Mission Australia boss laments DSP growth
Mission Australia CEO, Toby Hall, has publically called for reform to the nation’s Disability Insurance Pension, saying that the scheme is failing people at their most vulnerable.
Mr Hall said that there are now 825,000 people on the scheme, representing a 280 per cent growth of the number of people over the last three decades.
In a piece published in News Limited newspapers, Mr Hall said that little is being done to see people on the scheme integrate back into the workforce.
“But recent studies show up to 85 per cent of people experiencing serious mental health issues can return to work or study with the right help,” Mr Hall said.
“I challenge people to look at your own workplace and say genuinely, 'How many disabled people are around me working' and often the answer is, 'Well not many'.
"We're questioning 'why is that?’ Why are people with a disability not welcomed into our workplaces? Why is the Government not investing enough so they can contribute? Why have we failed that group of people?”