Breaking down barriers for people with disability

A new report released by Jenny Macklin, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, and Bill Shorten, the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, on disability support pensioners shows that under the Howard Government fewer than one in 10 people on the Disability Support Pension were in any kind of paid work.

The report, Characteristics of Disability Support Pension Recipients, profiles the 714,156 people receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP) at 30 June 2007.

Ms Macklin said: “Governments cannot afford to dismiss the contributions people with disability can make, both economically and socially.

“The report shows that the number of people receiving the disability pension had increased over the year to June 2007, but the percentage in work had dropped by 0.3% to just 9.9%.

“This Government is determined to change this situation by reducing the barriers that stop people with disability getting jobs.”

Characteristics of Disability Support Pension Recipients has been produced annually since 2001. The reports can be viewed at http://www.facsia.gov.au/disability/dsp_reports/2007/default.htm