I've just been approved for the DSP - Seeking Guidance 🙏

[hopefulharry]

Hi All, 

I'm a new recipient of the DSP - - and I'm feeling both grateful and curious. 

It feels like a new lease on life and I'd like to make the most of this experience. 

is there anyone out there who has a good knowledge of the pension and is willing to have a chat?


Best Regards, 

Harry. 

[nomadic]

Welcome Harry, what advice exactly are you looking for? the forum's main focus, to begin with, was helping people get unlimited portability so they can keep it when outside Australia. so lots of advice here if that's what you want. Plus other things also well done on getting DSP also. nomadic.

[Banjo]

Welcome indeed, I suggest you read through the topics looking at your fields of interest and if there's anything you need added to post a query.
Some of it's out of date now, major changes were made in 2013, so make sure you check the dates.

[tasjo]

Hi Harry,

I hope having DSP gives you stability and enables you to plan better for the future

Was there anything in particular that you were trying to find out about in relation to your DSP? Were you considering studying or working part time?

Different members have different experiences and can support in different ways. Quite a few of the members do live overseas but there are also a number of us still in Oz

Feel free to ask so we can assist if possible.

[hopefulharry]

Hi Everyone

I'm overjoyed by the care and kindness of your responses.

I didn't get any email notifications, so I falsely assumed that no one had responded!

Imagine my surprise when I checked today and found so many lovely offers of support.


W͟h͟a͟t͟ ͟a͟m͟ ͟I͟ ͟t͟r͟y͟i͟n͟g͟ ͟t͟o͟ ͟a͟c͟h͟i͟e͟v͟e͟?͟

1) I would LOVE to extend the portability limits of the DSP

- I'm hoping to find a way to be creative with the DSP and travel.

- I would love to be able to live overseas and still receive the DSP.

- Alternatively, I'd love to travel more than 28 days per year and still receive the DSP.


2) Learn about ways I can work or do other things while receiving the DSP

- It would be wonderful to hear about the ways that people have creatively utilised their DSP.

- I'd like to hear about the experiences of people who have worked while receiving the DSP.

- I'd love to know some tips, ideas and general guidance about the DSP.


3) Learn valuable ways to use the Concession Card to benefit my life

- It would be great to learn about ways to maximise these benefits.




These are the areas of interest - and I'd love to know whatever you're willing to share, or any resources that can help.


Much Gratitude,

Harry.

[anthonydsp]

Hi and congratulations this forum has alot of information that you are seeking in regards to unlimited portability of your dsp I would ask centrelink for a copy of your JCA and see if you got 20 points in one table of your impairment points then since you have just been approved for dsp you might be entitled to unlimited portability and if you have 20 points in one table and a zero work capacity I think it is now then you should have no problem in attaining up

[nomadic]

You may have to apply for your file from Centrelink under freedom of information, (FOI). This is easy to do and as anthonydsp says; if you have the 20 points and no work capacity you should then apply for unlimited portability. Then book your flight.

[scuzzy]

Hey there hopefulharry.

I.P. (indefinite portability) is a 'permit' on your file which allows you to receive DSP while overseas for an indefinite period (as opposed to 28 days without I.P).

To receive I.P. you need to be classified as 'severely disabled' i.e. have 20 points on one impairment table (not 20 points divided across two or more tables). In addition to this, you need to be considered not suitable for any future work or as they refer to it 'no future work capacity'. We know from examining AAT cases and other resources that the benchmark for this is to be deemed incapable of working more than 2 hours per week for the next 5 years (I think I've got that right; one of the other members may correct me on that). This is determined by an I.P JCA (Job Capacity Assessment) which is an interview which is similar to the one you would have done when you recently applied for DSP but they will focus specifically on that 2 hour benchmark, whereas the one you did for your DSP application was more focused on the less specific 15 hours work capacity per week for the next 2 years to qualify for DSP.

So as you can see, your will to get I.P and your will to do some work while on DSP are unfortunately going to clash with each other. I can't see any way to do both without it putting your DSP in jeopardy.

Here's what I think you should do:

Step 1- As others have said, the next step is to get your JCA report from a Centrelink office or get your whole file (including your JCA report) via an FOI request and check what your classification is, how many points you have on what table/s and what the JCA report says. Personally I would get your whole file via FOI unless you are in a hurry. If you have 20 points on one table then you can consider applying for I.P., or you may decide that trying to do some work is what you want more. If you don't have 20 points on one table, then I.P is not really a viable option and then you can focus solely on your ambition to try to do some work. If that is the case, you'll have to analyze how much work you can do without it putting your DSP at risk. But cross that bridge when you come to it. But unfortunately, getting I.P. and working is an either/ or situation.

Once you get your file via FOI, check back in with this forum and you'll get the right advice to make the next step.

[genx]

Hi, Harry.

As Scuzzy says, in relation to work, if you are able to work, you are not able to get Indefinite Portability. 

[hopefulharry]

Hi Everyone

Thank you for your help and kindness.

I'm currently at a Centrelink office and have obtained a copy of my JCA as you've suggested.

I'm on hold with Centrelink trying to get someone to help me understand the JCA - and confirm the two hurdles that you've outlined.

1) points
2) work capacity


On a first glance, it seems that I have 20 points on a single table - #5.

Work capacity seems to be 0-7 hours PW.

Thank you

Harry.

[anthonydsp]

Well I think that will entitle you to unlimited portability of your dsp its no harm in trying seeing it says 20 points in 1 table #5 and 0-7 hours work capacity I would apply for it and due to it being a very recent JCA I think you would have no problem at all

[tasjo]

Harry - having your JCA with 20 points on one table and a capacity of 0-7 is part of the information you need, but a strong recommendation is still to get your whole file via FOI, particularly if applying for unlimited/indefinite portability (IP)

Your DSP will be reassessed, regardless of how recently you qualified for it, and the threshold for IP is 0-2 hours (a threshold that doesnt exist within the DSP assessment). Unfortunately, until you are approved for IP, the limit of paid DSP is 28 days per 12 months. You can stay away for longer but it wont be paid (up to 13 weeks away I think).

In relation to concession cards, there are some differences between states, but definitely contact the following:
- Car rego
- Power company
- water Company
- Council (rates, parking vouchers, tip vouchers)

A lot of medical providers (particularly specialists) will provide a discounted rate for concession card holders, but wont necessarily update your details unless you tell them. Private health insurance can sometimes even be worth considering (maybe for hospital cover if you have particular conditions that are not catered for well within the public system?)

Some smaller things, some coffee shops and hairdressers/barbers will offer a pensioner/concession card discount.

Personally, I found it very difficult to not work/study after many years doing so... I miss it terribly and would rather be doing it (even if it made minimal difference to our financial situation). If you were to do this, just remember to report any income to Centrelink, but also remember that there are a lot of other benefits to working than money

For me, working (if I can)

[scuzzy]

Mar 8, 2023 11:12:17 GMT 7 hopefulharry said:

Hi Everyone

Thank you for your help and kindness.

I'm currently at a Centrelink office and have obtained a copy of my JCA as you've suggested.

I'm on hold with Centrelink trying to get someone to help me understand the JCA - and confirm the two hurdles that you've outlined.

1) points
2) work capacity


On a first glance, it seems that I have 20 points on a single table - #5.

Work capacity seems to be 0-7 hours PW.

Thank you

Harry.

Hey there Harry.

My initial JCA was 20 points on one table and 0-7 hours per week working capacity and my application for I.P was successful. My I.P application was also done not long after my original DSP application JCA (within 6 months) and basically I got the feeling that the I.P JCA was just a rubber stamp because everything they needed to know was already in the recent original DSP-application JCA.

The next step if you want to proceed with the I.P application is to ring the International Services number and get them to send you the paperwork. As others on this forum will attest to, they usually try to scare you out of applying when you call. They'll tell you that by applying, you could not only fail to get I.P but lose your DSP altogether. When I rang and they gave me that spiel, I told them I still wanted to proceed to which he said "Are you sure you want to do that?!". I got freaked out and almost lost my nerve, but various members of this forum calmed me down and gave me the courage to move forward on it (for which I'm eternally thankful). Technically, applying for I.P can lead to DSP loss, but usually only in cases where someone has not been reviewed for a very long time and especially if they were approved for DSP under the old impairment tables pre 2012. Applying for I.P is a serious matter as it's almost a re-application for DSP, but given the fact that you've only just been approved and you fulfil the criteria (20 Points on one table, 0-7 hours work capacity a week), I think it's safe to say that you can proceed with confidence. By memory it took a month for the I.P paperwork to show up once I'd ordered it and I've heard similar timeframes from other members. By memory it was about three months from when I applied to when I was approved. Some of the paperwork is confusing (even my specialist got confused by her section), so don't be afraid to consult this forum once you get the forms if there's anything you're not sure of. There are samples of the I.P forms that were posted by Genx several years ago, but they are still the same as the forms I filled out about a year ago.

Just out of interest, how was your experience getting your JCA directly from a Centrelink office? I've never done it (I was denied and told to do an FOI request) and other forum members I know have had differing experiences.

[hopefulharry]

Hi Everyone

I really appreciate all your support and care!

Special shout out to Scuzzy and Tasjo for the incredibly detailed responses.

I'm working my way through all the information here and trying to figure out the next steps.


1) I'm going to apply for my whole file via FOI (not sure why, but why not?)

2) Consider applying for IP through international services.


Truthfully, I am TERRIFIED that in applying for IP I'll lose my newly granted DSP 😬.

It was granted on the 19th of January 2023, and it would be so horrible to lose such an incredible support while trying to obtain the holy grail of IP.


Much Gratitude,

Harry


scuzzy - Centrelink freely and happily gave me a copy of my JCA at the Oakleigh branch in Melbourne.

tasjo - thank you for the considered uses for the concession card, ideas and personal philosophy.

[bear]

G'day hopefulharry welcome to the forum.

Below is a link to a basic form letter that many members have submitted to apply for their files under FOI. The letter can be found at the bottom of #1.

International Services is the place to start with your UP/IP application. They are who will send you the forms, give you a pep talk and do their best to persuade you it's possibly not the best idea you've ever had; but you will be required to send the forms to an address in Canberra for the application to be actioned.

Good luck in your endeavours; cheers 🐻

dspoverseas.proboards.com/thread/7005/foi-denials-obfuscation