Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz
"Sickness Benefits" only applies to a very narrow category of people. Basically where you have a job (or are studying) and are TEMPORARILY unable to work.
If you don't have a job, you go on Newstart. It basically the same, and as I said, worst case scenario is that you have to "look for work."
Sounds like you may have been trying to get him onto the DSP. That is a fair bit more, as it is a pension.
In theory, a terminally ill person should qualify, but unfortunately decades of people rorting the system have made it harder for the genuine cases.
But I'll give you a piece of genuine advice. You need to find a lawyer willing to take on his case for free, and threaten to sue. Centrelink will cave.
My brother is a quad, and lives in an institution. He has been fighting for years to get his DSP reinstated. It looked hopeless until he found a lawyer to take on his case. As soon as they realised it would cost them money to keep fighting, centrelink gave in.
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A mix-up with words.
I'm not familiar with Centrelink (hence my shock) and you are correct. It was a disability pension. I called it sickness benefits for want of a better word.
My point still stands though, genuinely sick people are being harassed and pushed out of the system. People who have worked all their lives and paid taxes. It's is plainly wrong and the system is utterly broken, as evidenced by your brother. Why should he be fighting FFS? This is Australia we live in not some 3rd world country.
If people are rorting the system then they should be gaoled. Not take money away from those who are unable to help themselves through no fault of their own.
I have written to my local Federal member voicing my concerns.
No need for lawyers, he is now well past that and only has a matter of weeks left.