I am out of the office from Thursday 1 May 2014 returning to work Monday 2
June 2014. Your email has not been forwarded. For urgent issues please
contact Alex Behm ([email address], 02 6146 5589).

Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox of the
Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS). Your email, should it be
a request for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act
1982, will be actioned by the appropriate team member. 　

If your email is for any other enquiry you should direct it to
[1][email address]. It will not be actioned from this inbox.

GENERAL INFORMATION

If you are seeking general information about FOI, you may find the
following websites useful:

[2]http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...

[3]http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...

PROCESS

An FOI officer has received your email and it will be actioned
accordingly. In the case of a valid FOI request, you can expect us to
provide an acknowledgment that the request has been received as soon as
practicable, but in any case no later than 14 days after today.

REQUESTS OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS

Please note that if this message has been received outside our business
hours of 9am to 5pm (Eastern Standard Time), Monday to Friday or on
a public holiday, your request will be actioned on the next business day.

Kind regards,

DSS FOI Team
Email: [4][Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email]　
Telephone: (02) 6146 3170
Fax: (02) 6204 9445

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...
3. http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...
4. mailto:[Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email]

Dear Megalfar,

 

Please find attached correspondence from the Department of Social Services
(the Department) in relation to your Freedom of Information request
received by the Department on 30 May 2014. Should you have any queries,
please contact the FOI Team on (02) 6146 3170 or at [1][Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email].

 

Kind regards,

 

The FOI Team

Department of Social Services

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email]

Dear Megalfar,

 

Freedom of Information (FOI) Request No. 13/14 - 151

 

I refer to your correspondence dated and received by the Department of
Social Services (the Department) on 30 May 2014, in which you requested
access to the following:

 

“I wish to be provided of any/all information regarding changes due to the
Abbott Government policies, that are or will be implemented in the
Centerlink systems.

 

The information I am requesting are changes to the Impairment Tables, the
minimum requirements to get on DSP, and any other information from
Centerlink and the Department that makes a decision regarding someone
applying for a Pension.”

 

The FOI Team has been advised that there have been no recent changes to
the Impairment tables, to the minimum requirements for getting on
Disability Support Pension (DSP) or to any requirements for the Department
that makes a decision regarding someone applying for DSP.

 

All information regarding the Impairment Tables and the requirements to
qualify for the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and can be accessed on
the Department’s website at the following link:
[1]http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti....

 

We trust this addresses your request. If so, could you please confirm the
withdrawal of your request by calling the FOI Team on (02) 6146 3170 or
email at [2][Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email].  

 

Kind regards,

 

The FOI Team

 

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti...
2. mailto:[Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email]

Dear Megalfar,

 

Freedom of Information (FOI) Request No. 13/14 - 151

 

I refer to your correspondence dated and received by the Department of
Social Services (the Department) on 30 May 2014, in which you requested
access to the following:

 

“I wish to be provided of any/all information regarding changes due to the
Abbott Government policies, that are or will be implemented in the
Centerlink systems.

 

The information I am requesting are changes to the Impairment Tables, the
minimum requirements to get on DSP, and any other information from
Centerlink and the Department that makes a decision regarding someone
applying for a Pension.”

 

On 10 June 2014, the Department informed you that it would process your
request in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act)
to the extent that it relates to the responsibility and functions of the
Department, as follows:

               

“The information I am requesting are changes to the Impairment Tables, the
minimum requirements to get on DSP, and any other information from… the
Department that makes a decision regarding someone applying for a
Pension.”

 

On 13 June 2014, the Department informed you that no recent changes had
been made to the Impairment tables, to the minimum requirements for
getting on Disability Support Pension (DSP) or to any requirements for the
Department that makes a decision regarding someone applying for DSP.

 

In addition, the Department also informed you that current information
relating to the Impairment Tables and requirements to qualify for the
Disability Support Pension (DSP) is publicly available on its website at
the following link:
[1]http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti....
   

 

As you have been provided this publicly available information outside of
the FOI Act, and the Department has not received any correspondence from
you, your FOI request is now considered to have been withdrawn.

 

Kind regards,

 

The FOI Team

Public Law Branch

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti...

Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) inbox of the
Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS). Your email, should it be
a request for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act
1982, will be actioned by the appropriate team member. 　

If your email is for any other enquiry you should direct it to
[1][email address]. It will not be actioned from this inbox.

GENERAL INFORMATION

If you are seeking general information about FOI, you may find the
following websites useful:

[2]http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...

[3]http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...

PROCESS

An FOI officer has received your email and it will be actioned
accordingly. In the case of a valid FOI request, you can expect us to
provide an acknowledgment that the request has been received as soon as
practicable, but in any case no later than 14 days after today.

REQUESTS OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS

Please note that if this message has been received outside our business
hours of 9am to 5pm (Eastern Standard Time), Monday to Friday or on
a public holiday, your request will be actioned on the next business day.

Kind regards,

DSS FOI Team
Email: [4][Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email]　
Telephone: (02) 6146 3170
Fax: (02) 6204 9445

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.dss.gov.au/contact/freedom-of...
3. http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...
4. mailto:[Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email]

Dear Megalfar

 

Thank you for your email dated Friday, 27 June 2014.

 

In your correspondence received by the Department on 30 May 2014, you
initially requested “information regarding changes due to the  Abbott
Government policies, that are or will be implemented in the Centerlink
systems”, but then specified that the information you were seeking was
“changes to the Impairment Tables, the  minimum requirements to get on
DSP, and any other information from Centerlink and the Department that
makes a decision regarding someone applying for a Pension”.

 

Although at the time you did not specifically make the request under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), it was decided that, to the
extent that the specified information relates to the responsibility and
functions of the Department, the request would be processed in accordance
with the FOI Act.

 

It then became clear that:

 

-          there have been no recent changes to:

o    the impairment tables;

o    the minimum requirements for getting on DSP; or

o    any requirements for Centrelink and the Department that makes a
decision regarding someone applying for a Pension;

-          the relevant Budget measures (including portability) only apply
to people already receiving Disability Support Pension (DSP); and

-          information about the impairment tables and the requirements to
qualify for DSP are available publically.

 

We were subsequently satisfied that your request was appropriate for
processing outside the FOI Act and informed you (outside of the FOI
process), that:

 

-          no recent changes had  been made to the impairment tables, to
the minimum requirements for  getting on DSP or to any requirements for
the  Department that makes a decision regarding someone applying for DSP;
and

-          current information  relating to the impairment tables and
requirements to qualify for the DSP is publicly available at the following
link:

 

[1]http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti....

 

On the basis that your request had been appropriately addressed and no
further correspondence was received from you in relation to the matter,
the request was taken to have been withdrawn.

 

Under the FOI Act, applicants are only able to seek internal review where
the agency has made a decision on charge or access in relation to their
FOI request, which is not the case in this instance.

 

You may wish to make a new request for access to under the FOI Act, to
either this Department or the Department of Human Services (responsible
for Centrelink), clearly stating which documents you wish to access
(noting that we would encourage you to verbally discuss the scope of your
request with the relevant Department once lodged to reduce the possibility
of misinterpretation).  

 

Please also note that you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the
Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in relation to the handling of
your request should you wish to (further information available at
[2]http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...).

 

 

Note that if you have general comments about Departmental policy, these
can be made through emailing [3][email address].  If you would like
to raise a matter with the Minister for Social Services, the Hon Kevin
Andrews MP, you can do so by visiting
[4]http://kevinandrews.dss.gov.au/contact.

 

Yours sincerely,

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freedom of Information Team

Public Law Branch

Legal and Compliance Group

Department of Social Services
E: [5][Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email]

 

DSS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia,
and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our
respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and
present.            

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Megalfar [[6]mailto:[FOI #640 email]]
Sent: Friday, 27 June 2014 8:41 PM
To: FOI
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - changes

 

Dear FOI,

 

From what I have been reading that this is not the case.

 

To what Kevin Andrews/Media/Shock Jocks have been saying regarding too
many people on DSP.

 

Further more, that Joe Hockey and the rest of the Coalition Party have
been saying that this budget is only the beginning, so there is obviously
something more than what we are being told.

 

-----------------------------------------------

Everything from this link:

[7]http://www.humanservices.gov.au/corporat...

 

From 1 July 2014 the eligibility of current Disability Support Pension
recipients aged under 35 years who were granted Disability Support Pension
(DSP) between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2011 prior to the
introduction of the revised impairment tables, will be reviewed.

 

Those DSP recipients who were granted on manifest grounds would be
excluded as would those already assessed as having a work capacity of less
than eight hours a week.

 

Under this measure, DSP recipients would have a comprehensive review of
their qualification for DSP. This would involve a review against the
revised impairment tables and an assessment of their work capacity.
Eligible DSP recipients will be supported to help maximise their work
capacity.

 

--------------------------

 

The current work capacity to be eligible for Disability Pension is up-to
15 hours per week.

 

ETC ETC ETC.

 

Either you are misleading, or Centerlink have been misleading.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Megalfar

 

-----Original Message-----

 

Dear Megalfar,

 

 

 

Freedom of Information (FOI) Request No. 13/14 - 151

 

 

 

I refer to your correspondence dated and received by the Department of 
Social Services (the Department) on 30 May 2014, in which you requested 
access to the following:

 

 

 

“I wish to be provided of any/all information regarding changes due to
the  Abbott Government policies, that are or will be implemented in the 
Centerlink systems.

 

 

 

The information I am requesting are changes to the Impairment Tables, the 
minimum requirements to get on DSP, and any other information from 
Centerlink and the Department that makes a decision regarding someone 
applying for a Pension.”

 

 

 

On 10 June 2014, the Department informed you that it would process your 
request in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) 
to the extent that it relates to the responsibility and functions of the 
Department, as follows:

 

               

 

“The information I am requesting are changes to the Impairment Tables,
the  minimum requirements to get on DSP, and any other information from…
the  Department that makes a decision regarding someone applying for a 
Pension.”

 

 

 

On 13 June 2014, the Department informed you that no recent changes had 
been made to the Impairment tables, to the minimum requirements for 
getting on Disability Support Pension (DSP) or to any requirements for
the  Department that makes a decision regarding someone applying for DSP.

 

 

 

In addition, the Department also informed you that current information 
relating to the Impairment Tables and requirements to qualify for the 
Disability Support Pension (DSP) is publicly available on its website at 
the following link:

[1][8]http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti....

   

 

 

 

As you have been provided this publicly available information outside of 
the FOI Act, and the Department has not received any correspondence from 
you, your FOI request is now considered to have been withdrawn.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

The FOI Team

 

Public Law Branch

 

References

 

Visible links

1.
[9]http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti...

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[10][FOI #640 email]

 

Write your response as plain text. Only send PDF documents as a last
resort. Government guidelines make it clear that PDF is not an acceptable
format for you to use in the delivery of government information.

[11]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

 

This request is being made by an individual using the Right to Know
website. The unique email address provided by the service for this request
satisfies s.15(2)(c) of the Freedom of Information Act.

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[12]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

 

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti...
2. http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://kevinandrews.dss.gov.au/contact
5. mailto:[Disability Employment Services Reference Group request email]
6. mailto:[FOI #640 email]
7. http://www.humanservices.gov.au/corporat...
8. http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti...
9. http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibiliti...
10. mailto:[FOI #640 email]
11. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
12. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

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