If you are not treated as a member of the community or recognised how are you to feel valued?

 Susy Hendy is 49 years old and the powers that be would rather see her struggle at home alone in a vulnerable environment with no family and community support than provide her with some home help. There is no government or community help for people with a disability under 65 , they are made to live on newstart wage which the governemnt has said is not a sustainabe living wage!

Yet over 750,000 Australians needing help are made to live on it.

Susy has struggled with chronic pain for the past 13 years. She was independent despite her hidden disabilities and led a full life including paying tax in her part time job at Commonwealth Bank.

Susy was diagnosed with multiple chronic pain conditions in 2001 and fought to maintain part time work over the past 13 years. A recent fall at home November 2012 has worsened her condition to the point she cannot maintain a normal lifestyle at home without help.

This has totally changed her life and she is struggling in all facets of life. On top of that 14th September 2012 an Achilles tendon tear and plantar tear in her left foot left her with chronic tendanitis and makes walking even more difficult. This has added further complications to her everyday life. She is now left using a walker full time

Receiving a disability support is not "just about the money" it prevents the person in need to accessing important government and community support in the home.  Disability support saves lives!

The Government policy to receive disability support recently changed January 2012.

Their promise was

“Provide a better and fairer assessment to make it simpler fairer and sustainable.”  

Susy has been assessed and told she  "medically qualifies" for Disability support but is now made to undergo an 18 month course to see if she can acquire more skills to help her be employable. This is good for some but not suitable for all. Whilst she is happy to gain more skills chronic pain has seen her abandon current online University studies,  due to depression, anxiety attacks,  and confusion as a result from the 24/7 pain.

 She was told by Centerlink "Whilst you have a brain in your head you are expected to work"

"Some people don’t fit in the current policy model and fall between the cracks they just don’t understand chronic conditions" It is the body that is unable to function "not" the mind.

Meanwhile: she may not have her home in the Near future!

Funds provided from disability support will help her meet payments of $65 a week to pay a $48,000.00 mortgage.  Having no accommodation the government will then provide Rent Assistance of $125 which would be more costly to the system when she loses her home. This is also adding a tremendous burden on top of being very ill and in pain. 

Susy's physical ability alone means she is unable to perform every day chores around the home. Having chronic pain in her thoracic area affects her right arm and hand, making it impossible to wash floors, hang washing out, clean and change bedding let alone the complications tending to personal hygiene. She cannot shop and walk anywhere, she has to rest every 5 or so minutes due to the confusion and chronic pain coupled with the medication she needs to take to operate. Coupled with degeneration of the facet joints Osteoarthritis of the spine, prolapse disk and myofacial pain which she undertakes regular injections in hospital and trigger point injections by her specialist.

Her pain is in her face, ear, head and the back pain radiates down her right leg into her knee which will need replacing soon, this has caused ongoing mobility problems coupled with the recent tear in her left Achilles which is now chronic tendanitis in both and having the cartlige removed in her right knee. Moving around home is very difficult, having a shower, taking the bins out and maintaining the home and garden.  Being isolated from the community and not being recognised as a valued member has led to further depression episodes coupled with anxiety attacks. Disability payments are not unemployment payments. They are there to help the communitys most vunerable live it is a human right issue.

Centerlink asked her DR to provide a letter to get her some home help and now will not recognise the request,  despite appointments held to discuss the request and being promised by a social worker that she would help on the 11th of October 2013! She has exausted all possible avenues through government departments and community groups to local council. Which all rely on funding from the government and support people on disability and the aged along with the terminal ill. 

If nothing else, and human compassion cannot prevail, then surely money speaks louder. Payments to undertake further training and then finding out she is still unable to be employed after 18 months is wasteful. Her specialist has advised them she is unable to work due to the pain and multiple conditions.Yet a psychological assesment from an officer who met me once for 10 minutes reported, saying she would be suited to administration work 17 hours a week holds more weight than a world renown and top Australian Specialist who who is held in the highest of regard by Law firms, the court system and his peers in the medical profession.  This policy needs to be re-examined to include the invisible people of our community like Susy and have the assesment process revisited.

Our constitution requires the government to legislate to seek to amend the fundamental rights of policies and have them comply with the charter.

A general statement in our constitution "fundamental human rights, we have a right to have policies fought in the laws, we should not be self-satisfied with the fundamental laws, we can challenge and bring to light the fundamental rights and have them challenged through parliament, all Australians must think locally act locally and think and act globally. We in Australia must adopt new foundations; civilised people would not act in a way to omit human rights. Anti-discrimination laws cover specific discriminations but not human rights" a lot have been forgotten here. 

 

You can help by signing this petition to the current Premier Jay Weatherill to GET SUSY SOME HOME HELP & ON DISABILITY SUPPORT, in the hope that the Government will help Susy feel like a valued member of the community. THEN LOBBY TO GET THE POLICY AMENDED, SO THIS WONT HAPPEN TO YOU OR MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY.

What would you do if you were not of pension age and left unable to work due to an accident?

Remember there is no governemnt or council help!

Due to funding alocations you need to be of pension age or on the disability pension to be in recipt of any help.

If you think your superannuation policy (income protection) will help, this policy is only payable for three months.. then what? 

If you’re not included how are you to feel valued? 

This could be anyone of your friends or family one day we need this changed please support all Australians by signing the petition.

 

Thank you!

 

From the team of LOVE.

 

Please also leave a message for the Premier asking him to get Susy home help and disability support on Twitter or Facebook if you have it: 

 

https://twitter.com/jayweatherill​

 

https://www.facebook.com/JayWeatherillMP