Suicide is a distressing subject and one that is linked in many kitchen table conversations with Centrelink income support programs. It appears that such a link may exist

The Guardian, 22 May 2024:

More than 30% of people who took their lives in 2019 were on welfare, AIHW says

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has just released some data that shows more than 30% of suicides in 2019 were people on the disability support pension (DSP) and newstart – despite being just 5.7% of the population.

During 2019, the most recent pre-Covid pandemic year, the age-standardised suicide rate among males who received unemployment payments was 2.8 times that of the male Australian population comparison. For females, it was 3.3.

During the same year, unemployment recipients accounted for approximately 20% of all suicide deaths among Australian males and females (across the same age range 15-66 years). Those on DSP were 14.5%.

The DSP recipient and Antipoverty Centre spokesperson, Kristin O’Connell, said:

The new figures on welfare recipient deaths by suicide are chilling, but reflect my all-too-frequent experiences supporting people who are planning to or have made an attempt as a result of dealing with “mutual” obligations or poverty.

Every government decision to leave us in poverty and subject people to abuse through “mutual” obligations is a decision that kills.

In 2020, Australia’s Mental Health Think Tank said the fastest and most effective thing the government could do to ease the mental health crisis was to keep the jobseeker payment at the poverty line.

The Morrison government plunged people back into deep poverty, and despite their claims to offer “cost of living relief” the Albanese government has continued the brutal welfare policies that led to these alarming suicide rates and widespread harm in our communities.

The wider picture also supports the assertion that welfare recipients of workforce age as a cohort are experiencing higher levels of suicide than the Australian population and, within that cohort those receiving disability or unemployment income support show the highest suicide rates. With a higher suicide rate than the general population continuing into old age for those receiving disability income support.

Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Suicide & self-harm monitoring, Supporting people who experience socioeconomic disadvantage: Deaths by suicide among Centrelink income support recipients, retrieved 22 May 2024:

Age-specific rates of suicide among those who received income support payments between 2011 and 2021

Click on images to enlarge

AIHW, 15 August 2023:

Deaths by suicide, by socioeconomic areas

 From 2001 to 2022, age-standardised suicide rates were highest for those who lived in the lowest socioeconomic areas (most disadvantaged areas), and generally decreased as the level of disadvantage lessened.

In 2022, the suicide rate for people living in the lowest socioeconomic (most disadvantaged) areas (18.4 deaths per 100,000 population; Quintile 1) was more than twice that of those living in the highest socioeconomic (least disadvantaged) areas (8.2 deaths per 100,000 population; Quintile 5). Similarly, the number of deaths by suicide generally declined as socioeconomic disadvantage decreased.

Overall, age-standardised suicide rates increased for those living in the lowest socioeconomic areas (Quintile 1); from 14.0 deaths per 100,000 population in 2001 to 18.4 deaths per 100,000 population in 2022. In contrast, smaller change was observed for those living in the higher socioeconomic areas (Quintiles 4 and 5). [my yellow highlighting]

The Coronavirus Supplement was introduced in April 2020 and abolished in April 2021. Then COVID-19 Disaster Payments were announced in June 2021 and withdrawn in November 2021 placing increased financial stress on up to 2 million people. The Reserve Bank Cash Rate Target began to rise on 4 May 2022 and kept on rising - swiftly exacerbating a cost-of-living squeeze into an escalating crisis.

Although the causes of individual suicides can be complex, it is hard to resist seeing an economic policy correlation with the rising suicide rate between 2021 and 2022. It is also hard to avoid viewing entrenched poverty as being heavily influenced by federal income support policy decisions.

PHOTOVOICE: Clarence Valley people with disability are invited to take part in a photography project, designed to capture their experience of the world and give others more understanding of living with disability

 

Clarence Valley Independent, 29 May 2023:

Artist’s Statement “Gaslit” You’re being too sensitive… Get over it… C’mon its not that bad… Harden up… The world doesn’t revolve around you… Some things are not as obvious as a ramp or cane. I suffer in silence and sit in shame. Noises razor sharp and I struggle to breathe. Someone just listen to me please.

Clarence Valley people with disability are invited to take part in a photography project, designed to capture their experience of the world and give others more understanding of living with disability.

Photovoice is a five-week photography workshop-project led by not-for-profit organisation, Social Futures – an NDIS partner in the community.

Social Futures Capacity Building and Engagement Manager Lynda Hope describes Photovoice as a form of photographic storytelling.

“Photovoice explores the concept of ‘disability pride’ and each week participants take a photo connected to a theme that helps them express how they feel. The topics the group will discuss include ‘I love being me because…’, ‘inclusion’, ‘courage’ and ‘pride’,” Ms Hope said.

“Photovoice will be run online, so all participants need is a smart phone or a camera, and the Zoom video chat app….

You can learn more about Photovoice by watching this video on the Social Futures website: https://socialfutures.org.au/service/photovoice-share-the-world-through-your-eyes/....

If you are aged 18 years or older and interested in being part of Photovoice – Disability Pride groups with Social Futures, call 1800 522 679 or email lac@socialfutures.org.au

Albanese Government's Fraud Fusion Taskforce & the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission at work in 2023

 

“The banning orders against these entities send a strong message to any provider trying to take advantage of the NDIS and Australian taxpayers.

For too long, rogue providers have been able to make use of a lack of communication and coordination between government agencies. Australians relying on the NDIS are some of our most vulnerable, and any organisation taking advantage of their safety net must be stopped.” [Minister for the NDIS and Government Services Bill Shorten, media release, 22 January 2023]

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, NDIS Provider Register – Part 2 – Section 73zs National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013, last updated 21 January 2023, excerpt:

Banning Orders

The effect of a banning order is that the individual or organisation that is the subject of the order is prohibited from providing NDIS supports and services, or their provision of NDIS supports or services is restricted. For example, a banning order may be made against an individual on the ground that he or she is believed not to be suitable to provide supports or services to people with disability. The basis for that belief might be the fact that the individual has been charged with a criminal offence. In such a case, the NDIS Commission needs to ensure that the making of the order would not prejudice, in any way, criminal proceedings relating to the charge and that it would not be inconsistent with the presumption of the individual’s innocence. Consequently, the order would initially be for a period long enough for the proceedings to be concluded. At the conclusion of the proceedings, the length of the banning order would be revisited, having regard to the outcome of the proceedings and other relevant factors. The result could range from making the order permanent to revoking it.

The following corporations and individuals have been named in the aforementioned document between 4 January and 18 January 2023:

Rafael Ukken, Harris Park NSW – prohibited from providing disability supports and services, directly or indirectly, to NDIS-funded participants in the National Disability Insurance Scheme, for a period of two (2) years, effective from 5:00 pm on 24 January 2023.

Millennium Disability Care Pty Ltd, Williams Landing Vic – permanently prohibited from providing NDIS supports and services to people with disability, effective from 5:00 pm on 13 January 2022.

A.C.N. 615 641 079 Pty Ltd trading as Australian Home and Community Care; SIL Finder, Kurunjang Vic – permanently prohibited from providing NDIS supports and services to people with disability, effective from 5:00 pm on 19 January 2022.

Sarah Michael Leen Manyok Thiak, Kurunjang Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of five (5) years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

David Anyoun Manyok Thiak, Williams Landing, Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of 10 years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

Ambrose Mareng, Melton, Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of five (5) years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

Aman Manyok Thiak, Melton West, Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of five (5) years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

Deng Manyok Thiak, Braybrook, Vic – prohibited from being involved in the provision of NDIS supports and services to people with disability for a period of five (5) years, effective from 5.00 pm on 19 January 2023.

Ramesh Saini, North West Rocks, NSW – prohibited from being involved in the provision of supports or services to people with disability, for a period of two (2) years, effective from 5:00pm on 11 January 2023.

Further details can be found at:

https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/Provider%20Register%20Part%202%20-%2021%20January%202023.pdf

This file covers the period March 2019 to January 2023 and lists NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission bans currently in force [pp. 2-32], bans no longer in force [pp. 33-36], compliance notices currently in force [pp. 37-41], notices complied with/completed [pp. 42-51], suspension of registrations no longer in force [pp. 53-61], revocations of registration of registered NDIS providers [pp. 62-70], infringement notices [pp. 71-73] and refusals to re-register previously registered NDIS providers [pp. 74-77].

New Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten announces user service audit of "myGov" website and a robodebt royal commission

The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 June 2022:

Labor wants to end the “digital workhouse” approach to people trying to get government payments, with new minister Bill Shorten planning to turn using myGov from an often-frustrating experience into a seamless one.

Shorten is taking briefings on his new government services portfolio but wants to get moving immediately on a user service audit of myGov, the online entry portal into services such as Centrelink, Medicare and the Australian Taxation Office.

His ultimate aim is to make it “a much more seamless exercise” that doesn’t force people to spend hours of their own time applying for payments or updating details, the new minister said in an exclusive interview.

“They’ve created digital workhouses, basically. You know, workhouses were a 19th century place where the kind-hearted burghers of Victorian England and Australia said, ‘Well, if we’ve got to pay you for three meals a day, you can go and work in a workhouse,’” he said.

“And I think that we’ve used, in some cases, digital technology to create two classes of Australians.

“We haven’t privatised the service. We just privatise your time. You spend hours on it. I’m amazed there’s not more rage out there.”…..

Services Australia is effectively the delivery shop for a huge range of other portfolio areas, administering payments for everything from childcare subsidies and Medicare rebates to disaster relief and paid parental leave, along with the more traditional welfare payments such as pensions and JobSeeker…..

However, it has come under pressure in recent years for increasingly forcing people online to make those claims, with nearly 30 Centrelink or Services Australia shopfronts closing around the country, leaving 318 dedicated outlets. Shorten has previously said people seeking support and services must have the option to speak with real people, not merely be pushed onto a website or sit in an automated phone queue.

Another top priority for Shorten in his new role is launching a royal commission into robodebt as soon as possible…... 

As new Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill Shorten is looking to reform those elements of the scheme which are shortchanging people with disabilities

Brisbane Times, 3 June 2022:

Labor has vowed to crack down on providers overcharging for services claimed on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and to clear the backlog of thousands of legal appeals for funding, while delivering COVID-19 booster shots to people with disabilities.

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said he was disturbed by the "twin pricing system" for services to people with disabilities and says restoring trust between scheme participants and senior bureaucrats was vital.

The National Disability Insurance Agency has come under fire for cutting the funding packages of disabled people as it faces rising costs. Shorten said it was an obscenity that there were 5000 appeals on NDIS packages before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal…..

"Under the last regime, we're spending more money on the process of fighting people for amounts which are less than the amount we're spending in the fight. How did we end up in that parallel universe?"

The number of appeals on NDIA decisions that make it to the AAT has more than doubled over the past year and legal costs are running at tens of millions of dollars.

The NDIS will cost almost $36 billion in 2022-23 and costs are forecast to keep increasing.

Shorten acknowledged the need to tackle the pricing of services charged to NDIS packages, saying it seemed to be a "black box" where providers come up with fees but "you don't know the magic of how they're coming to it".

"I'm disturbed at the twin-rate system or the dual system where if you don't have a package, you pay X dollars, if you do have an NDIS package, you get charged X plus $100. The scheme can't cross-subsidise everyone else," he said.

Making sure people with disabilities - both NDIS participants and those on disability support pensions - have quick access to their third and fourth COVID boosters is also a priority for the new minister…..

Shorten's longer-term goals include working with the states to improve support in schools, community mental health services, housing and bed block in hospitals as a way of tamping down NDIS costs.

But he said he was wary of any approach to the rising NDIS costs that suggested people with disabilities were the problem.

"I think there's been a level of incompetence and wastage. I think there's a breakdown in trust," Shorten said.

Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme in 2020-21

"We have been bullied, berated, intimidated and lied to. We feel diminished and dehumanised." #NDIS participant Verity says "I would rather be dead than deal with more of this" #auspol @SBSNews pic.twitter.com/jPzx8Ec16Y

— Brett Mason (@BrettMasonNews) November 21, 2019

In December 2019 the Morrison Coalition Government was handed the Review of the NDIS Act report.

This report was published and reported on in January 2020 and the Morrison Government released its formal response in August 2020.

Concerns about details in the Morrison Government's response and other statements by the department and minister responsible led the parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme to issue this media release on 16 December 2020:

COMMITTEE LAUNCHES INQUIRY INTO INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENTS

The Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will conduct an inquiry into independent assessments under the NDIS. 

An independent assessment is an assessment of a person’s functional capacity, which will be used to inform decisions about eligibility for the NDIS and about funding in a participant’s plan. 

The National Disability Insurance Agency proposes to introduce independent assessments as part of the NDIS access and planning processes in 2021. 

“Through its other inquiries, the committee has heard that many stakeholders—particularly in the disability and allied health sectors—have strong concerns about the independent assessments process, and about how assessments will be used to inform access and planning decisions,” Committee Chair, the Hon Kevin Andrews said. 

The inquiry will have a particular focus on: 

• the rationale for introducing independent assessments into the NDIS, and the evidence to support this decision; 

• the assessment process and its impacts; 

• the implications of independent assessments for NDIS access and planning decisions; and 

• the appropriateness of independent assessments for particular cohorts of people with disability. 

The committee is particularly interested in hearing from people with disability, families and carers; allied health professionals; and representative organisations. 

Full terms of reference for the inquiry are published on the committee’s website. 

The closing date for submissions to the inquiry is 31 March 2021.

Terms of reference and guide to making a submission can be found at:

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_Disability_Insurance_Scheme/IndependentAssessments

Riddle me this.....

Q: What do Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme, the federal drought relief plan, bushfire recovery response funding and COVID-19 pandemic response have in common?

A: It seems the answer to this riddle is Morrison Government mismanagement, parsimony and, an almost pathalogical inability to keep policy promises.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) commenced on 1 July 2013 and had an annual budget of $148.8 million. The initial 2013-14 budget was underspent by $18 million.

In the following financial years NDIS ran an operating surplus of $0.4 million in 2014-15, $15.8 million in 2015-16, $617 million in 2016-17, $146 million in 2017-18 and $ 694.4 million in 2018-19.

Despite growing concerns about the slow rollout of this scheme and allegations of poor services and needs not met, in 2018 est. $1.6 billion dollars was removed from NDIS and returned to federal government coffers to bolster that financial year's budget bottom line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On 1 September 2019 the $5 billion FutureDrought Fund was created by siphoning $3.96 billion from the Building Australia Fund. It consists of the Future Drought Fund Special Account and the investments of the Future Drought Fund. Fund earnings are to be reinvested until the balance reaches $5 billion (expected in 2028-29).

As of 31 March 2020 the Future Drought Fund was holding $3.99 billion, of which a total of $23 million is net earnings – an investment return of only 0.7 per cent. From 1 July 2020 there is a Morrison Government undertaking that the poorly performing fund will transfer $100 million each financial year to the Agriculture Future Drought Resilience Special Account despite the fact that it does not have the required balance of $5 billion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On 6 January 2020 Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook Scott Morrison announced the federal government would allocate $2 billion for the National Bushfire Recovery Fund (NBRF).

At the time of the announcement $1.6 billion was unallocated.

The 2019-20 bushfire season officially ended on 31 March 2020.

As of 15 May 2020 only a total of $1 billion of the $2 billion in NBRF funding has been spent.

Of the 26 programs being funded by NBRF: 6 do not commence until 1 July 2020; only 3 have fully spent allocated funding with another demand driven program running over budget (funding provided to farmers, fishers, and foresters located in declared bushfire affected areas); and, the remaining 16 programs have spent from 0% (mental health support for emergency services workers) to 89% (additional emergency relief delivered by charities, plus financial counselling) of their allocated funding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On 20 March 2020 the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians & Liberal Senator for Tasmania Richard Colbeck announced temporary funding to support Aged Care providers, residents, staff and families - including $234.9 million for a COVID-19 ‘retention bonus’ to ensure the continuity of the workforce for aged care workers in both residential and home care.
This retention bonus would have seen a total of $1,600 tax-free paid in two installments to direct care workers and $1,200 tax-free paid in two installments to those providing care in the home.

However, by 5 June 2020 and ahead of the first installment being delivered, the Morrison Government announced a change to the 'retention bonus'. The bonus will now be capped at $800 for direct care workers, $500 for those providing care in the home and will now be taxed at the individual's marginal tax rate with most aged care workers losing est. >30% of the bonus. 

This measure is expected to save the Morrison Government somewhere in the vicinity of $50 million.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On 31 March 2020 Scott Morrison headed a joint media event with two of his ministers at which it was announced that the federal government was committing $50 million to fund 3.4 million meals for 41,000 older and/or vulnerable people for 6 weeks – the equivalent of two meals a day for which there is a cost to Meals-on-Wheels clients. In addition $9.3 million was set aside to buy 36,000 emergency food supplies boxes to assist this same group to stay safe at home.

The purchase cost to government of these food supply boxes averages out at ext. $258 per box. It does not appear to be value for money.

On 5 June 2020 The Guardian revealed that only 38 food supply boxes had been delivered to date. In all probability because the contents of these boxes were decided by individual grocery chains and came at a cost to vulnerable recipients of $80 per box from Coles and Woolworths.

An additional impediment was that the Morrison Government initially restricted food supply box eligibility to people over 70 years of age who were registered with the National Disability Insurance Scheme or My Aged Care. This locked out so many older Australians with health condtions which made potential exposure to COVID-19 infection high risk.

Now desperate to rid itself of the remaining 36,962 boxes the only eligibility requirement seems to be that you are a registered online customer of a supermarket chain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Council managed Clarence Care & Support service capacity and staff moving over to the Wesley Mission

The federal government's National Disability Insurance Scheme 
(NDIS) continues to limit choice for the frail aged, chonically ill or those with disabilities, as yet another another local service agency changes hands.

Clarence Care + Support - accredited for aged care service provision and a registered NDIS service provider - which has been helping people in their homes in the Clarence Valley since the early 1990s is being transferred from Clarence Valley Council management to that of the religious charity, Wesley Mission.

The Daily Examiner, 30 May 2020:

Mr Linsday said the arrival of NDIS made it difficult for CCS to operate under council management. 

“It was also the decline in profit margins for all of the aged care sector, competitor threats including the private sector and the amount of government change that has occurred and those planned to occur,” he said.  
“Council has observed that there has been a growing ­consolidation of organisations since 2014 and with the NDIS and the aged care sector ­becoming more competitive council’s model of delivery was not financially sustainable.” 

The council voted to ­transform the service from a council entity to an outside-council not-for-profit organisation. 

Earlier this month Wesley Mission became the successful tender for CCS. 

However, Mr Lindsay stressed that this change-­over was not a sale of CCS but a transfer of the community care services offered by the service. 

“A key requirement for council in transferring the services to a not-for-profit organisation was that the services provided by CCS would be continued to be provided in the Clarence Valley with as many of the existing CCS staff transferring to the new organisation as possible,” he said.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme continues a bumbling problem-filled roll out during which its clients suffer

Newcastle Herald Sun, 31 May 2019:

AT least 3000 NDIS recipients from regional NSW and Victoria will have to find new care providers after mutual company Australian Unity decided to cut back on disability services to concentrate on aged care in Sydney.

Australian Unity confirmed the decision after concerns were raised with the Newcastle Herald by the Public Service Association.

It did not dispute an assertion by PSA regional organiser Paul James that the decision was a consequence of the financial pressures facing NDIS providers.

The decision comes just three years after Australian Unity bought the NSW Government's Home Care agency in February 2016, picking up 4000 former government employees and 50,000 aged care and disability clients.

Australian Unity said it would "work closely" with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to ensure NDIS participants found "another service provider of their choice".

It said 57,000 clients on aged care packages would not be affected. 

It did not expect the NDIS decision to cause job losses but Mr James questioned how this could be.

"Even if they say the majority of their clients are unaffected, there's still 3000 people in regional areas who will have to find new providers," Mr James said.

"The NDIS was originally supposed to be helping people with disabilities into work, but instead it's become an opportunity for the states to ditch their responsibilities for disability services."

Australian Unity said the decision to "scale down" its NDIS services came after a review of its "Home and Disability Services" business - as it renamed the former Home Care agency.

According to the Dept. of Human Services (recently renamed Services Australia) In NSW as of 31 March 2019:

101,963 people have a NDIS service;

4,219 initial plans have been approved; and

34,397 people will be receiving services for the first time.

While according to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), 12 April 2019:

There are now 250,000 participants nationwide;

Almost one in three of these participants are receiving disability supports and services for the first time; and

Costs to NDIS clients for individual service delivery have risen between 10.9 per cent and 20.4 per cent from 1 July.

This price rise will include a minimum rise of almost $11 per hour for therapists, and up to a 15.4% price increase to the base limit for attendant care and community participation and appears to be driven by the demands of service providers.

The number of NDIS participants is set to rise to 460,000 at full roll-out in 2020.

…delays in the rollout of NDIS plans, the bureaucratic maze that even the most capable of carers or people with disability struggle to get through, and the difficulties that people with plans have in accessing services that are not there have resulted in long wait times and crisis intervention is virtually non-existent.

Due to the demand for home care packages, for most people, the expected wait time for approved packages is:

www.myagedcare.gov.au

The expected wait time for the level of interim package you agree to receive (while waiting for your approved level to be assigned) is:

www.myagedcare.gov.au

In May 2018 the Commonwealth Ombudsman investigated the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) handling the annual reviews of those already receiving service under a NDIS plan after around one-third of all complaints he received about the scheme related to review issues.

The conclusions drawn was that the NDIS scheme was administratively under-resourced for the rollout task, however there were a number of areas where NDIA could improve its administration of participant-initiated reviews. Otherwise the review process would remain unwieldy, unapproachable and the driver of substantial complaint volumes.

If you are in New South Wales and have a complaint about a support or service you have received under the NDIS, you can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.