DSP Reform

Today I took part in a discussion on Disability Support Pension and if it was indeed time the government review the DSP?

It was a great discussion and as you could imagine filled with emotions. The thought that the DSP is something the Australian Economy can no longer support is its current state is a statement I definitely disagree strong with. 

However I am a strong advocate disability pension reform and I think there are many issues we discussed today, that are worth reviewing. However any review needs to be supported by other measures.  Yes! Let's be honesty since the last review many things in Australia has changed.

Especially groups representing people with disabilities becoming more vocal and pressure from the United Nations for Australia to raise its act in terms of Australians living with disability.  I also think a DSP review is timely as we see the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and fingers cross not too many major changes result in the Government, 'impending stock take of the budget'

Although I see were might not be in the same shape when the LNP was last in power. Compared to the rest of the world we're not traveling so badly. Not major government bail outs and threads of the Australian economy collapsing. I declare I am not a support of the LNP and I am disgruntle at the anti social justice.  We know that the Liberal parties focus is on business, economic growth and the economy.  Not support those who through circumstances can't compete. 

Before signing support for the National Disability Insurance Scheme reform. Our Prime minster was on record saying the Australian economy could not afford the NDIS and now many feel he is taking the ax to the DSP as well. The fear among many Australians living with disabilities and their families is very high and the future has never seemed so uncertain.

One questioned ask today was how would you cope if the DSP was dis-abandon and you needed to live on New Start.  I could not survive on New Start nor work enough hours a week to support myself due to health issues.  I at 45 would need assistance from family members to survive. I have a supportive family but not all people do.  Often people with disabilities are abandon or still post institutionalization and relied on government support. 

I am all in agreance for more people with disabilities including those with mental illness, but until social attitudes and discrimination issues are address that's not going to happen.  The cost of public transport and a lack of accessible transport was a huge topic for debate today.  Even if public transport is accessible not al train stations are accessible and a percentage of people living with disabilities can not use public transport including those with visual impairments and uncontrollably epilepsy. Those struggling with significant mental health issues and chronic pain also are not able to access public transport.

The process of reform is difficult because so many disabiliities affect so many different people in different people in my view the DSP supports the following types of people.

1. People unable to work and unable to care for themselves at all because the need 24 hr care.,  Some of these people live in nursing homes and the DSP barely covers costs, if it fare to put them on New start and ask the family to pay the rest.
2. People unable to work and have significant levels of care, Like 8 hes plus a day.
3. People unable to work due to their disability and the physical (e,g, pain levels) and social toll of looking after themselves is a full time job in itself. 
4. People unable to work because of terminal illness.  Is putting these people on New Start fair.  The will never be able to work.  
5. People unable to work due to social sitmeas e.g uncontrollable epilepsy.
6. People unable to work due to physical, emotional, phonological, communication or intellectual barriers.  
7. People who are able to work but not full-time or in traditional models of employment. (for example the may need to work form home or next flexible hours to accommodate their health needs and medical appointments, some one on dialysis might be in this group.
8. Some able to work for less than 20 hrs a week. These people can have their income supplmented by DSP and in their forum today someone gets $20 per week.
9. Then their are those whoes illness or disability is intermittent. Some years the can work the equivent of six months and some years less. Most of these people don't qualify for DSP
10. Those who don't fix the centrelink boxes or considered too old by Centerlink to rehabilitate someone who has a stroke at 58 might be an example of this group. 
11. those week think could work and we admit sometimes we make judgments on this without all the facts,. 

When there is so a diverse range of ability levels within those currently on DSP reform is not a few pen strokes so. We discussed a tier system.  It is high likely the DSP will no longer exsits July '15, but other income supports will replace it and this tiered system that gives more to individuals with disabilities that occurs higher costs like only being able to travel by taxis.

I argue that is better funded under the NDIS or Medicare and everyone receiving the same pension rate.  However these two systems are reform to and sadly people on DSP could be subjected to cuts in all three areas. Funding reform without social and access reform to remove barriers in my opinion Mr Prime Minister are unaustralian.     

Hopefully out dialogue today gives the reform committee a feel for the complexity of the challenges reform will need to address.  None of us admitted to having a clear solutions.

I'll keep you updated.