FOI Ref: 202425/01

Name: GS Lakes
e-mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx

Dear GS Lakes,
RE: YOUR FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST [FOI202425/01]
I refer to your request received by the ABS on 01 March 2024 in which you seek:

"Any documents or updates that relate to the number of disabled people who died in the period
January 2003 to present, ideally summarised monthly, if possible.

I request this categorised summary include the number of deaths of disabled people for each
month/shortest period of data availability, the total disabled people known at the time, the total
Australian population at the time, and the percentage of total disabled people at the time that these
deaths represent.

If possible, I also request a further and separate category breakdown of this mortality data
categorised by whether said deceased person was:

- known to be an NDIS participant (for applicable time ranges), and/or

- known to have a psychosocial disability, diagnosis, or impairment.

If possible, if this could also (in a further and separate break down) be categorised by the particular
type of psychosocial disability/diagnosis/impairment known, including but not limited to: anxiety,
autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, cPTSD/trauma, depression,
dissociative disorder, mood disorder, OCD, paranoia, phobia, psychosis, schizophrenia/schizoaffective
disorders, and so on.

(If it helps - I'm looking for mortality trend data with as fine a time/cohort granularity as possible, to
compare against mortality trend data like that seen in Department of Social Security FOI 2122-068,
and National Disability Insurance Agency FOIs 21/22-0295 and 21/22-0803, as publicly available on
righttoknow.org.au)"

A copy of your full request can be found in Attachment A.
Response to Your Request
I am an authorised decision maker under section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). I have
reviewed your request and determined that much of the information you are seeking, if held by the ABS,
would have been collected under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905 (C&S Act). Information
collected under the C&S Act is exempt from the FOI Act under Schedule 2, Part II, Division 2. Therefore, I am
refusing access to any such documents we may hold on the basis that they are exempt.

Alternative access arrangements
It may be possible for the information you are seeking to be obtained through accessing our Person Level
Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) or submitting a customised data request. More information about these
processes can be found at the following links:
 Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)

Customised Data Services (abs.gov.au)
Decision and Reasons for Decision
I have taken the following into account in making my decision:

Email correspondence between yourself and the FOI team.

The relevant provisions of the FOI Act, specifically Schedule 2, Part II, Division 2.

The guidelines issued by the Australian Information Commissioner under S93A of the FOI Act.
Charges
There are no charges for this request.
Internal Review of the Decision
Section 54 of the FOI Act gives you the right to apply for an internal review of the decision by the ABS.
Additionally, you may request a review of this decision by the Information Commissioner. Details of both
procedures involved in an application to review a decision are set out at Attachment B.
If you have any queries on this matter please contact the ABS FOI Contact Officer at
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely,

Michael Meagher
Program Manager
Legislative Compliance and Parliamentary Branch
Australian Bureau of Statistics

15/07/2024

ATTACHMENT A
    Basics
Policy & Legislation Section WDB
10/07/2024 06:37 PM
Sent by Angalea Turnbull
Send
To xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
cc
bcc xxxxx.xxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx@M365; xxxxxxxx.xxxx@xxx.xxx.xx@M365
Re: Notification: Freedom of Information request  - Categorised mortality rate for disabled people ,
Subject
particularly those with psychosocial disabilities  [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Protective Mark
OFFICIAL
Information
  Caveat

management
Personal privacy
Legal privilege
Legislative secrecy
NATIONAL-CABINET
markers
Categories
Freedom of Information\Requests\Valid\2024/25
Good afternoon,
I have reached out to the relevant area of the ABS to further discuss your request.
It has been suggested you could try a customised data request, however it may not provide much
more information than what is already available in the Causes of Death Australia publications which
you can access here:
Causes of Death, Australia | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au).
You can apply for a customised data request here: Consultancy request form | Australian Bureau of
Statistics (abs.gov.au).
If you have any questions, please get in touch with the FOI team. We would appreciate a response by
COB 12 July to let us know how you would like to proceed.
Regards

Angalea Turnbull
Policy & Legislation Section | Legislative Compliance & Parliamentary
Australian Bureau of Statistics
(E) xxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx (W) www.abs.gov.au
"Angalea Turnbull"
"Angalea Turnbull" <xxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xx...
10/07/2024 11:18:06 AM
    Basics
"Angalea Turnbull"
10/07/2024 11:18 AM
<xxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
Send
To "Policy & Legislation Section WDB " <xxxxxx.xxx.xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx.xxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
cc
FW: Notification: Re: Freedom of Information request  - Categorised mortality rate for disabled
Subject
people, particularly those with psychosocial disabilities  [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Protective Mark
OFFICIAL
Information
  Caveat

management
Personal privacy
Legal privilege
Legislative secrecy
NATIONAL-CABINET
markers
Categories
Freedom of Information\Requests\Valid\2024/25
Visibility
Limited Readers
"GS Lakes" <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx>, "Angalea Turnbull"
Editors
<xxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx>, Leema Mangal/Staff/ABS, PALS WDB Access
Readers
Leema Mangal/Staff/ABS, PALS WDB Access , FOI Stakeholder Group
Document Usage
Information Management - determines recordkeeping action
Last modified
10/07/2024 05:11:59 PM  By  Angalea Turnbull/Staff/ABS
Document Id
DCOO-D723LF
-----Original Message-----
From: GS Lakes <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 9, 2024 8:10 PM
To: Angalea Turnbull <xxxxxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
Subject: Re: Notification: Re: Freedom of Information request  - Categorised
mortality rate for disabled people , particularly those with psychosocial
disabilities [SEC=OFFICIAL]

******************************************************************************
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CAUTION:  External email.  Do not click links or open attachments unless
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and know the content is safe
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Dear Angalea Turnbull, the FOI team at the ABS,
Thank you for your response. I'm disappointed to hear that you won 't help me
obtain this data.
As you'd surely know, PLIDA access is not easy to obtain , and requires
substantial training, data analysis skills, as well as ongoing employment at a
major university, government agency, or one of a handful of accredited
non-government entities, from what I can see.
This is a standard beyond many people 's reach to obtain and maintain , and
hence is rather inequitable - especially so to disabled people . I happen to
have the requisite data analysis skills , but because of acquired disability , I
would not be able to obtain or maintain employment and /or personal
accreditation at any of the institutions I can see publicly listed as being
active research participants with access to PLIDA .
(I do not see any disability advocacy organisations listed , and I understand
given recent funding cuts, they likely wouldn't be able to maintain any such
accreditation, anyway.)
I understand that the ABS does not have a legal requirement to provide this
data, but I am at a loss as to how a member of the general public in my
situation could obtain this data otherwise .
Without it being up to the whim of an organisation that perhaps has
conflicting interests to that of my particular  'cohort'.
(I do not have high hopes for the success of my similar requests to the
Department of Social Services or the NDIA , given that it may not paint them in
a favourable light!)
I'd appreciate any advice you can give me on alternate paths for me to access
this data, as the public rather urgently needs this information , given the
current debate about the NDIS .

Yours sincerely,
GS Lakes
-----Original Message-----
Good morning,
As we have not had a response from our email on  03/07/2024, we have
provided further information regarding your request below .
The ABS collects limited information on disability at the individual
level. The data you are requesting is collected under the authority of the
Census and Statistics Act 1905 (C&S Act). Information collected under the
C&S Act is exempt from the FOI Act under Schedule  2, Part II, Division 2,
and as such can not be provided through FOI .
However, you may be able access the data through the following pathway :
o Person Level Integrated Data Asset  (PLIDA) - a secure data asset
combining information on health , education, government payments,
income and taxation, employment, and population demographics
(including the Census) over time.
It provides whole-of-life insights about various population groups in
Australia, such as the interactions between their characteristics , use
of services like healthcare and education , and outcomes like improved
health and employment.
You can find more information about PLIDA and how to access the
information you are requesting on our website : [1]Person Level Integrated

Data Asset (PLIDA) | Australian Bureau of Statistics  (abs.gov.au)
As the data you are requesting cannot be made available through FOI , we
would appreciate if you could let us know by  12pm Friday 12 July 2024 if
you agree to withdraw your request . We are happy to assist you with
seeking your information through the suggested avenue .
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Angalea Turnbull
Policy & Legislation Section | Legislative Compliance & Parliamentary
Australian Bureau of Statistics
(E) [2][email address] (W) [3]www.abs.gov.au
[4]Inactive hide details for Policy  & Legislation Section WDB---03/07/2024
12:29:00 PM---Policy & Legislation Section WDBPolicy  & Legislation Section
WDB---03/07/2024 12:29:00 PM---Policy & Legislation Section WDB
*
Basics
Policy & Legislation Section WDB 03/07/2024 12:29 PM
Sent by Angalea Turnbull
Send To "GS Lakes" <[FOI #11596 email]>
cc
Re: Freedom of Information request  - Categorised mortality
Subject rate for disabled people , particularly those with
psychosocial disabilities [SEC=OFFICIAL][5]Policy &
Legislation Section WDB

Protective Mark OFFICIAL
Information management markers Caveat
Categories Freedom of Information \Requests\Valid\2024/25
Visibility Limited Readers
Editors PALS WDB Access, Leema Mangal/Staff/ABS
Readers PALS WDB Access, FOI Stakeholder Group, Leema
Mangal/Staff/ABS
Last modified 03/07/2024 12:29:00 PM By Angalea Turnbull/Staff/ABS
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| Edit | 03/07/2024 12:06:12 PM; Angalea Turnbull; Document |
| Log | created. |
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Good afternoon,
Thank you for your request.
The FOI team would like to discuss the request with you . If possible,
could you please provide a contact number for us to reach you on , or
alternatively, you can contact me on 02 6252 5956.
Many thanks,

Angalea Turnbull
Policy & Legislation Section | Legislative Compliance & Parliamentary
Australian Bureau of Statistics
(E) [6][email address] (W) [7]www.abs.gov.au
[8]Inactive hide details for "GS Lakes" ---01/07/2024 08:02:09 PM---"GS
Lakes" <[FOI #11596 email]>"GS Lakes"
---01/07/2024 08:02:09 PM---"GS Lakes"
<[FOI #11596 email]>
*
Basics
"GS Lakes" 01/07/2024 08:02 PM
<[FOI #11596 email]>
Send To "FOI requests at ABS" <[ABS request email]>
cc
Freedom of Information request - Categorised mortality rate
Subject for disabled people, particularly those with psychosocial
disabilities[9]Policy & Legislation Section WDB
Protective Mark
Information management markers Caveat
Categories Freedom of Information \Requests\Valid\2024/25
Visibility Limited Readers

Leema Mangal/Staff/ABS, "GS Lakes"
Editors <[FOI #11596 email]>, PALS WDB
Access
Readers Leema Mangal/Staff/ABS, PALS WDB Access, FOI Stakeholder
Group
Document Information Management  - determines recordkeeping action
Usage
Last modified 03/07/2024 08:29:08 AM By Angalea Turnbull/Staff/ABS
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******************************************************************************
**********************
CAUTION:  External email.  Do not click links or open attachments unless
you recognise the sender
and know the content is safe

******************************************************************************
**********************
Dear Australian Bureau of Statistics ,
Please provide, under the FOI Act, any documents or updates that relate to
the number of disabled people who died in the period January  2003 to
present, ideally summarised monthly, if possible.
I request this categorised summary include the number of deaths of
disabled people for each month /shortest period of data availability , the
total disabled people known at the time , the total Australian population
at the time, and the percentage of total disabled people at the time that

these deaths represent.
If possible, I also request a further and separate category breakdown of
this mortality data categorised by whether said deceased person was :
- known to be an NDIS participant  (for applicable time ranges), and/or
- known to have a psychosocial disability , diagnosis, or impairment.
If possible, if this could also (in a further and separate break down ) be
categorised by the particular type of psychosocial
disability/diagnosis/impairment known, including but not limited to :
anxiety, autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder ,
cPTSD/trauma, depression, dissociative disorder, mood disorder, OCD,
paranoia, phobia, psychosis, schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders, and
so on.
(If it helps - I'm looking for mortality trend data with as fine a
time/cohort granularity as possible , to compare against mortality trend
data like that seen in Department of Social Security FOI  2122-068, and
National Disability Insurance Agency FOIs  21/22-0295 and 21/22-0803, as
publicly available on righttoknow .org.au)
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
GS Lakes
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request :
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References
Visible links

1.
https://www.abs.gov.au/about/data-services/data-integration/integrated-data/pe
rson-level-integrated-data-asset-plida
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.abs.gov.au/
5.
file:///tmp/Notes:/domco1510.corp.abs.gov.au/CA25814D00045998/F54534119E524D36
CA256D4800227591/F820CC01C6DB3813CA258B4D0037C39E
6. mailto:[email address]
7. http://www.abs.gov.au/
9.
file:///tmp/Notes:/domco1510.corp.abs.gov.au/CA25814D00045998/F54534119E524D36
CA256D4800227591/AF1B3E1330F0155CCA258B4D007D2457
10.
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.righttok
now.org.au%2Fchange_request%2Fnew%3Fbody%3Dabs&data=05%7C02%7Cpolicy.and.legis
lation.section.wdb%40abs.gov.au%7C21950494af284fe282bd08dca07e2794%7C34cdb737c
4fa4c219a3488ac2d721f88%7C0%7C0%7C638561710934798849%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8e
yJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C
&sdata=cCKl1t0ZXDLfps6zRvK2shrtyI0PsEda%2BKHOPlNVh%2FA%3D&reserved=0
11.
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.righttok
now.org.au%2Fhelp%2Fofficers&data=05%7C02%7Cpolicy.and.legislation.section.wdb
%40abs.gov.au%7C21950494af284fe282bd08dca07e2794%7C34cdb737c4fa4c219a3488ac2d7
21f88%7C0%7C0%7C638561710934798849%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDA
iLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Zbw19LPxDYu
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ATTACHMENT B
INFORMATION ON RIGHTS OF REVIEW

1.    INTERNAL REVIEW OF DECISION
If you disagree with our decision you have the right to apply for an internal review under section
54 of the FOI Act.
Application for a review of the decision must be made within 30 days of receipt of this letter.
No particular form is required but it would assist the decision-maker if you set out in the
application the grounds on which you consider that the decision should be reviewed.
Application for an internal review of the decision should be e-mailed to
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or posted to:
ABS FOI Contact Officer
Policy  and  Legislation  Section
Australian Bureau of  Statistics
Locked Bag 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2617

2.    AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION COMMISSIONER REVIEW OF DECISION
Section 54L of the Act gives you the right to seek a review of the decision from the Information
Commissioner.  An application for review must be made within 60 days of receiving the decision.
Application for an Information Commissioner review of the decision should be e-mailed to
xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or posted to:
Director of FOI Dispute Resolution
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY  NSW  2001

3.    COMPLAINTS TO THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER
Section 70 of the Act provides that a person may complain to the Information Commissioner
about action taken by an agency in the exercise of powers or the performance of functions
under the Act.
A complaint to the Information Commissioner must be in writing and identify the agency the
complaint is about.  It should be e-mailed to xxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx or posted to:
Director of FOI Dispute Resolution
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY  NSW  2001
The Information Commissioner may decline to investigate the complaint in a number of
circumstances, including that you did not exercise your right to ask the agency, the
Information Commissioner, a court or tribunal to review the decision.

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