List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.112
The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigates how the requirement that a condition be ‘fully diagnosed, treated and stabilised’ is preventing people with conditions that are complex, fluctuating, or deteriorate over time, from accessing the Disability Support Pension, and could be modified to ensure people get the support they need.

Recommendation 2

2.117
The committee recommends that the Australian Government considers reforming the approach taken to determine whether a claimant has a ‘severe impairment’, so as to allow the accumulation of 20 points across any number of impairment tables to meet the definition of a severe impairment.

Recommendation 3

2.118
The committee recommends that the Australian Government undertake an in-depth, clinical review of the impairment tables in totality, that recognises comorbidity and draws on the lived experience of people with disability; with a view to working towards a social model of disability.

Recommendation 4

2.123
The committee recommends that the Australian Government introduces a discretion which would allow for Disability Support Pension claims to be approved if medical eligibility is established after the existing 13-week qualification period.

Recommendation 5

2.127
The committee recommends that the Australian Government considers revising the evidentiary requirements to allow evidence provided by registered psychologists.

Recommendation 6

2.129
The committee recommends that the Department of Social Services and Services Australia work with Aboriginal community controlled health organisations to review the claims process and evidentiary requirements for First Nations claimants to ensure that the process is culturally safe.

Recommendation 7

2.134
The committee recommends that the Australian Government consider reintroducing the treating doctors report, with wide consultation on how best to provide targeted resources to support general practitioners, specialists, and psychologists to identify, compile, and summarise evidence relevant to a patient’s Disability Support Pension claim or appeal.

Recommendation 8

2.135
The committee recommends that the Australian Government considers ensuring that the Medicare Benefits Schedule allows health practitioners to claim payment for providing evidence in support of Disability Support Pension claims.

Recommendation 9

2.138
The committee recommends that the Australian Government reviews the medical evidentiary requirements for claimants of the Disability Support Pension, to ensure that the application is fully accessible. The committee envisages that such a review would consider the specific challenges faced by individuals located in regional, rural, and remote Australia; recipients of JobSeeker and Youth Allowance; recent migrants; and First Nations people.

Recommendation 10

3.106
The committee recommends that Services Australia, in consultation with key stakeholders, reviews all guidance material, publicly available information, and the claim form, with the aim of making them simpler, clearer, and genuinely accessible for claimants and those who support them.

Recommendation 11

3.108
The committee recommends that Services Australia improves the level of information provided to Disability Support Pension claimants when it rejects their claims.
The committee envisages that such information would, amongst other things, clearly and comprehensively explain why a claim was rejected and, if relevant, provide guidance on specific evidentiary requirements, as well as detailed information on the review process.

Recommendation 12

3.111
The committee recommends that Services Australia ensures all of its clients who are deaf or hearing-impaired have the option of accessing an Auslan interpreter, either in-person or remotely, to make sure the application process is accessible.

Recommendation 13

3.112
The committee recommends that Services Australia enhances the visual and/or tactile cues available in its service centres to assist people who are deaf or hearing-impaired.

Recommendation 14

3.113
The committee recommends that the Australian Government undertakes a review of all Services Australia service centres to ensure genuine accessibility.

Recommendation 15

3.116
The committee recommends that the Australian Government provides additional funding to advocacy groups and community legal services to support Disability Support Pension claimants.

Recommendation 16

3.119
The committee recommends that the Australian Government remove JobSeeker mutual obligation requirements for Disability Support Pension claimants while their claims are being assessed.

Recommendation 17

3.122
The committee recommends that the Australian Government increases funding for First Nation’s advocacy services and Aboriginal community controlled health organisations to allow these organisations to better support their clients through the Disability Support Pension claims process.

Recommendation 18

3.123
The committee recommends that the Australian Government ensures the recommendations of the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s 2016 report on access to the DSP are implemented in full.

Recommendation 19

3.125
The committee recommends that the Department of Social Services no longer cancels the Disability Support Pension for recipients who are in custody for more than two years.

Recommendation 20

3.128
The committee recommends that Services Australia consults with carers and representative organisations in order to provide additional support for carers with disability who are claiming the Disability Support Pension.

Recommendation 21

3.131
The committee recommends that the Department of Social Services and Services Australia, in consultation with key stakeholders, reform the Disability Support Pension to ensure that it is responsive to claimants who are experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing, family and domestic violence, and that it meets their specific needs and requirements.

Recommendation 22

4.92
The committee recommends that the Australian Government considers reforming the income test for recipients of the Disability Support Pension to better support individuals facing structural barriers to participating in the workforce, and to better recognise the fluctuating nature of a person’s ability to participate in paid employment due to their impairment.
The committee envisages that such reforms could, amongst other things, raise the income thresholds at which the Disability Support Pension payment is reduced, and lower the rate which it is reduced once this threshold is reached.

Recommendation 23

4.100
The committee recommends that the Department of Social Services reviews the program of support requirement and considers making participation in an employment services program voluntary for all Disability Support Pension claimants.

Recommendation 24

4.102
The committee recommends that the Department of Social Services and Services Australia improve the visibility of, and information on, the program of support requirement for all claimants. Amongst other things, such improvements would ensure that relevant information is provided to all claimants at the beginning of the claims process.

Recommendation 25

4.106
The committee recommends that the Australian Government abandon punitive compliance measures and ensures that the employment services system provides genuine support to disabled job seekers with complex needs, including focussing on providing personalised support and skills development as well as effectively engaging prospective employers.

Recommendation 26

4.109
The committee recommends that the Australian Government continues to extend across Australia approaches that are voluntary and provide appropriate support, such as the Individual Placement and Support Model.

The Government should also consider the feasibility and effectiveness of other approaches, such as providing peer support workers, work experience opportunities, and school‑to‑work programs, in improving employment outcomes for people with disability by providing well-supported, voluntary programs.

Recommendation 27

5.61
The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigates ways to better support people on the Disability Support Pension who are at risk of poverty—particularly those in the private rental market—and ensures people can participate in their communities and cover their living costs.

Recommendation 28

5.63
The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with state and territory governments, improves the coordination and integration of support payments, programs, and schemes for people with disability across all levels of government.

Recommendation 29

5.66
The committee recommends that the Australian Government undertakes consultation and evaluation of the Disability Support Pension to align it more closely with the social model of disability.

Recommendation 30

5.67
The committee recommends that the Australian Government establishes principles in the administration of social security, including:
proactively assisting people to access support for which they are eligible;
treating people with respect; and
making adjustments to service delivery on an individual basis to meet people’s needs and ensure equal access to social security for all.

 |  Contents  | 

Past Public Hearings

16 Nov 2021: Canberra
01 Nov 2021: Canberra
11 Oct 2021: Canberra