9 December 2016: Ombudsman publishes report on Accessibility of Disability Support Pension for remote Indigenous Australians

Commonwealth Ombudsman, Colin Neave AM, released his report today into the accessibility of Disability Support Pension (DSP) for remote Indigenous Australians.

The Ombudsman’s inquiry responded to complaints from Indigenous Australians living in remote areas who were experiencing issues claiming DSP and with the assessment processes used by the Department of Human Services (DHS).

"We found remote Indigenous Australians face several barriers when claiming DSP. It is harder to access medical services, get appropriate medical evidence to support their claims and engage with DHS’s job capacity and medical assessment processes," Mr Neave said.

The Ombudsman has made a number of recommendations which seek to address these issues.

"We have recommended ways to improve administration and reduce accessibility barriers facing remote Indigenous DSP claimants. These include recommendations about the way assessments are carried out, the information sought from and given to treating health professionals and better information about DSP eligibility requirements."

Overall, DHS and the Department of Social Services (DSS), which is responsible for the relevant legislation and policy, responded positively to the investigation, agreeing to all recommendations.

"DHS is taking steps to improve its DSP assessment processes for remote Indigenous Australians, but more needs to be done," Mr Neave said.

The assistance received from DHS throughout the investigation and report drafting process was also acknowledged by the Ombudsman.

Mr Neave said the Ombudsman’s office would continue to work closely with DHS to monitor the implementation of the recommendations in this report.

The Ombudsman will make no further comment on the report.

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