Are injured Workers without common law right ending up on the Disability Support Pension

One would expect that the level of disability within the community would

move in line with changes in the number of Disability Support Pension

recipients. However, the number of recipients of Disability Support Pension

as a percentage of the population has been increasing at a significantly

greater rate than the prevalence of disability measured by the ABS.

A comparison with ABS data

ABS surveys found no statistically significant difference in age adjusted

disability rates recorded in 1998 and 2003. In comparison, the percentage

of the population (aged 16-64 years) receiving Disability Support Pension

increased 14 per cent between 1998 (4.5 per cent) and 2003 (5.2 per cent).

Moreover, ABS (adjusted) statistics found that disability rates increased

less than 30 per cent between 1981(14.6 per cent) and 1998 (18.8 per cent).

And over the same period, the percentage of population (aged 16-64 years )

in receipt of the Disability Support Pension nearly doubled (2.3 per cent in

1991 and 4.5 per cent in 1998). Comparing ABS survey data with measures

of Disability Support Pension recipients is problematic.

The pension data are sourced from administrative records and the primary

condition is clinically assessed. In contrast, the ABS data are based on a large

scale population survey and the assessment of a disability is dependent on

the awareness and self perception of the respondents.

Factors for increase: A number of factors have contributed to the increase
in disability support pension recipients since 1980.

These included legislative changes made Between 1992 and 1998.

During this time 38% of disability support pension recipients aged 50
years and over received an income support payment for the first time.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 1999, Australia's
Welfare 1999: Services and assistance, AIHW, Canberra.

This was more than likely due to the unavailability of common
law compensation payments to injured workers.

In 2000, the main conditions of recipients aged 16-29 years were:
intellectual and learning difficulties (38%), followed by
psychological and psychiatric conditions (27%).
Between the ages of 30 and 49 years, psychological and
psychiatric conditions were the most common for those
receiving the disability support pension (32%).
Musculo-skeletal and connective tissue conditions were the
main condition for 25% of recipients in this age group.


Ref: TECHNICAL PAPER 7
http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/13676/technicalpaper07.pdf