Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister, through the human services minister. I do not know if the minister is aware of recent reports about people with profound disabilities who have no prospect of getting better or being able to work being asked to fill in certain forms through Centrelink. We have had certain issues in my electorate, where constituents who have profound disabilities have been coming to see us. Their disabilities are such that they will never, ever get better—they were born with these disabilities—yet they were given such a torrid time through Centrelink in terms of completing forms, being asked for doctors’ reports and continuously being asked to fill in more and more forms.

One particular constituent had a child who had just turned 16 who needed to go on a disability support pension. Centrelink had all the information—all the medical records—yet the parents were asked to produce every bit of medical record that existed on this child from the day they were born. They were so frustrated with their dealings with Centrelink. Centrelink basically said to them: ‘Look, we can’t change this. This is what’s required. If you want this changed, it’s a legislative matter so go and see your MP.’ They came to see me and I got on to the minister’s office. I must put on the record that Minister Ellison’s office was very helpful and fixed the issue immediately. Within 24 hours it was sorted. The minister’s office told me that this should not have been the case—that, in this particular case, it could have been fast-tracked and it could have been fixed.

These people went through everything possible and Centrelink was constantly telling them that the only way they could do it differently was to go and see their MP so that we could do something in this House to change the legislation. If that was a one-off case, I would be ambivalent about it, but I have another seven cases here exactly the same, where they have been told to come and see their MP. All of them are in the same sort of situation. It is someone with a profound disability that is never going to get better, yet, again, Centrelink are asking for records that they already have. The question I am asking is: how many times will people with profound disabilities who will never get better—and we are aware of it—be asked to fill in forms and constantly be asked for records? If the case is that they do not have to, why are we getting people in the electorate office being sent to us by Centrelink, telling them that they have exhausted all avenues and need to speak to their MP?

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