.

Economic Issues: Lifelong Disability and Ageing

Latest News

Review of the Tables for the Assessment of Work-related Impairment for Disability Support Pension 

As part of the 2009-10 Better and Fairer Assessments Budget measure, the Australian Government is updating the Tables for the Assessment of Work-related Impairment for Disability Support Pension, to make sure they are consistent with contemporary medical and rehabilitation practice. The revised Impairment Tables are to be introduced on 1 January 2012.

For more information, please click here.

Australian Network on Disability Bank Survey for customers with disability

The Australian Network on Disability (AND) is a member based not for profit organisation that assists its members in developing better employment and customer services practices for people with disability.  Most of the major Australian banks are members of AND, and we are helping one bank review the objectives set out in their Disability Action Plan (DAP).  The DAP is effectively  a strategy for improving business practices which might currently result in discrimination against people with disabilities.  Development of such a plan is encouraged by the Australian Human Rights Commission.

The bank’s DAP includes actions aimed at improving the customer service needs of people with disability.  The review by AND includes a survey of bank customers with disability to assess the current accessibility of all of the major Australian banks. 

The focus of this survey is on banks as service providers rather than their employment practices (which are being analysed separately).

The survey can be answered anonymously and all questions are optional.  No personal financial details are asked for in this survey - it is only about your experiences and suggestions.  Please take the time to complete this survey if it is relevant, and forward the survey link to friends, family, customers or colleagues with disability who are also bank customers and may be willing to participate.

All responses will remain anonymous and your privacy is assured.  Please complete the survey in the link below by 17 June 2011. 

Click this link to access the survey.  If you have any issues with the accessibility of the survey please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for assistance.  For more information about the Australian Network on Disability please visit their website at www.and.org.au.  

The BiG Event is coming! Register Now!

Registration is now open for The BiG Event 2011, to be held in Sydney on the 10^th and 11^th of May. Presented by the NSW Chapter of In Control Australia, the theme of this year’s BiG Event is: Self-directed Support: Making it Happen.

The BiG Event brings over twenty inspiring and highly experienced speakers together with people living with disability, families, carers, advocates, policy makers, support services, government, and administrators to explore Self-directed Support in NSW.

 For more information and registration forms, please click here.  You can also access them on the website - www.incontrol.org.au

PDCN and PIAC's Energy and Water Consumer Advocacy Program Focus Group- Have your say.

PDCN and The Public Interest Advocacy Centre's Energy and Water Consumer Advocacy Program is having a focus group in Penrith to talk to people with physical disability about electricity. For an event summary, please click here.

Gambling Help now Online

Turning Point

promotes and maximises the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities living with and affected by problem gambling related harms. We aspire to be a world leading service delivery and research and development centre. In working toward our goals we will ensure the safest possible environment in relation to gambling problems today and into the future.

For more information, please click here.

Cars GST free for people with physical disability

September 2010.

The Australian Tax Office through Health For Industry provide people with disability a discount or an exemption on GST for motor vehicles. To find out more, please click here.

Fighting for a free call

September 10, 2010.

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), along with Australian Financial Counselling and Credit Reform Association and Australian Council of Social Services, has recently lodged a super-complaint – The Cost of a Free Call: Accessing 1800 and 13/1300 services from mobile phones. You can click on the link to find out more. 

Penrith Energy Information Morning 20th August

If you are worried about your energy bills, get along to a free information morning in Penrith. There will be speakers from the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON), plus information on the assistance available. For a details, please click here.

Home Power Savings Program

The NSW Government’s Home Power Saver Program was launched on 27 May 2010. Aimed at assisting 200,000 low-income households, the program will assist households lower their power bills and cut carbon emissions by reducing power consumption while maintaining health and comfort. The program is free to low income households and offers:

• a home power assessment by an energy expert;
• a Power Savings Kit; and
• a personal Power Savings Action Plan.

Households who join the program will learn what’s using the most power in their home and new ways to save up to 20% off their power use helping them save money and the environment. To be eligible for the program households must be in NSW and contribute to the energy bills for the property. Further, households must be an energy hardship customer OR hold one of the following cards:

• Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
• Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs (Gold) Repatriation Health Card
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs (White) Repatriation Health Card.

 Eligible households can join the program NOW by calling 1300 662 416.

 Further information is available at website http://www.savepower.nsw.gov.au/

Energy Rebates Information

For information on the Energy Rebates available from The NSW Government Department of Industry & Investment, please click on the links below.

Energy Information

Energy Rebates

Medical Energy Rebate

Life Support Rebate

Energy Australia Energy Assistance Options

Energy Australia offers customers a number of Energy Assistance Options when a customer is having trouble with Energy bills.

For more information from Energy Australia, please click here Customers can also call the EnergyAssist team on 1300 723 492.

Time of Use Meters

Energy Australia Power Smart Time Based Pricing (Time of Use Meter) is available for business and residential customers. For more information, please click here.

Photo card and driver licence exemptions war widows and pensioners

From April 30 2010, pensioners and war widows applying for a NSW photo card are exempt from fees and all war widows, irrespective of age, will not have to pay for their driver licence or vehicle registration.

The NSW photo card is a voluntary identification card for people who do not hold a current NSW driver licence or other form of photo identification, to help them prove who they are. It was introduced in December 2005 and replaced the proof of age card.

Previously there were no pensioner concessions for photo cards. The new measures will bring the arrangements for the photo card into line with driver licences.

For more information from the RTA, please click here.

For information on the NSW Photo Card, please click here.

Government defends pension docking from solar windfalls

April 26, 2010

THERE'S nothing unusual about pensioners having their welfare payments docked if they make money from selling solar power, the federal government says. For the full article, please click here.

April 22, 2010

Energy Australia will allow almost 200,000 New South Wales households to switch back to flat rate charging because of unintended consequences of its time-of-use tariffs.

To read the full article, please click here.

Dark days ahead for Penrith’s pensioners and disabled

Economic Issues: Lifelong Disability and Ageing Poster

Ageing with a Lifelong DisabilityStudent Project Final Report

December 2009

To read the full UNSW report, please click here.

Are you worried about your Utility Bills?

8 December 2009

PDCN is receiving an increased number of calls regarding people’s concerns in this area.  We hope that simple answers to some of the frequently asked questions will be of assistance to you. Please follow the links below for more information.

Please click here to read the full article

 Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON)

Government establishes Electricity Safety Net in response to Unsworth Committee

10 April 2008

Australia — Premier Morris Iemma today announced a series of new consumer protection measures including a $272 million Electricity Safety Net package that will strengthen the Government's plans to secure NSW energy supplies.

Mr Iemma announced the initiatives in response to the Unsworth Consultative Reference Committee report.

Click here to read the whole article.