Abbott to limit pension access

EXCLUSIVE

HANDOUTS will be slashed and eligibility tightened as the Abbott Government eyes off welfare wastelands draining the budget of billions of dollars.

Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has given his strongest indication that a crackdown on welfare is coming — and in his crosshairs are the 822,000 Australians receiving the Disability Support Pension.

Mr Andrews has begun a review of the system with government agencies and the not-for-profit sector in a bid to curb a welfare blowout.

The review will help guide the extensive reforms, which could be rolled out as a matter of urgency.

Those on a Disability Support Pension— now one in 20 working-aged Australians — face being moved on to Newstart, which is less money and requires people to more actively seek work.

Some doctors could be stripped of their ability to assess patients as concerns grow about medicos not properly scrutinising claims.

It comes as the Government and the Human Services Department have been tipped off about people claiming the disability pension while being involved in physical criminal activity.

Key details of the Government’s 2013 disability support pension report show that in the past financial year, $15 billion was paid out to almost 821,738 recipients — a 22 per cent increase in 10 years (673,334).

One-third of the disability pensioners claim they cannot work full time because they are severely depressed, anxious or have a debilitating mental illness.

While having a ‘‘bad back’’ was often cited as the reason for not being able to work, the greatest category of people now claim to have a psychological illness.

A single disability pensioner gets up to $751 plus a $61 supplement a fortnight. A single person on Newstart gets $500.

Mr Andrews said the safety net would be there for people with a genuine disability.

‘‘ The Coalition Government is committed to improving opportunities for Australians with a disability to participate in work,’’ he said.

‘‘We are consulting with stakeholders including employers to seek their ideas on ways to improve opportunities for Australians with a disability.’’

Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton said doctors knew their patients well.

‘‘ Doctors have got no reason to second guess their patients,’’ Dr Hambleton said.

‘‘Doctors aren’t the policeman of the department; they are the advocate of the patient,’’ he said. ‘‘GPs don’t have private investigators.’’

Human Services Minister Marise Payne said the Coalition was serious about tackling welfare fraud, including people wrongly claiming the Disability Support Pension or any other payment.