finding out what disability services are available and how to access them". There are then some 59 pages of commentary on this topic. Having read this I am none the wiser as to whether Bob's wife would be any better off in attempting to secure her carer's pension under the proposed new regime.
On August 10, the Prime Minister announced that work would begin immediately on the "foundation reforms" necessary to implement the Commission's recommendations.
The Prime Minister will seek to establish a "select council" at the meeting of the Council of Australian Governments to be held this week and an "advisory group" will also be established.
Funding of $10 million has been allocated to "support this technical work". I ask that whoever is on any of these bodies make their priority the minimisation of the complexity of any new scheme so that it is user-friendly for everyone.
Governments announce new or enhanced entitlements with much fanfare but do you know what you are actually entitled to or how to access that entitlement?
The only efficiency in Bob's case was when his widow rang to advise of his death and she was told that the carer payment was deactivated forthwith. There has to be an easier way and now is the time to think about it when we are contemplating a new regime
Ralph Bonig is SA Law Society president
www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/bureaucracy-makes-life-too-difficult/story-e6freai3-1226114779539