13 September 2011

Thousands to lose disability cash

TOUGH new welfare rules start today that will force about 18,000 Australians off the disability support pension and into work.

The changes mean that people who become unemployed and start claiming the $670 a fortnight disability pension will have to prove they are not fit for work through stringent Centrelink tests.

This will also affect people with mild disabilities who tests show could work if they found a suitable job.

People pushed off the disability pension could still get welfare through Newstart - between $475-$514 a fortnight for single people - but would have to look for jobs.

The rules will not apply to people with a severe disability who cannot work.

Instead, the severely disabled will get more financial support faster.

Under previous rules, people claiming the disability pension must provide evidence that they have a disability, from their doctor.

From today the evidence rules will change, with disability pension recipients forced to show that they are not able to do any work, even after rehabilitation.

Centrelink will organise the "job capacity assessments".

The fast-tracking of the welfare rule changes are expected to net about $50 million in savings.

Over four years of the program, first flagged in last year's budget, the government will claw back about $383 million.

heraldsun.com.au 3 Sep 2011

Another scam by the government to balance the welfare payments for the new arrivals of immigrants.

Whilst there are cheats amongst any systems, both from administration and the people they serve, one of the greatest financial frauds happens from within the government ranks.

This generally goes unreported by the mass media, as this is not in the politics of the editors.


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