Who will bankroll border protection?

Catholic Welfare Australia believes that people with disabilities, struggling to make ends meet on social security pensions, should not be targeted in the Treasurer's savings campaign to bankroll Border Protection and the War on Terrorism.

By all accounts, access to the Disability Support Pension will be reduced by lowering the work test from 30 to 15 hours a week.  This would see a significant number of people with disabilities shifted onto unemployment benefits — a rate of payment around $50 per fortnight less than the pension and subject to harsh job search tests.

"The Government's unwillingness to deny rumours that Disability Pensions and services will suffer huge cuts in next week's Budget is of great concern," said Mr Toby O'Connor, National Director of Catholic Welfare Australia.  "Fears persist that the Treasurer will be dipping into the pockets of the disabled to shore up his bottom line.

"Conservative national labour force estimates show there are already 630,000 job seekers vying for only 86,000 job vacancies.  In an already highly competitive labour market, people with disabilities will have little chance of labour market integration without a significant investment in skills development and targeted job creation."  Mr O'Connor said.

"How many of the current 640,000 Disability Support Pensioners will be pushed into the open labour market under the guise of Welfare Reform?" Mr O'Connor asked.  "Pushing vulnerable pensioners into an inhospitable market without first improving their employment prospects would be regarded by many as a mean-spirited savings strategy aimed at shifting income support recipients and clearing the rolls."

Mr O'Connor concluded, "Income support recipients have not adequately benefited from the past decade of dazzling economic performance.  It seems that the welfare system always bears the brunt of the Government's fiscal restraint.  In the Treasurer's first Budget, the unemployed were in the firing line.  In 2002, will people with disabilities be the casualties of yet another Howard Government savings campaign?"