Restoring my soul.

As most of my avid readers know I have a son who is on the Autism Spectrum.  Imagine my delight and surprise when I received a letter from Centrelink that stated the piddly sum of carers allowance I receive each fortnight will be stopping in October.  It is their belief that somehow at the magical age of 16 my son will be cured and capable and will no longer require my care.  They will now deem him an Adult for their purposes and he will need a new diagnosis and to apply for the Adult Disability Pension.

As for the Disability Pension – I know people with fully advanced Multiple Sclerosis who cannot get this payment and they are confined to hospital beds.  Centrelink deem them able to work. If this is the case then how can my son be eligible?

Centrelink make now allowances for people who are confined to beds or who are housebound due to respitory disfunction of physical disablity.  They demand to see the person, in their offices face to face to prove that one they exist and two they have the disability they say they do.  Letters from doctors have no effect on these heartless lawmakers.

Another question arises from this “your child is now considered an adult as he is turning sixteen years old”, thing.  To my knowledge at the age of Sixteen in Common Law they may not at any time do the following –

1. Leave Secondary School

2. get a licence to drive a vehicle of any description or to drive a vehicle on the roads.

3. they cannot join the armed forces or the Police force

4. They cannot vote

5. they cannot open a bank account without a guardian’s signature

6. they cannot legally sign documentation of any kind or enter into contracts without parental permission.

7. they cannot get credit

8. they cannot rent or buy property (due to not being allowed to sign legal documentation)

9. they can’t get married without permission

This is just the few I can think of off the top of my head, I am sure there are more.

There is an election on its way, have your something to say on the day.

Centrelink is broken and needs a total overhaul to become relevant again.