J-Gill May Finally Be Onto A Winner With Tighter DSP Guidelines
2 Aug 2011:
Thank goodness someone has finally said what we're probably all thinking! Today I read an article relating to the new Australian disability pension cuts that were announced by Julia Gillard last week, which will begin on January 1st 2012.
I know that a lot of people who receive the disability support pension, or DSP as Centrelink so affectionately refer to it, were ‘freaking out' last week, thinking that they would lose their precious benefits if they didn't get into a job ASAP, but you can rest assured... Unless, you're fat, or plan on gaining weight in the future to get on disability, (like Homer Simpson).
People with ‘legitimate' permanent disabilities, either from birth or accident/illness, will not be affected with the upcoming changes to the pension. It will only apply to those who apply after the 1st January 2012, who have non-permanent ‘disabilities', such as obesity, and other self inflicted illnesses.
Susie O'Brien from the Herald Sun website is fed up with paying for so-called disabled people, when she thinks all they need to do is jump on a treadmill and stay away from fast food outlets. She does admit, that not all weight issues are self inflicted, some are due to other health complications, ethnicity and genetics, but Susie's point, which I completely agree with, is that they are taking funds from people with severe, permanent disabilities, who really need them.
There are currently 800,000 people living in Australia, who are receiving the DSP, and studies show that with these tighter guidelines that are coming into effect, over 40% of those DSP recipients wouldn't be eligible to receive payments.
Unfortunately for the ‘real' disabled people, these imposters won't be getting their payments taken off them, no, they'll be allowed to keep bludging off the Australian tax payers until or if they ever bother to get a job.
The good news is, next January, the stricter DSP criteria will weed out any phoney disability imposters, who are capable of working, but are just too lazy to get off their butts and get into shape, to get a job.
Obviously if you are morbidly obese, it will be a lot more difficult to get a job, over someone who weighs under 100kg, but not impossible. And the fact of the matter is, you probably weren't born fat, but we were born disabled (well some of us). So it seems highly unfair for the obese to be given handouts, when they could try to lose their weight, while disabled have no choice and have to live with their disability for the rest of their life.
This is something that I see often in my line of work, and it really infuriates me, as I have suffered from over 300 broken bones in my life, had countless surgeries and use a wheelchair to get around, but still work, while there are otherwise perfectly healthy people out there, who are obese or have a temporary back injury, and use it as an excuse not to contribute to society, but take from it.
And don't get me started on disabled parking permits. Obese people NEED to walk to improve their health, so why on earth are they given parking permits to park closer to the shops, while someone like myself, has to park in a regular space, when all the disabled spaces are full, and I have to try and get my chair down with my hoist in the tiny space, narrowly missing the car next to me with my chair, and often hitting into my own car?! It's just ridiculous! And I know what their reasons will be....... My legs hurt, I get puffed easily, my back's sore..... Yeah? Well I CAN'T WALK, so I think that trumps your obesity!
I've personally always felt that people who are morbidly obese, and receiving the DSP, should be taken off it, and instead of being given money not to work, they should be given money to start a health plan, join a gym, go to hydrotherapy classes, see a nutritionist, or see a specialist about the best way for them to lose weight. Julia Gillard may not be the most popular person right now, but I think she's onto something with these new rules.
To view the original article from the Herald Sun website; ‘Just get off your bum and work' by Susie O'Brien, click here:
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