A coalition of disability and social services groups has voiced their dissatisfaction with the federal government's handling of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) following a Senate inquiry into the payment's purpose and adequacy. The inquiry, conducted over several months in 2021, received a significant number of submissions and concluded that the DSP was not meeting the needs of recipients due to its complexity and lack of accessibility in the claims process.
Despite the inquiry's findings of inadequacy and the subsequent recommendations for reform to make the payment more accessible, the federal government's official response, which was tabled in the Senate over two years later, has caused frustration within advocacy groups and the disability community. The government's response stated that due to the passage of time since the report was tabled, a substantive government response was no longer deemed appropriate, leading to concerns about the lack of action taken to address the barriers to accessing the DSP and reforming the eligibility assessment process. President of People with Disability Australia, Marayke Jonkers, expressed disappointment at the government's response, highlighting the need for explanation as to why the report's recommendations were considered irrelevant.
The DSP, designed for individuals with permanent disabilities that prevent them from working, currently supports over 800,000 recipients. Despite recent updates to impairment tables and efforts to address some recommendations from the inquiry, advocacy groups argue that the payment remains insufficient for many recipients to meet their basic needs, with some living in poverty. The current maximum basic rate for the DSP falls below the Henderson Poverty Line, indicating a financial struggle for many recipients who rely on this support. The rejection rate for DSP claims is notably high, with a significant number of applicants being denied access to the payment, further exacerbating financial challenges for individuals in need of support.