Disability Lawyers News Room

Families to Lose Disability Funds

The Federal Opposition says tens of thousands of parents of disabled children are set to be stripped of a Federal Government carer's allowance.

Shadow Community Services Minister Wayne Swan says he has received Government figures indicating a review of the benefit will see 30,000 families lose access to nearly $90 a fortnight.

Mr Swan has told Channel Seven parents caring for children with Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy and other chronic conditions will be affected.

"It also seems that if there are savings to be made, this Government just goes out there and picks on the most vulnerable," he said.

"Senator [Amanda] Vanstone, I think, is a political hyena. She just singles out the most vulnerable people in our community."

A spokesman for Senator Vanstone, the Community Services Minister, says fewer people are likely to lose the allowance than Labor has claimed.

Mr Swan says he also expects as many as 650,000 families will shortly be forced to repay hundreds of dollars they have received in welfare overpayments from Centrelink.
He says the Government is set to reclaim hundreds of dollars from people who have under-estimated their income.

Mr Swan says the money will be reclaimed from their tax refunds.

"This year we expect one in three families, about 650,000 thousand families, will have an average debt of $850," he said.

"But many of them will have debts much bigger - $2,000, $3,000 through no fault of their own."

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