Aussie Disability is going to be changed again

[taniaaust1]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8279185

it's the biggest ever crackdown on the disability pension, with the government on Saturday publishing proposed new impairment tables

new rules will take effect from January 1 next year and apply only to new applicants.

obesity or chronic pain will no longer be considered grounds in themselves for eligibility.

new guidelines on mental health, the fastest-growing category of new Disability Support Pension recipients, with people who suffer from episodic mental health conditions to be treated with a focus on rehabilitation.

So I really suggest any Aussies out there who are thinking about getting onto disability to apply ASAP... assessments already may end up falling under the new rules (It took 7-9mths before I got my disability granted from when I applied as I had to appeal a few times due to rejections).
best luck

Them introducing new guidelines for "episodic" mental health.. makes me wonder if they could end up trying to do the same with other, non consistant, up and down in severity illnesses such as ME/CFS.

 

[taniaaust1]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8279185/disability-pension-revamp-to-cut-benefits

About 40 per cent of people receiving DSPs would no longer qualify under changes to the impairment table on which people are assessed for work.

"Unless there is a dramatic improvement in the job prospects of people with disabilities, all the tightening of access to DSPs will achieve is to leave people with disabilities $128 per week poorer," Ms Goldie said.

About 800,000 Australians receive the Disability Support Pension, more than the number receiving the dole.

Centrelink estimates 38 per cent of recipients would not qualify for the pension under the reform.

What are they going to do next.. reassess all of us and put us throu that hell again?

 

[alex3619]

The article claims people will be assessed based on what they can do, not what they can't. There has never been any sign that anyone from Centrelink or any government agency in Australia have ever been able to reliably assess people with ME. ME is not about what we can do, its about what we can recover from doing. Bye, Alex

 

[Tulip]

I saw the new table and it is a HUGE worry because you have to have medical proof that you can't do those things, it doesn't go on just what you say. People with ME unless they can see an ME specialist (sell an organ on the blackmarket to get the $$$$) aren't going to be able to do it..

I can see the suicide rate rising sadly

 

[alex3619]

Hi Tulip, under the current system, based on some old (unpublished?) Victorian research, people diagnosed with CFS (not ME) have an attempted suicide rate of one in ten. There is no data for how many actually did suicide. For long term patients, the attempted suicide rate is one in six. These figures are based on patients who were willing to admit they had attempted suicide. It is already a major problem. With the new changes, I have to agree with you Tulip - the suicide rate will surge. Maybe we should be looking at establishing a national register for those with ME who are denied disability. Maybe we can then go on to show the downside, such as outcomes. Bye, Alex

 

[Tulip]

Hi Tulip, under the current system, based on some old (unpublished?) Victorian research, people diagnosed with CFS (not ME) have an attempted suicide rate of one in ten. There is no data for how many actually did suicide. For long term patients, the attempted suicide rate is one in six. These figures are based on patients who were willing to admit they had attempted suicide. It is already a major problem. With the new changes, I have to agree with you Tulip - the suicide rate will surge. Maybe we should be looking at establishing a national register for those with ME who are denied disability. Maybe we can then go on to show the downside, such as outcomes. Bye, Alex

I have read about some of the overseas specialists saying that suicide rates with this disease are already alarmingly high. Your suggestion to set up a national register is a great idea, it would also help in mounting a class action lawsuit against the government, which I think people with other serious illnesses will be doing to.

 

[gregf]

I have heard this is only for new applicants.

Greg.

 

[Tulip]

It is...but think of all those poor people with this horrid disease trying to get on it. You are meant to get 40 points now to qualify, not the old 30. The whole thing is a joke.

 

[RustyJ]

I have heard this is only for new applicants.

Greg.

Yeh, thank God. Now where did I put my conscience. (self-deprecation because of guilt, not a dig at you Greg)

 

[taniaaust1]

I have heard this is only for new applicants.

Greg.

The govement wants to save all the money it can... after it has sorted out rejecting all it can for disability, it wouldnt surprise me then if they start to reassess everyone already on it, on the same grounds. One needs to keep in mind.. what next? Target them today and us next?

 

[taniaaust1]

I saw the new table and it is a HUGE worry because you have to have medical proof that you can't do those things, it doesn't go on just what you say. People with ME unless they can see an ME specialist (sell an organ on the blackmarket to get the $$$$) aren't going to be able to do it..

I can see the suicide rate rising sadly

Also there is a worry with looking at what one cant do.. now what if one says one cant garden but then goes throu a better patch and spending 15 mins a day out in the garden and get caught out doing this gardening??? Are they going to understand that one was only going to be doing it for a few minutes as one has on records one cant do things including gardening?

We are in massive danger with our up and down illness of being caught doing things we usually cant do. (Im sure centrelink at one time was investigating me.. a car was sitting across the road from me for 3 days straight ..often with a guy just sitting in it doing nothing, with some kind of camera thing attached to its mid front mirror and the lense of it was aiming directly at my house). (that happened while I was fighting for 9mths to get onto disability but kept being rejected).
..................

We probably should be writing to Aussie ME/CFS orgs and asking them to try to get something about ME/CFS in the centrelink stuff so we arent badly harrassed and more understood that we cant be judged the same as other conditions are. Otherwise we are will very unfairly targeted.

 

[Valentijn]

Also there is a worry with looking at what one cant do.. now what if one says one cant garden but then goes throu a better patch and spending 15 mins a day out in the garden and get caught out doing this gardening??? Are they going to understand that one was only going to be doing it for a few minutes as one has on records one cant do things including gardening?

You could keep an activity & symptom log. Then if Bastard X says "but she was out gardening" you can respond that you were gardening for however many minutes, followed by whatever disabling symptoms or activity reduction as a result.

 

[gregf]

Yeh, thank God. Now where did I put my conscience. (self-deprecation because of guilt, not a dig at you Greg)

Thanks Rusty. I was just trying for anything that may help raise spirits. :innocent1: