Your voice matters. By emailing your local MP, you’re helping to highlight the urgent need to reform the partner income test and improve Australia’s welfare system. Below is a pre-written email you can use—feel free to personalise it with your own story or message for greater impact.

1. Find Your MP’s Contact Details: Use this link to find your MP’s email address.
2. Copy and Paste the Email Below: Highlight the text, right-click, and copy. Then paste it into your email.
3. Add a Subject Line: Use something like "Urgent: Reform the Partner Income Test" to catch their attention.
4. Personalise It: If you can, share how this issue affects you or someone you know—it makes a big difference.
5. Send It Off: Together, we can make our voices heard.

Dear [MP’s Name],

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to reform the partner income rules in Australia’s welfare system, particularly those affecting the Disability Support Pension (DSP). These rules strip financial independence from vulnerable Australians, leaving many trapped in abusive relationships or struggling to survive on inadequate support.

The DSP partner income test reduces payments once a partner earns $372 per fortnight and stops them entirely at $1,516.40. While this may appear equitable on paper, it fails to account for the realities of abuse, control, and financial dependence in many relationships.

The Australian Government has committed to ending violence against women through the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, which emphasises the importance of economic independence. Yet the DSP system directly contradicts these goals, as it:

• Forces financial dependence on partners, making it nearly impossible for victims of abuse to leave unsafe relationships.
• Creates economic inequity, with DSP recipients receiving just $24,636 annually—a significant gap from the average individual income of $55,310 after tax.
• Leaves many households, even with a full-time worker, below the average annual household income of $85,895 after tax.

The tragic consequences of these rules are clear. According to the ABS, 16% of Australian women have experienced economic abuse, and women with disabilities are disproportionately affected. Tragically, 5.2% of disabled Australians have lost their lives to suicide, often feeling like a burden under these policies.

I urge you to advocate for reforms that reflect the realities of vulnerable Australians and align with the government’s commitment to equality and safety. Specifically, I ask you to:

• Abolish the partner income test across all welfare payments, including the DSP and JobSeeker.
• Raise DSP rates to ensure recipients can meet basic living costs in today’s economy.
• Introduce safeguards to protect victims of economic abuse, providing secure financial support for those in unsafe relationships.

No one should have to choose between safety and survival. The current system punishes Australians for their relationships and perpetuates systemic inequalities. Reforming these policies is not just a matter of fairness—it is a matter of saving lives.

I urge you to prioritise this issue and stand with the disabled community in demanding a welfare system that empowers and protects all Australians.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address/Suburb]