Anyone in Australia

Hi just wondering after seeing a current affairs show

Anyone in Australia know about or been effected by the new rules

Cracking down on Disability Pensions ? cutting people off or changing eligibility criteria ?

as  I Worry and Stress over Everything and when I heard this

I immediately Panicked . with a heap of what if's

but if anyone has any info that would be great

I read they are about to do the same in the States.

Hi,
I'm in Melbourne, and I've been on the Disability Pension for years.
I've always been told that you keep the rules you qualified under. So, for example, because I started to received the pension in the early 2000s, I have those rules still.
I means that I'm able to work 30 hours a week and still get my income subsidized and still keep my health care card.
I only found this out by pure chance. I was in the Knox office, trying to get some help to get into the work force, and the guy helping me was saying I'd only be able to work 14 hours a week. Another Centrelink guy happened to be wandering past and over heard, and asked how long I'd been on the pension. When I told him, he said that I came under the "grandfather clause," and that I could work 30 hours.

So if you're already on the DSP, you should be ok. (Please check with Centrelink though.)

As for who now qualifies to start receiving the pension... That I'm not so sure about. I've heard they disqualified chronic pain and mental illness. My mum qualified for assistance (not sure if it's the actual disability pension) with chronic pain, depression and anxiety. But then my partner's uncle didn't qualify with chronic pain, and very limited movement due to a back injury.
Honestly, I think it's more about how your doctor fills the forms in than anything.

The only way to know for sure how you're personally going to be effect is to talk to Centrelink.

Hope that helps :)