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Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Page: 6840

Ms MACKLIN (Jagajaga—Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) (10:36): As the member for Melbourne has just outlined, these amendments remove entirely two of the measures in this bill. I will just speak first to the ones that change the assessing qualification for the disability support pension. These amendments from the member for Melbourne would remove entirely the assessment qualification for disability support measure from the bill.

This legislation, from the government's point of view, is a very important step towards ensuring people with disability get the help that they need to get a job. The disability support pension provides essential income support for people who are unable to support themselves. That is why the government has delivered record increases to the disability support pension and has enabled manifestly disabled applicants for the DSP to get their claims fast-tracked so that they can get their support more quickly. But we can do better than a lifetime spent on welfare for Australians who have some capacity to work. The average length of time people receive the disability support pension is almost 12 years. Currently, many people come onto the disability support pension without testing whether they can be assisted through tailored support such as disability employment services. The new requirements mean that applicants for the disability support pension, other than people with a severe disability, have to show they have tried to get help to find work or to build their capacity before they can be eligible. It could be a different job to the one that they were doing before or some new training or special assistance, but the key for the government is that people get help first.

All of us know that a job provides more than a pay packet: it gives dignity and purpose and connects people to their community. The government will make sure that people with disability have every chance to access these opportunities. The changes in the bill make sure that assessments for the disability support pension focus on people's ability, not their disability. They will help people with disability get back to work wherever possible. The government will not be supporting these amendments.