Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator George Brandis. The government have already reassessed the eligibility of 28,000 people with disability under the age of 35 for the disability support pension and are currently reassessing the eligibility of 90,000 people with disability over the age of 35 for the DSP, dropping many of these people with disability onto the lower Newstart payment. In addition, they are making it harder for people with disability to access the DSP. Has there been an increase in the number of disability support pension cases at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal over the last two years, how many cases have been reviewed by the AAT and how many have been successfully appealed?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Siewert. You raise a very important issue, and I want to thank you for raising it. As to the latter part of your question, you asked for particular numbers of cases before the AAT. I will take that part of the question on notice so I can get you a precise answer. On the broader question of the review of disability support pension changes, it is the case that since 1 July 2014 the eligibility of disability support pension recipients under 35 who were granted the pension between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2011 has been being reviewed. Recipients in that group have a comprehensive review of their qualification for DSP using the revised impairment tables and have an assessment of their work capacity. The revised impairment tables were introduced on 1 January 2012, and they apply to all new applicants for the DSP and existing DSP recipients selected for a medical review. The tables were reviewed to bring them up to date with current medical and rehabilitation practice.

Why is this review taking place? The impairment tables were reviewed not only, as I said a moment ago, to bring them up to date but because we know that the longer people stay on welfare the harder it is to transition to the workforce, making it more likely that they will stay on income support for the rest of their lives. Nobody wants to see that kind of welfare dependency. The earlier we can help young people to develop the skills they need to enter the workforce, the better the outcome—not just for the economy but for the individuals concerned as well.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Siewert, a supplementary question?

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Attorney-General for taking the question about the numbers on notice. I would like to ask: is it correct that the demand for legal aid support for people with disability at the AAT has increased over the last two years? If so, by how much? How many people have had to appear before the AAT without legal aid advice due to a lack of resources or access?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Siewert, you asked for specific numbers, so I think the best course is once again for me to take that question on notice so I can give you a full and detailed response.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Siewert, a final supplementary question.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you cannot give me the precise figures, surely you will have a bit of an understanding about whether there has been an increase in demand for legal aid for the number of people who are having to appear before the AAT to appeal against being kicked off DSP or dropped onto Newstart. You must have an idea about whether that demand has increased, because I have been told anecdotally that there has been an increase.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Siewert—through you, Mr President—I do not doubt that for a moment. You would not be saying that unless you had heard that anecdotal evidence. That is not something that I have been advised, I must say, and I had a meeting with the President of the AAT as recently as last Friday afternoon. He did not raise the matter with me. But, nevertheless, I think the best thing for me to do is to find the specific numbers about which you asked, and the numbers will tell their own story.