Which is my point entirely.

 

If you are one like me who doesn’t deal in absolutes, then you accept there are persons on the DSP but are not entitled to it.

 

Therefore to protect the benefits of those who are legitimately entitled to it, (the genuinely disabled), you must first acknowledge that there are some who should not be entitled but are in receipt, you should then ascertain how they got to be in receipt,  which then allows you to take remedial action close that loophole.

The number would be very small and since the person in question was diagnosed with schizophrenia he was eligible for the DSP. Have you ever applied for DSP?

Which is what the current Govt intends on doing ( which is going to be harsh for those who are in genuine need of that support, the majority of recipients)

That is not the focus of the news story though..it is designed to stir up hatred and suspicion and is not based on any proven facts about the individual mentioned in it (how long did he receive the DSP for once out of the country, did he access that money, if so did he spend it supporting illegal activities?? )

After leaving the military, I worked in disability insurance for nearly 20 years and I can assure you I know how easily doctors can be bought. 

 

As for having applied for a DSP, though severely disabled, I couldn’t be bothered because my DFRDB combined with funds received progressively selling off my accumulated assets (my book collection), provide me with enough to get by.

 

That is I could qualify, but I can get by without it.

So, the answer is "no", therefore, you don't know what is involved and how difficult it is for those with a mental illness to be granted the DSP.

"So, the answer is "no", therefore, you don't know what is involved and how difficult it is for those with a mental illness to be granted the DSP."

The eligibility criteria change from time to time also.. They get tightened. Depends on what time period a person worked in this line of work...what was done years ago won't be under the same eligibility rules as recent years.

Not quite.

 

No I haven’t applied.

 

Yes I know the qualifying conditions.

 

As part of my disability is a mental disorder, if I wanted the pension I know which doctors in Adelaide I could go to see who would be guaranteed to certify exactly what I want them to certify.

Why don't you try it then and see if your 'theory' is accurate?  You must think your condition/disability would not make you eligible for DSP, if as you say,  you would have to 'fool' a Dr into certifying your condition as being eligible for the DSP.

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@icyfroth wrote:

This young man was born in Australia. What influences did he have growing up to make him turn against the country of his birth, is another question you might want to ask, before you trivialise this offence to a "few batteries" bought with his disability pension.

And are these infuences actively recruiting other young men like Khaled?

 

 

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What influences?  How about being bullied at school for looking different, and witnessing Muslims being called terrorists, and told to go "home",   and women wearing hijab on the street being spat on?  The hatred shown against people from middle eastern countries is worse than any other bigoted prejudice against any wave of new migrants before. 

As far as getting the disability pension goes;  I do not think it is all that easy to get one, and the department does order new reports now and then.  However, pensioners are allowed to travel, albeit only for limited time.  This man left on somebody else's passport, but being out of Australia would have no effect on his pension until the time limit expired.  

As the man in the opening post is described as a young man:

 

Changes to Disability Support Pension

 

 

At June 2013, only around 17 per cent of DSP recipients were aged under 35 years, while over half (56.2 per cent) were over 50 years old.

 

[5] Department of Social Services (DSS), Characteristics of Disability Support Pension Recipients, DSS, June 2013, p. 10, accessed 16 May 2014.

 

.................

 

Indeed, the authors show that the percentage of the working age population with a disability receiving welfare has declined since 1993, leading them to wonder ‘whether there would be quite so much concern about the rise in DSP receipt were this simple fact widely appreciated’.

 

[12].         Ibid., p. 351.

 

 

http://www.aph.gov.au/about_parliament/parliamentary_departments/parliamentary_library/pubs/rp/budge...