Dear Department of Human Services,

Welfare Reforms were introduced to curb the cost to taxpayer by keeping Newstart Allowance (NSA) at a lower rate and restricting access to the Disability Support Pension (DSP).

Reforms in the areas of workers' compensation and motor vehicle accident compensation have greatly reduced the compensation payable to injured people. The state and territory legislation would impact on the number of injured individuals on welfare.

I am seeking the following statistics:

1. The annual number of Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients from 1992.

2. To determine statistics for each state and territory, reconcile with the figures in point 1 and provide the annual totals for each separate state and territory. That is, the annual number of DSP recipients for each state and territory from 1992.

3. The annual number of Newstart Allowance (NSA) recipients from 1992.

4. To determine statistics for each state and territory, reconcile with the figures in point 3 and provide the annual totals for each separate state and territory. That is, the annual number of NSA recipients for each state and territory from 1992.

5. The annual cost figures for the payments to Jobactive Providers since 1992, relating to Centrelink clients, who have disabilities.

6. The annual Jobactive Providers figures for each state and territory; these should reconcile with the above annual figures in point 5.

7. The annual number of job placements that Jobactive has achieved, for those with disabilities from 1992.

8. To determine statistics for each state and territory, reconcile with the figures in point 7 and provide the annual totals for each separate state and territory. That is, the annual number job placements that Jobactive providers have achieved for those with disabilities from 1992.

Yours faithfully,

Julie Middleton

Dear Department of Human Services,

The name associated with contracting out employment services has changed over time.

From 1998-2009 it was the Job Network, followed by Job Services Australia (JSA) 2009-2015 and then Jobactive from 2015-2020.

I would need to reword the request for statistics for points 5 - 8.

Yours faithfully,

Julie Middleton

Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

This is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act.

I am seeking the following statistics:

1. The annual number of Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients from 1992.

2. To determine statistics for each state and territory, reconcile with the figures in point 1 and provide the annual totals for each separate state and territory. That is, the annual number of DSP recipients for each state and territory from 1992.

3. The annual number of Newstart Allowance (NSA) recipients from 1992.

4. To determine statistics for each state and territory, reconcile with the figures in point 3 and provide the annual totals for each separate state and territory. That is, the annual number of NSA recipients for each state and territory from 1992.

The Department would have this information; it is just not being made available to the public.

The Department's website includes the following:

"There are about 3.96 million people with a disability in Australia. Of these, around 750,000 get Disability Support Pension (DSP). There are strict medical and other eligibility criteria for DSP. Not everyone who has a disability will be eligible"

Access to the above statement by the link:

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organis...

According to the Department's Fact Sheet, Welfare Reform Budget 2017-2018, there are currently, 772,594 people receive Disability Support Pension.

The Department of Human Services only releases limited data in its Annual report. The current data is available from the link: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organis...

Archived reports from 1998-1999 up to 2010-2011 are available from the link: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organis...

In 1991, the Invalid Pension was changed to the DSP.

Yours sincerely,

Julie Middleton

Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

Thank you for your letter of 7 November 2019.

My initial FOI request had 8 points. From point 5 to 8 related to Welfare-to-Work reforms that commenced on 1 July 2006. The name associated with contracting out employment services has changed. I withdrew this request because it incorrectly referred to Jobactive Providers rather than: Job Network, Job Services Australia (JSA) and Jobactive.

I resubmitted the FOI request with the following:

I am seeking the following statistics:

1. The annual number of Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients from 1992.

2. To determine statistics for each state and territory, reconcile with the figures in point 1 and provide the annual totals for each separate state and territory. That is, the annual number of DSP recipients for each state and territory from 1992.

3. The annual number of Newstart Allowance (NSA) recipients from 1992.

4. To determine statistics for each state and territory, reconcile with the figures in point 3 and provide the annual totals for each separate state and territory. That is, the annual number of NSA recipients for each state and territory from 1992.

The Department of Human Services only releases limited data in its Annual report. The current data is available from the link:
https://www.humanservices.gov.au/organis...

There is insufficient information in the reports with no consistency from year to year.

Yours sincerely,

Julie Middleton

Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

Your letter dated 21 November 2019 advised you do not consider my request is a valid FOI request under the Act. I disagree.

As stated under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) sections:

3 Object - general

(1) The objects of this Act are to give the Australian community access to information held by the Government of the Commonwealth, by:
(a) requiring agencies to publish the information; and
(b) providing for a right of access to documents.

4 Interpretations

(1) In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:
document includes:
(a) any of, or any part of any of, the following things:
(i) any paper or other material on which there is writing;
(ii) a map, plan, drawing or photograph;
(iii) any paper or other material on which there are marks, figures, symbols or perforations having a meaning for persons qualified to interpret them;
(iv) any article or material from which sounds, images or writings are capable of being reproduced with or without the aid of any other article or device;
(v) any article on which information has been stored or recorded, either mechanically or electronically;
(vi) any other record of information; or
(b) any copy, reproduction or duplicate of such a thing; or
(c) any part of such a copy, reproduction or duplicate;
but does not include:
(d) material maintained for reference purposes that is otherwise publicly available; or
(e) Cabinet notebooks.

I shall now make a separate third FOI request for statistics for recipients of the Disability Support Pension and Newstart Allowance. More information will be provided.

Yours sincerely,

Julie Middleton