The DSP Hard Line

[skeedary]

Rushed back to Aus to be with my previously healthy former wife who is suffering from cancer recurrence. She is very unwell and last week had major surgery with more to follow. Radium and chemotheraphy to commence shortly. The prognosis is not good for her and has contacted C/L for assistance.
She is disabled with little chance of returning to work. C/L says that the DSP is not available to her as treatment is not finished and the condition not stabilised. Has arranged a sickness allowance for her. She is 54yo and her super group Hesta will not allow early access to her super until they receive medical reports and other info and then wait 26 weeks.

How disabled do you have to be to be classified!!!! It is an absolute disgrace. Could anyone offer any advice for her please.

[Banker]

Skeedary, I'm sorry to hear about your ex wife condition and the strain you must be both under.

My advice is to lodge an appeal against that decision and also contact Welfare Rights in your Capitol city.

Link: goo.gl/jFDDp

Please let us know how you get on.

[zorro1]

there are 2 ways to have access to super.
1. financial hardship, this requires 26 weeks on DSP
2. compassionate grounds

www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/individuals/early_release_of_superannuation.htm

Specified compassionate grounds

In some very specific circumstances, the law allows you to access your superannuation before you are 55 years old. These circumstances are called grounds.

"DHS administers the very limited circumstances where benefits may be released on specified compassionate grounds, which are defined in the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994.

The role of DHS is to approve the early release of superannuation where the specific requirements of the legislation regarding early release of superannuation on compassionate grounds have been met. Your superannuation fund will need approval from DHS before they can release benefits to you. Once this approval is obtained your superannuation fund trustee will advise you what benefits they can and can not release.

The superannuation fund trustee may charge you fees for the early release of your superannuation. Any early release of superannuation may be taxed."

[Banjo]

I seem to remember getting my super within weeks but it was a long time ago.... 2001.
It was work super from the state government, maybe they were more reasonable?

[spaceyone]

Not available to her, wth!?

I would call their bluff skeedary. Pick up a DSP application pack and start filling out the forms.

Ask the GP for a copy of all the medical reports that he has on her condition, and same with specialists.

Ask the GP for a medical certificate stating that she will be unable to work for more than two years.

Lodge the forms, and keep adding new information as her treatments progress. Appeal every decision to deny it to her, until she has it.

Removing the financial worries, will only help her recovery. Sickness benefits is the same amount of unemployment benefits, without having to sign up with an employment agency.

Good luck to both of you.

[skeedary]

Thanks all for all the advice, the system tets you down when you most need it. I will pursue it for her and let you know.