Characteristics of Disability Support Pension Customers, June 2006
Attachments
Table of Contents
- Overview
- 1. Disability Support Pension Population Characteristics
- 2. Medical Condition
- 3. Earnings and Duration on Income Support
- 4. New Claims
- 5. Where DSP Recipients are Coming From and Going To
Disability Support Pension - Overview
Who is this Payment for?
Centrelink Disability Support Pension (DSP) is paid to people who are unable to work for at least 30 hours per week, or be re-skilled for such work, for more than two years because of a disability. DSP is intended to ensure that people with disabilities have adequate levels of income and maximum opportunities to participate in society.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for DSP a person must be 16 or over and be under Age Pension age (currently 63 for women and 65 for men); and
- be permanently blind; or
- have a physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment (assessed at 20 points or more under the Impairment Tables); and be unable to do any work for at least 30 hours a week, or be re-skilled for any work, for a period of at least two years; and
- have become unable to work while in Australia, or have 10 years qualifying Australian residence.
Trends
As at June 2006, there were 712,163 people receiving DSP, an increase of 0.8% (5,381) over the June 2005 population of 706,782. Two thirds of the total population were aged 45 years or over; 58.4% were male; 73.6% were born in Australia; and, on average, they had been in receipt of an income support payment for 10.2 years. The three main medical conditions were musculo-skeletal and connective tissue conditions, representing 33.6% of the total DSP population, psychological/psychiatric conditions, representing 26.8%, and intellectual/learning difficulties, representing 11.3%.
The number of male DSP recipients decreased by 4,455 from June 2005 to June 2006. This decrease is due to a combination of:
- a decrease of 13.1% in (male) claims processed for DSP;
- an increase in the proportion of claims being rejected; and
- more cancellations of DSP payments.
There were no significant changes in the demographics of males during the 2004/05 financial year.
Since 1982 the DSP population has been steadily increasing, with the greatest growth, of 13.3%, occurring in 1992 following the introduction of the Disability Reform Package (DSP replaced the Invalid Pension and Sheltered Employment Allowance in November 1991). Between 1996 and 2001 the growth rate reduced gradually from 7.5% to 3.6%. It increased to 5.6% in 2002, dropped to 2.2% in 2003 (with the introduction of the AWT Better Assessment and Early Intervention initiative) and increased again in 2004 to 3.5% and 1.4% in 2005. In 2006 it increased by 0.8%, the lowest increase for over 20 years. The proportion of females on DSP has increased each year since 1989 and now represents 41.6% of the total DSP population. Over 61,400 claims for DSP were granted in the 2005-06 financial year and just over 38,700 claims rejected (38.7% of total claims processed). Not being sufficiently impaired was the main reason for rejecting a claim for DSP (36.5%).
Of people receiving DSP in June 2006 who were not receiving DSP 12 months earlier, over half came from other income support payments (32.8% from Newstart, 6.5% from Parenting Payments, 2.5% from Youth Allowance and 1.7% from Sickness Allowance), while 45.9% had not been in receipt of an income support payment.
The number of people who were on DSP at June 2005 but left payment by June 2006 decreased by 7.4% over the previous 12 month period. The largest group were those transferring to the Age Pension (48.4%), likely as a result of the Age Pension age for women increasing to 63 during that period.
Source of Data
Most of the data in this report has been sourced from the Centrelink SuperStar database. Data for DSP recipient earnings and for DSP durations are sourced from different data sets and show a slight variation to the total number of DSP recipients noted throughout most of the report. These differences relate to Table 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 of the report.
1. Disability Support Pension Population Characteristics
1.1 Recipients by Gender 1972 to 2006
As at June 2006, the number of people receiving Disability Support Pension (DSP) was 712,163 and has been steadily increasing since 1982, with the greatest growth period (13.3%) occurring in 1992 following the introduction of the Disability Reform Package. The growth rate in DSP for 2005-06 was 0.8%, down on the 1.4% increase in 2004-05. This is the lowest increase in the population for 24 years, and is due to fewer claims for payment and a reduction in the proportion of claims being granted.
Several factors have been suggested as contributing to the increases in the DSP recipient numbers in the last decade:
- changed eligibility criteria for disability payments following the introduction of the Disability Reform Package;
- loss of access to other forms of support such as Veterans'Affairs Service Pension, Widow B and Wife Pension;
- increases in the Age Pension qualifying age for females;
- demographic effects such as the ageing of the population; and
- changes in the labour market which have resulted in a reduced capacity for people with disabilities to retain or find work.
The female proportion of the DSP population continues to increase, from a low of 26.2% in 1989 to the current figure of 41.6%.
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At June
each year |
Males
|
Females
|
Total
|
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Count | Change | % of Total | Count | Change | % of Total | Count | Change | % Growth | |
1972 | 77,133 | 55.6% | 61,685 | 44.4% | 138,818 | ||||
1973 | 85,305 | 8,172 | 57.0% | 64,304 | 2,619 | 43.0% | 149,609 | 10,791 | 7.8% |
1974 | 92,140 | 6,835 | 58.8% | 64,643 | 339 | 41.2% | 156,783 | 7,174 | 4.8% |
1975 | 102,817 | 10,677 | 60.9% | 65,967 | 1,324 | 39.1% | 168,784 | 12,001 | 7.7% |
1976 | 116,118 | 13,301 | 63.2% | 67,669 | 1,702 | 36.8% | 183,787 | 15,003 | 8.9% |
1977 | 133,209 | 17,091 | 65.6% | 69,754 | 2,085 | 34.4% | 202,963 | 19,176 | 10.4% |
1978 | 137,245 | 4,036 | 67.0% | 67,699 | -2,055 | 33.0% | 204,944 | 1,981 | 1.0% |
1979 | 149,759 | 12,514 | 68.1% | 70,084 | 2,385 | 31.9% | 219,843 | 14,899 | 7.3% |
1980 | 158,327 | 8,568 | 69.1% | 70,892 | 808 | 30.9% | 229,219 | 9,376 | 4.3% |
1981 | 153,889 | -4,438 | 69.3% | 68,062 | -2,830 | 30.7% | 221,951 | -7,268 | -3.2% |
1982 | 151,146 | -2,743 | 69.8% | 65,503 | -2,559 | 30.2% | 216,649 | -5,302 | -2.4% |
1983 | 155,672 | 4,526 | 70.7% | 64,617 | -886 | 29.3% | 220,289 | 3,640 | 1.7% |
1984 | 173,063 | 17,391 | 71.9% | 67,511 | 2,894 | 28.1% | 240,574 | 20,285 | 9.2% |
1985 | 188,713 | 15,650 | 72.8% | 70,449 | 2,938 | 27.2% | 259,162 | 18,588 | 7.7% |
1986 | 200,898 | 12,185 | 73.4% | 72,912 | 2,463 | 26.6% | 273,810 | 14,648 | 5.7% |
1987 | 213,290 | 12,392 | 73.8% | 75,760 | 2,848 | 26.2% | 289,050 | 15,240 | 5.6% |
1988 | 219,168 | 5,878 | 73.8% | 77,745 | 1,985 | 26.2% | 296,913 | 7,863 | 2.7% |
1989 | 227,285 | 8,117 | 73.8% | 80,510 | 2,765 | 26.2% | 307,795 | 10,882 | 3.7% |
1990 | 233,251 | 5,966 | 73.6% | 83,462 | 2,952 | 26.4% | 316,713 | 8,918 | 2.9% |
1991 | 244,699 | 11,448 | 73.2% | 89,535 | 6,073 | 26.8% | 334,234 | 17,521 | 5.5% |
1992 | 273,697 | 28,998 | 72.3% | 104,861 | 15,326 | 27.7% | 378,558 | 44,324 | 13.3% |
1993 | 291,471 | 17,774 | 71.7% | 115,101 | 10,240 | 28.3% | 406,572 | 28,014 | 7.4% |
1994 | 309,123 | 17,652 | 70.9% | 127,111 | 12,010 | 29.1% | 436,234 | 29,662 | 7.3% |
1995 | 324,672 | 15,549 | 69.9% | 139,758 | 12,647 | 30.1% | 464,430 | 28,196 | 6.5% |
1996 | 340,256 | 15,584 | 68.2% | 158,979 | 19,221 | 31.8% | 499,235 | 34,805 | 7.5% |
1997 | 352,607 | 12,351 | 66.8% | 174,907 | 15,928 | 33.2% | 527,514 | 28,279 | 5.7% |
1998 | 361,539 | 8,932 | 65.3% | 191,797 | 16,890 | 34.7% | 553,336 | 25,822 | 4.9% |
1999 | 373,340 | 11,801 | 64.6% | 204,342 | 12,545 | 35.4% | 577,682 | 24,346 | 4.4% |
2000 | 382,351 | 9,011 | 63.5% | 219,929 | 15,587 | 36.5% | 602,280 | 24,598 | 4.3% |
2001 | 392,354 | 10,003 | 62.9% | 231,572 | 11,643 | 37.1% | 623,926 | 21,646 | 3.6% |
2002 | 406,892 | 14,538 | 61.8% | 252,021 | 20,449 | 38.2% | 658,913 | 34,987 | 5.6% |
2003 | 412,777 | 5,885 | 61.3% | 260,557 | 8,536 | 38.7% | 673,334 | 14,421 | 2.2% |
2004 | 418,829 | 6,052 | 60.1% | 277,913 | 17,356 | 39.9% | 696,742 | 23,408 | 3.5% |
2005 | 420,073 | 1,244 | 59.4% | 286,709 | 8,796 | 40.6% | 706,782 | 10,040 | 1.4% |
2006 | 415,618 | -4,455 | 58.4% | 296,545 | 9,836 | 41.6% | 712,163 | 5,381 | 0.8% |
From 1972 to the introduction of the Disability Reform Package in 1991 the number of male recipients more than tripled (77,133 to 244,699). In the same period of time the number of female recipients increased by less than half (61,685 to 89,535).
From 1991 to 2006 the number of male recipients has less than doubled (244,699 to 415,618) while the number of female recipients has more than tripled (89,535 to 296,545).
1.2 Recipients by Age and Gender
People aged 55 years and over represent 41.0% of the overall DSP recipient population. The smaller proportion of females in the 60-64 years age group is due to the lower Age Pension qualifying age for women, currently 63 years. As the qualifying age increases for females, it is expected that this age group will grow and eventually exceed the number in the 55-59 years age group. The trend in graph 1.2 below is consistent with the trend for all Australians with a disability, which shows that the occurrence of a disability increases with age.
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Age
|
Males
|
%
|
Females
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16-19 | 10,566 | 2.5% | 6,744 | 2.3% | 17,310 | 2.4% |
20-24 | 16,762 | 4.0% | 12,150 | 4.1% | 28,912 | 4.1% |
25-29 | 18,486 | 4.4% | 12,856 | 4.3% | 31,342 | 4.4% |
30-34 | 23,698 | 5.7% | 15,849 | 5.3% | 39,547 | 5.6% |
35-39 | 30,818 | 7.4% | 20,259 | 6.8% | 51,077 | 7.2% |
40-44 | 39,421 | 9.5% | 26,758 | 9.0% | 66,179 | 9.3% |
45-49 | 47,218 | 11.4% | 37,116 | 12.5% | 84,334 | 11.8% |
50-54 | 53,875 | 13.0% | 47,305 | 16.0% | 101,180 | 14.2% |
55-59 | 72,418 | 17.4% | 67,085 | 22.6% | 139,503 | 19.6% |
60-64 | 96,304 | 23.2% | 49,291 | 16.6% | 145,595 | 20.4% |
65+ | 6,052 | 1.5% | 1,132 | 0.4% | 7,184 | 1.0% |
Total | 415,618 | 100.0% | 296,545 | 100.0% | 712,163 | 100.0% |
At June 2005 males represented the majority of recipients in all age groups. This has not continued at June 2006 as Table 1.2 shows. At June 2006 females made up 48.1% of recipients in the 55-59 year age group and only 39.8% of recipients in the 30-39 year age group. As mentioned above, the proportion of females in the 60-64 age group continues to increase (up from 29.4% in 2004 to 33.8% in 2006) as the qualifying age for Age Pension for women increases.
1.3 Recipients by State
The majority of DSP recipients can be found in the more populous Australian States. New South Wales is the largest with 32.1% of the DSP population, while the Northern Territory is the smallest with 0.9%.
The ACT has the highest percentage of females (45.3%) while the Northern Territory has the lowest (38.9%).
When compared with the ABS Census 2001, the proportion of DSP recipients living in South Australia and Tasmania is higher than the proportion of the total Australian population in these States.
STATE
|
Males
|
%
|
Females
|
%
|
Total
|
State as % of Total
|
ABS Census 2001
|
ABS Census 2001
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSW | 134,470 | 32.4% | 94,100 | 31.7% | 228,570 | 32.1% | 33.6% | 6,371,745 |
VIC | 95,909 | 23.1% | 74,573 | 25.1% | 170,482 | 23.9% | 24.5% | 4,644,950 |
QLD | 81,703 | 19.7% | 55,180 | 18.6% | 136,883 | 19.2% | 19.3% | 3,655,139 |
SA | 39,288 | 9.5% | 28,857 | 9.7% | 68,145 | 9.6% | 7.7% | 1,467,261 |
WA | 34,825 | 8.4% | 25,250 | 8.5% | 60,075 | 8.4% | 9.8% | 1,851,252 |
TAS | 14,666 | 3.5% | 10,157 | 3.4% | 24,823 | 3.5% | 2.4% | 456,652 |
NT | 3,731 | 0.9% | 2,380 | 0.8% | 6,111 | 0.9% | 1.6% | 311,947 |
ACT | 3,883 | 0.9% | 3,212 | 1.1% | 7,095 | 1.0% | 1.1% | 210,664 |
Not Specified | 1,021 | 0.2% | 461 | 0.2% | 1,482 | 0.2% | 0.0% | 2,740 |
Overseas | 6,122 | 1.5% | 2,375 | 0.8% | 8,497 | 1.2% | ||
Total | 415,618 | 100.0% | 296,545 | 100.0% | 712,163 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 18,972,350 |
1.4 Recipients by Country of Birth
The following graph and table reports on the country of birth of DSP recipients. The 10 countries with the highest number of recipients are shown. Germany was previously the tenth highest country but was replaced by Vietnam in June 2005 and Vietnam maintained this position in June 2006. The majority of DSP recipients were born in Australia (73.6%). The next largest group was those born in the United Kingdom (including Ireland) (5.9%). When compared with ABS Census 2001 country of birth data, 9 out of the top 10 countries are over-represented on DSP (the exception being New Zealand). Refer to Table 1.4 below.
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COUNTRY OF BIRTH
|
Males
|
%
|
Females
|
%
|
Total DSP
|
DSP %
|
ABS Census 2001
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 304,828 | 73.3% | 219,102 | 73.9% | 523,930 | 73.6% | 71.8% |
UK (inc. Ireland/Eire) | 25,045 | 6.0% | 16,631 | 5.6% | 41,676 | 5.9% | 5.7% |
Greece | 7,195 | 1.7% | 5,488 | 1.9% | 12,683 | 1.8% | 0.6% |
Yugoslavia | 7,520 | 1.8% | 4,703 | 1.6% | 12,223 | 1.7% | 0.3% |
Italy | 6,916 | 1.7% | 4,651 | 1.6% | 11,567 | 1.6% | 1.2% |
New Zealand | 6,612 | 1.6% | 4,743 | 1.6% | 11,355 | 1.6% | 1.9% |
Lebanon | 6,073 | 1.5% | 3,250 | 1.1% | 9,323 | 1.3% | 0.4% |
Malta | 4,129 | 1.0% | 1,865 | 0.6% | 5,994 | 0.8% | 0.2% |
Turkey | 3,252 | 0.8% | 2,795 | 0.9% | 6,047 | 0.8% | 0.2% |
Vietnam | 3,729 | 0.9% | 2,504 | 0.8% | 6,233 | 0.9% | 0.8% |
Other | 40,319 | 9.7% | 30,813 | 10.4% | 71,132 | 10.0% | 16.9% |
Total | 415,618 | 100.0% | 296,545 | 100.0% | 712,163 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
While males represent 49.3% of the Australian population (ABS Resident Population 2001), they represent 58.2% of the DSP population (June 2006). Males are over represented on DSP for all ten countries listed below with Malta (68.9% of DSP compared to 51.9% reported in the ABS Resident Population 2001) and Lebanon (65.1% of DSP compared to 52.0% reported in the ABS Resident Population 2001) having the highest over representation, while Turkey recorded the smallest (53.8% and 51.5% respectively).
COUNTRY OF BIRTH
|
DSP Population
|
ABS Resident Population
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males
|
Females
|
Difference
|
Male
|
Female
|
Difference
|
|
Australia | 58.2% | 41.8% | 16.4% | 49.3% | 50.7% | -1.5% |
UK (inc. Ireland/Eire) | 60.1% | 39.9% | 20.2% | 50.2% | 49.8% | 0.4% |
Greece | 56.7% | 43.3% | 13.5% | 50.5% | 49.5% | 1.0% |
Yugoslavia | 61.5% | 38.5% | 23.0% | 51.6% | 48.4% | 3.3% |
Italy | 59.8% | 40.2% | 19.6% | 52.5% | 47.5% | 5.0% |
New Zealand | 58.2% | 41.8% | 16.5% | 50.7% | 49.3% | 1.3% |
Lebanon | 65.1% | 34.9% | 30.3% | 52.0% | 48.0% | 4.0% |
Malta | 68.9% | 31.1% | 37.8% | 51.9% | 48.1% | 3.8% |
Turkey | 53.8% | 46.2% | 7.6% | 51.5% | 48.5% | 3.1% |
Vietnam | 59.8% | 40.2% | 19.7% | 48.5% | 51.5% | -3.1% |
Other | 56.7% | 43.3% | 13.4% | 49.1% | 50.9% | -1.9% |
Total | 58.4% | 41.6% | 16.7% | 49.4% | 50.6% | -1.3% |
1.5 Recipients by Marital Status and Gender
The majority of DSP recipients are not partnered (64.8%) with females more likely to not have a partner than males (68.4% of the female population are not partnered, compared to 62.3% of males).
Proportionally, males and females are similar in the de facto category (4.6% and 4.7% respectively). Males are more likely than females to be in the married or single categories while females are more likely to be divorced, separated or widowed.
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Marital Status
|
Males
|
%
|
Females
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Married | 137,560 | 33.1% | 79,923 | 27.0% | 217,483 | 30.5% |
Defacto | 19,233 | 4.6% | 13,938 | 4.7% | 33,171 | 4.7% |
Single | 167,099 | 40.2% | 99,598 | 33.6% | 266,697 | 37.4% |
Separated | 67,638 | 16.3% | 59,214 | 20.0% | 126,852 | 17.8% |
Divorced | 18,812 | 4.5% | 28,633 | 9.7% | 47,445 | 6.7% |
Widow | 5,276 | 1.3% | 15,239 | 5.1% | 20,515 | 2.9% |
Total | 415,618 | 100.0% | 296,545 | 100.0% | 712,163 | 100.0% |
1.6 Recipients by Gender and Home Ownership
The majority of DSP recipients do not own their home (65.0%). Females receiving DSP are marginally more likely to own a home, including paying it off, than males (35.3% compared to 33.4%). The proportion of homeowners increased from 34.4% in 1975 to 43.8% in 1989. Since 1989 the proportion has been steadily decreasing and stands at 34.2% at June 2006.
Housing Status
|
Males
|
%
|
Females
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Home Owner | 138,626 | 33.4% | 104,623 | 35.3% | 243,249 | 34.2% |
Non-Home Owner | 273,557 | 65.8% | 189,505 | 63.9% | 463,062 | 65.0% |
Other | 3,435 | 0.8% | 2,417 | 0.8% | 5,852 | 0.8% |
Total | 415,618 | 100.0% | 296,545 | 100.0% | 712,163 | 100.0% |
Of those who are non-homeowners 112,642 are residing in government housing (59,093 males and 53,549 females).
1.7 Recipients by Age and Home Ownership
DSP recipients who own their own home (either own their home outright or are paying it off) tend to be skewed towards the older age groups, with the 60-64 age group being the only group containing more homeowners than non-homeowners. Of the total population aged 16-39, 92.3% are non-homeowners.
Age Group
|
Home Owner
|
%
|
Non Home Owner
|
%
|
Other
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16-19 | 135 | 0.1% | 17,171 | 3.7% | 4 | 0.1% | 17,310 | 2.4% |
20-24 | 464 | 0.2% | 28,424 | 6.1% | 24 | 0.4% | 28,912 | 4.1% |
25-29 | 1,416 | 0.6% | 29,886 | 6.5% | 40 | 0.7% | 31,342 | 4.4% |
30-34 | 3,506 | 1.4% | 35,975 | 7.8% | 66 | 1.1% | 39,547 | 5.6% |
35-39 | 7,372 | 3.0% | 43,585 | 9.4% | 120 | 2.1% | 51,077 | 7.2% |
40-44 | 13,668 | 5.6% | 52,253 | 11.3% | 258 | 4.4% | 66,179 | 9.3% |
45-49 | 23,338 | 9.6% | 60,496 | 13.1% | 500 | 8.5% | 84,334 | 11.8% |
50-54 | 36,422 | 15.0% | 63,834 | 13.8% | 924 | 15.8% | 101,180 | 14.2% |
55-59 | 67,885 | 27.9% | 69,944 | 15.1% | 1,674 | 28.6% | 139,503 | 19.6% |
60-64 | 85,786 | 35.3% | 57,756 | 12.5% | 2,053 | 35.1% | 145,595 | 20.4% |
65+ | 3,257 | 1.3% | 3,738 | 0.8% | 189 | 3.2% | 7,184 | 1.0% |
Total | 243,249 | 100.0% | 463,062 | 100.0% | 5,852 | 100.0% | 712,163 | 100.0% |
2. Medical Condition
2.1 Recipients by Medical Condition
With the introduction of the Disability Reform Package in November 1991those on the Invalid Pension were transferred to DSP. These recipients did not have a medical condition recorded on their Centrelink record. While they are being progressively reviewed and ascribed a medical condition, at June 2006 ex-Invalid Pension recipients without a medical condition recorded on their Centrelink record made up 2.8% of the total DSP population.
The medical conditions reported in graph 2.1 below represent the primary condition that is recorded on a recipient's record.
The three largest groups are recipients with musculo-skeletal/connective tissue (33.6%), psychological/ psychiatric (26.8%) or intellectual/learning medical conditions (11.3%).
11,063 (1.6%) of DSP recipients are identified as being blind, a slight increase from 10,803 at June 2005 (1.5% of all DSP recipients).
2.2 Recipients by Medical Condition and Gender
Males and females show a similar distribution of medical conditions. The only noticeable differences (ie. a greater than 2 percentage point difference) are for recipients with circulatory conditions (6.1% male and 3.6% female). Refer to top section of Table 2.1 overleaf for a list of all conditions.
More males were former Invalid Pension recipients (granted prior to 1991) than females and therefore do not have their medical condition coded. This needs to be taken into account when interpreting the data as this may contribute to situations where the percentage of females with a particular condition appears greater than the percentage of males.
Nonetheless, there are some significant differences in the percentage of male recipients against the percentage of female recipients for a number of conditions. The major ones include acquired brain impairment (71.6% male and 28.4% female), amputation (80.3% to 19.7%), circulatory system (70.7% to 29.3%) and reproductive system (12.3% to 87.7%). (Note that the male/female proportion of DSP recipients is 58.4%/41.6%). Refer to bottom section of Table 2.1 overleaf for a list of all conditions.
Medical Condition |
Males
|
%
|
Females
|
%
|
2006
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acquired brain impairment | 12,365 | 3.0% | 4,900 | 1.7% | 17,265 | 2.4% |
Amputation | 1,286 | 0.3% | 315 | 0.1% | 1,601 | 0.2% |
Cancer/tumour | 6,980 | 1.7% | 6,466 | 2.2% | 13,446 | 1.9% |
Chronic fatigue/post viral syndrome | 1,101 | 0.3% | 1,512 | 0.5% | 2,613 | 0.4% |
Chronic pain | 2,701 | 0.6% | 3,413 | 1.2% | 6,114 | 0.9% |
Circulatory system | 25,514 | 6.1% | 10,587 | 3.6% | 36,101 | 5.1% |
Congenital abnormality | 6,243 | 1.5% | 5,340 | 1.8% | 11,583 | 1.6% |
Endocrine and immune system | 10,269 | 2.5% | 7,918 | 2.7% | 18,187 | 2.6% |
Gastro-intestinal system | 531 | 0.1% | 723 | 0.2% | 1,254 | 0.2% |
Granted prior to 12.11.91 | 13,809 | 3.3% | 6,335 | 2.1% | 20,144 | 2.8% |
Intellectual/learning | 46,922 | 11.3% | 33,820 | 11.4% | 80,742 | 11.3% |
Musculo-skeletal and connective tissue | 139,773 | 33.6% | 99,536 | 33.6% | 239,309 | 33.6% |
Nervous system | 12,318 | 3.0% | 11,885 | 4.0% | 24,203 | 3.4% |
Psychological/psychiatric | 108,588 | 26.1% | 82,205 | 27.7% | 190,793 | 26.8% |
Reproductive system | 15 | 0.0% | 107 | 0.0% | 122 | 0.0% |
Respiratory system | 10,603 | 2.6% | 8,396 | 2.8% | 18,999 | 2.7% |
Sense organs | 9,705 | 2.3% | 7,470 | 2.5% | 17,175 | 2.4% |
Skin disorders and burns | 1,009 | 0.2% | 778 | 0.3% | 1,787 | 0.3% |
Urogenital system | 266 | 0.1% | 240 | 0.1% | 506 | 0.1% |
Visceral disorder | 5,435 | 1.3% | 4,452 | 1.5% | 9,887 | 1.4% |
Not Coded | 185 | 0.0% | 147 | 0.0% | 332 | 0.0% |
Total | 415,618 | 100.0% | 296,545 | 100.0% | 712,163 | 100.0% |
Of the medical condition groups listed in table 2.2, females outnumbered males in only four groups. These groups are chronic fatigue/post viral syndrome (57.9%), chronic pain (55.8%), gastro-intestinal system (57.7%) and reproductive system (87.7%). Male recipients make up 80.3% of the amputation medical condition group. The next highest male dominated group is acquired brain impairment with 71.6% followed by circulatory system with 70.7%.
2.3 Recipients by Musculo-skeletal/Connective tissue Medical Conditions
The age distribution for recipients with musculo-skeletal/connective tissue conditions is skewed strongly towards the older age groups. This indicates a strong correlation between this type of condition and age.
2.4 Recipients by Psychological/Psychiatric Medical Conditions
Psychological/psychiatric conditions also show a high representation in the older age groups but substantial numbers are in the younger age groups, leading to a more even distribution.
2.5 Recipients by Intellectual Medical Conditions
Recipients with intellectual/learning disabilities vary again in that they are skewed towards the younger age groups. The majority of these recipients are born with their condition and may have a reduced lifespan as a result of their condition. This is reflected in information on duration on DSP for recipients with these disabilities, where the average duration on payment is 14 years.
2.6 New Grants by Age and Medical Condition: July 2005 to June 2006
A comparison of the age distributions of the total DSP population to recipients granted in the 2005-06 financial year shows that:
- new recipients with musculo-skeletal/connective tissue conditions have similar age distributions to the overall DSP population with the same condition;
- new recipients with psychological/psychiatric conditions tend to be in the younger age groups (less than 45 years old) than the overall DSP population with the same condition; and
- new recipients with intellectual/learning difficulties show a higher proportion of young recipients (under 20 years) coming onto payment.
Age |
Musculo-skeletal
/Connective Tissue |
Intellectual
/ Learning |
Psychological
/ Psychiatric |
---|---|---|---|
16-19 | 233 | 3,100 | 1,217 |
20-24 | 199 | 346 | 1,108 |
25-29 | 319 | 152 | 1,440 |
30-34 | 677 | 154 | 1,686 |
35-39 | 1,265 | 135 | 1,819 |
40-44 | 1,942 | 137 | 1,951 |
45-49 | 2,653 | 105 | 1,986 |
50-54 | 3,408 | 79 | 1,625 |
55-59 | 5,661 | 68 | 1,706 |
60-64 | 4,475 | 46 | 891 |
65+ | 30 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 20,862 | 4,322 | 15,430 |
2.7 Recipients by Blind Indicator
There were 11,063 recipients identified as permanently blind (1.6% of the total DSP population). Of these, 55.9% were male, compared to the total DSP population where 58.4% were male. Recipients who are blind tend to be slightly younger than the total DSP population with nearly half (47.1%) aged 35-54.
Age |
Blind Recipients
|
Total DSP recipients
|
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male
|
%
|
Female
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
|
16-19 | 180 | 2.9% | 157 | 3.2% | 337 | 3.0% | 17,310 | 2.4% |
20-24 | 358 | 5.8% | 252 | 5.2% | 610 | 5.5% | 28,912 | 4.1% |
25-29 | 372 | 6.0% | 285 | 5.8% | 657 | 5.9% | 31,342 | 4.4% |
30-34 | 494 | 8.0% | 421 | 8.6% | 915 | 8.3% | 39,547 | 5.6% |
35-39 | 622 | 10.1% | 521 | 10.7% | 1,143 | 10.3% | 51,077 | 7.2% |
40-44 | 683 | 11.0% | 563 | 11.5% | 1,246 | 11.3% | 66,179 | 9.3% |
45-49 | 691 | 11.2% | 619 | 12.7% | 1,310 | 11.8% | 84,334 | 11.8% |
50-54 | 826 | 13.4% | 695 | 14.2% | 1,521 | 13.7% | 101,180 | 14.2% |
55-59 | 905 | 14.6% | 840 | 17.2% | 1,745 | 15.8% | 139,503 | 19.6% |
60-64 | 956 | 15.5% | 513 | 10.5% | 1,469 | 13.3% | 145,595 | 20.4% |
65+ | 97 | 1.6% | 13 | 0.3% | 110 | 1.0% | 7,184 | 1.0% |
Total | 6,184 | 55.9% | 4,879 | 44.1% | 11,063 | 1.6% | 712,163 | 100.0% |
3. Earnings and Duration on Income Support
3.1 Recipients with Earnings from Employment
10.2% of DSP recipients declared income from employment. This is an increase on the 9.4% in June 2005. 55.6% of recipients earn less than $150 per week, although just over one quarter earned $300 or more per week.
Under the current income test, a single DSP recipient can earn up to $62 per week without their payment being reduced. A couple can have a combined income of up to $110 per week before the DSP recipient's rate is affected.
Weekly earnings |
Total
|
Earned only %
|
Total %
|
---|---|---|---|
No Earnings | 639,867 | na | 89.8% |
$0.01 to <$25pw | 6,372 | 8.8% | 0.9% |
$25 to <$50pw | 8,991 | 12.4% | 1.3% |
$50 to <$75pw | 9,995 | 13.8% | 1.4% |
$75 to <$100pw | 5,903 | 8.2% | 0.8% |
$100 to <$150pw | 8,956 | 12.4% | 1.3% |
$150 to <$200pw | 5,404 | 7.5% | 0.8% |
$200 to <$250pw | 4,320 | 6.0% | 0.6% |
$250 to <$300pw | 3,487 | 4.8% | 0.5% |
$300+ pw | 18,909 | 26.1% | 2.7% |
Total | 712,204 | 10.2% | 100.0% |
3.2 Recipients by Duration on Income Support and Gender
Note: Duration on income support includes the period of time a recipient has been on DSP together with the period of time the recipient may have spent on any other income support payment/s prior to being granted DSP. This differs to the methodology used for reports pre 2004. Duration data contained in the 2004 version of this report counted the time spent on any pension rather than the time spent on any income support payment.
The distribution of DSP recipients by duration on income support is fairly even between 1 to less than 2 years and 9 to less than 10 years (around 5.7%). Of this group the largest category is recipients who have been on income support payment for 4 to less than 5 years, representing 6.6% of all recipients. A significant proportion of recipients have been in receipt of DSP for 10 years or more (42.9%).
The average duration on income support for male recipients was 10.0 years, female recipients 10.6 years and 10.2 years for all DSP recipients.
Duration |
Males
|
%
|
Females
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
< 1 year | 17,272 | 4.2% | 10,174 | 3.4% | 27,446 | 3.9% |
1 to < 2 Years | 22,006 | 5.3% | 14,678 | 4.9% | 36,684 | 5.2% |
2 to < 3 Years | 24,202 | 5.8% | 16,837 | 5.7% | 41,039 | 5.8% |
3 to < 4 Years | 26,382 | 6.4% | 16,953 | 5.7% | 43,335 | 6.1% |
4 to < 5 Years | 28,338 | 6.8% | 18,393 | 6.2% | 46,731 | 6.6% |
5 to < 6 Years | 27,365 | 6.6% | 18,497 | 6.2% | 45,862 | 6.4% |
6 to < 7 Years | 24,635 | 5.9% | 18,207 | 6.1% | 42,842 | 6.0% |
7 to < 8 Years | 23,229 | 5.6% | 17,174 | 5.8% | 40,403 | 5.7% |
8 to < 9 Years | 25,249 | 6.1% | 17,818 | 6.0% | 43,067 | 6.0% |
9 to < 10 Years | 23,346 | 5.6% | 16,119 | 5.4% | 39,465 | 5.5% |
10 to < 15 Years | 98,074 | 23.6% | 74,164 | 25.0% | 172,238 | 24.2% |
15 to < 20 years | 35,106 | 8.5% | 25,959 | 8.7% | 61,065 | 8.6% |
20+ years | 40,124 | 9.7% | 31,824 | 10.7% | 71,948 | 10.1% |
Total | 415,328 | 100.0% | 296,797 | 100.0% | 712,125 | 100.0% |
3.3 Recipients by Duration on Income Support and Gender by those aged less than 50 and those aged 50 and over
Note: Duration on income support includes the period of time a recipient has been on DSP together with the period of time the recipient may have spent on any other income support payment/s prior to being granted DSP. This differs to the methodology used for reports pre 2004. Duration data contained in the 2004 version of this report counted the time spent on any pension rather than the time spent on any income support payment.
DSP recipients aged 50 years or over make up over half of the total DSP population (55.2%). These recipients also tend to have been on an income support payment for longer periods than recipients aged less than 50 years (average of 11.1 years compared to 10.0 years respectively).
Duration |
Males
|
Females
|
Total
|
% of total
<50 yrs |
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
% of total
<50 yrs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
< 1 year | 8,625 | 4,359 | 12,984 | 4.1% | 8,647 | 5,815 | 14,462 | 3.7% |
1 to < 2 Years | 10,598 | 6,340 | 16,938 | 5.3% | 11,408 | 8,338 | 19,746 | 5.0% |
2 to < 3 Years | 11,719 | 7,427 | 19,146 | 6.0% | 12,483 | 9,410 | 21,893 | 5.6% |
3 to < 4 Years | 12,227 | 7,928 | 20,155 | 6.3% | 14,155 | 9,025 | 23,180 | 5.9% |
4 to < 5 Years | 12,976 | 8,385 | 21,361 | 6.7% | 15,362 | 10,008 | 25,370 | 6.4% |
5 to < 6 Years | 13,061 | 8,728 | 21,789 | 6.8% | 14,304 | 9,769 | 24,073 | 6.1% |
6 to < 7 Years | 11,903 | 8,772 | 20,675 | 6.5% | 12,732 | 9,435 | 22,167 | 5.6% |
7 to < 8 Years | 10,890 | 7,847 | 18,737 | 5.9% | 12,339 | 9,327 | 21,666 | 5.5% |
8 to < 9 Years | 13,221 | 8,949 | 22,170 | 7.0% | 12,028 | 8,869 | 20,897 | 5.3% |
9 to < 10 Years | 10,993 | 7,243 | 18,236 | 5.7% | 12,353 | 8,876 | 21,229 | 5.4% |
10 to < 15 Years | 40,508 | 30,688 | 71,196 | 22.3% | 57,566 | 43,476 | 101,042 | 25.7% |
15 to < 20 years | 14,647 | 11,672 | 26,319 | 8.3% | 20,459 | 14,287 | 34,746 | 8.8% |
> 20 years | 15,560 | 13,473 | 29,033 | 9.1% | 24,564 | 18,351 | 42,915 | 10.9% |
Total | 186,928 | 131,811 | 318,739 | 100.0% | 228,400 | 164,986 | 393,386 | 100.0% |
4. New Claims
4.1 New Claims Granted by Age and Gender
During the period July 2005 to June 2006, there were 100,441 new claims for DSP processed. Of these, 61,396 were granted (61.1%).
Males make up 56.0% of new grants for DSP while females comprise 44.0% (this compares to 56.1% for males and 43.9% for females in 2004-05). These proportions are similar to the percentage distribution of males and females in the overall DSP population (males currently make up 58.4% of the total DSP population and females 41.6%). The age distribution of new grants also shows a higher percentage of recipients in the age groups 16-19, 40-44, and 55-59 than is found in the total DSP population.
Age |
New grants
|
Total DSP Recipients
|
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male
|
%
|
Female
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
|
16-19 | 3,438 | 10.0% | 2,214 | 8.2% | 5,652 | 9.2% | 17,310 | 2.4% |
20-24 | 1,293 | 3.8% | 874 | 3.2% | 2,167 | 3.5% | 28,912 | 4.1% |
25-29 | 1,560 | 4.5% | 905 | 3.3% | 2,465 | 4.0% | 31,342 | 4.4% |
30-34 | 2,005 | 5.8% | 1,343 | 5.0% | 3,348 | 5.4% | 39,547 | 5.6% |
35-39 | 2,498 | 7.3% | 1,864 | 6.9% | 4,362 | 7.1% | 51,077 | 7.2% |
40-44 | 3,043 | 8.8% | 2,703 | 10.0% | 5,746 | 9.4% | 66,179 | 9.3% |
45-49 | 3,463 | 10.1% | 3,573 | 13.2% | 7,036 | 11.4% | 84,334 | 11.8% |
50-54 | 4,026 | 11.7% | 4,213 | 15.6% | 8,239 | 13.4% | 101,180 | 14.2% |
55-59 | 6,145 | 17.9% | 6,101 | 22.6% | 12,246 | 19.9% | 139,503 | 19.6% |
60-64 | 6,815 | 19.8% | 3,201 | 11.8% | 10,016 | 16.3% | 145,595 | 20.4% |
65+ | 66 | 0.2% | 4 | 0.0% | 70 | 0.1% | 7,184 | 1.0% |
Unknown | 40 | 0.2% | 9 | 0.2% | 49 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.0% |
Total | 34,413 | 100.0% | 27,038 | 100.0% | 61,396 | 100.0% | 712,163 | 100.0% |
4.2 Comparison of New Grants and Current Recipients by Medical Condition
The distributions of new grants and current recipients by medical condition are very similar. A few notable exceptions are the reduced percentage of new grants of recipients with intellectual/learning disabilities (7.2% of new grants compared to 11.7% of total DSP population) and psychological/psychiatric (25.1% of new grants compared to 27.6% of the total DSP population); and the increased number of new grants for recipients with cancer/tumour (7.8% of new grants compared to 1.9% of total DSP population) and circulatory system (7.3% of new grants compared to 5.2% of total DSP population).
When Invalid Pension ceased in November 1991, these recipients were transferred to DSP. These recipients did not have a medical condition recorded on their Centrelink record. They are being progressively reviewed and ascribed a medical condition, but at June 2006, ex-Invalid Pension recipients without a medical condition recorded on their Centrelink record made up 2.8% of the total DSP population.
By including these recipients when looking at medical conditions, it has the effect of reducing the percentages in the other categories. Therefore, recipients granted DSP prior to 12 November 1991 have been excluded from graph 4.2 below to provide a clearer picture of the relationship between current recipients and new grants.
Medical Condition |
Male
|
%
|
Female
|
%
|
New Grants
|
%
|
Total Recipients
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acquired brain impairment | 786 | 2.3% | 293 | 1.1% | 1,079 | 1.8% | 17,265 | 2.5% |
Amputation | 93 | 0.3% | 27 | 0.1% | 120 | 0.2% | 1,601 | 0.2% |
Cancer/tumour | 2,780 | 8.1% | 2,040 | 7.6% | 4,820 | 7.9% | 13,446 | 1.9% |
Chronic fatigue/post viral syndrome | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.0% | 2,613 | 0.4% |
Chronic Pain | 200 | 0.6% | 289 | 1.1% | 489 | 0.8% | 6,114 | 0.9% |
Circulatory system | 2,983 | 8.7% | 1,502 | 5.6% | 4,485 | 7.3% | 36,101 | 5.2% |
Congenital abnormality | 200 | 0.6% | 198 | 0.7% | 398 | 0.6% | 11,583 | 1.7% |
Endocrine and immune system | 896 | 2.6% | 771 | 2.9% | 1,667 | 2.7% | 18,187 | 2.6% |
Gastro-intestinal system | 106 | 0.3% | 91 | 0.3% | 197 | 0.3% | 1,254 | 0.2% |
Intellectual/learning | 2,778 | 8.1% | 1,619 | 6.0% | 4,397 | 7.2% | 80,742 | 11.7% |
Musculo-skeletal and connective tissue | 11,006 | 32.0% | 9,839 | 36.4% | 20,845 | 34.0% | 239,309 | 34.6% |
Nervous system | 1,318 | 3.8% | 1,237 | 4.6% | 2,555 | 4.2% | 24,203 | 3.5% |
Psychological/psychiatric | 8,466 | 24.6% | 6,964 | 25.8% | 15,430 | 25.1% | 190,793 | 27.6% |
Reproductive system | 1 | 0.0% | 10 | 0.0% | 11 | 0.0% | 122 | 0.0% |
Respiratory system | 1,033 | 3.0% | 775 | 2.9% | 1,808 | 2.9% | 18,999 | 2.7% |
Sense organs | 814 | 2.4% | 604 | 2.2% | 1,418 | 2.3% | 17,175 | 2.5% |
Skin disorders and burns | 84 | 0.2% | 67 | 0.2% | 151 | 0.2% | 1,787 | 0.3% |
Urogenital system | 40 | 0.1% | 31 | 0.1% | 71 | 0.1% | 506 | 0.1% |
Visceral disorder | 795 | 2.3% | 658 | 2.4% | 1,453 | 2.4% | 9,887 | 1.4% |
Not coded | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 332 | 0.0% |
Total | 34,381 | 100.0% | 27,015 | 100.0% | 61,396 | 100.0% | 692,019 | 100.0% |
* Excludes 20,144 recipients granted prior to 12 November 1991
4.3 New Claims Rejected by Reason and Gender
During the period July 2005 to June 2006, there were 100,441 new claims for DSP processed. Of these, 39,045 were rejected (38.9%). The main reasons for rejecting the claim were because the recipient had less than 20 points impairment as assessed under the Impairment Tables (36.5%), or had a short-term disability (19.6%).
Of the medical rejection reasons, females were more likely than males to be rejected because their disability was short term or their impairment level was less than 20 points. Males were more likely than females to be rejected because their impairment level was greater than 20% but they could return to full time work or be re-skilled.
Medical Rejection Reasons |
Male
|
%
|
Female
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Less than 20% impaired | 7,391 | 34.9% | 6,732 | 37.7% | 14,123 | 36.2% |
Disability is short term | 4,025 | 19.0% | 3,570 | 20.0% | 7,595 | 19.5% |
Manifest - temporary | 2,346 | 11.1% | 2,076 | 11.6% | 4,422 | 11.3% |
>20% impaired/can work full time | 612 | 2.9% | 393 | 2.2% | 1,005 | 2.6% |
>20% impaired/can work 15+ hours per week | ||||||
>20% impaired/can be re-skilled | 318 | 1.5% | 202 | 1.1% | 520 | 1.3% |
Manifest - can work 30 HRS P/W | 134 | 0.6% | 106 | 0.6% | 240 | 0.6% |
Manifest - not sufficient impairment | 37 | 0.2% | 32 | 0.2% | 69 | 0.2% |
Not permanently blind | 17 | 0.1% | 18 | 0.1% | 35 | 0.1% |
Incapacitated/blinded overseas | 7 | 0.0% | 6 | 0.0% | 13 | 0.0% |
Non-medical Rejection Reasons |
Male
|
%
|
Female
|
%
|
Total
|
%
|
Failed to supply requested information | 2,891 | 13.7% | 2,135 | 11.9% | 5,026 | 12.9% |
Fail to attend assess/medical exam/interview | 962 | 4.5% | 727 | 4.1% | 1,689 | 4.3% |
Compensation | 608 | 2.9% | 277 | 1.5% | 885 | 2.3% |
Customer request | 363 | 1.7% | 329 | 1.8% | 692 | 1.8% |
Excess income | 330 | 1.6% | 367 | 2.1% | 697 | 1.8% |
Not residentially qualified | 278 | 1.3% | 267 | 1.5% | 545 | 1.4% |
Assets over limit | 233 | 1.1% | 154 | 0.9% | 387 | 1.0% |
Failed agreement specific rules | 117 | 0.6% | 99 | 0.6% | 216 | 0.6% |
Not Coded | 48 | 0.2% | 60 | 0.3% | 108 | 0.3% |
Other | 445 | 2.1% | 322 | 1.8% | 767 | 2.0% |
Total | 21,162 | 100.0% | 17,872 | 100.0% | 39,034 | 100.0% |
5. Where DSP Recipients are Coming From and Going To
5.1 Where DSP Recipients Are Coming From
There were 57,798 people receiving DSP in June 2006 who were not receiving DSP in June 2005. These "new recipients"represent 8.1% of the total DSP population as at June 2006. The largest group of people entering DSP are those who were not previously receiving an income support payment. These comprise 45.9% of new recipients on payment. The next largest source of DSP recipients is transfers from Newstart Allowance with 32.8% of new recipients, up from 32.7% in 2004-05, followed by Parenting Payment (both Single and Partnered) with 6.5% of new DSP recipients. A small group of recipients (5.4%) have their origins from a range of other payments, being Youth Allowance, Sickness Allowance and Partner Allowance. The numbers from each payment are small and these proportions have remained fairly static for at least the last few financial years.
It should be noted that figures for recipient transfers do not exactly match those for new grants due to the different business rules used in extracting these data sets, for example, some new grants can be for the same recipient or a recipient may be granted DSP and then leave DSP within the same year.
Origin | Count | % |
---|---|---|
Non Client | 26,547 | 45.9% |
Newstart Allowance | 18,954 | 32.8% |
Parenting Payments | 3,751 | 6.5% |
Youth Allowance | 1,424 | 2.5% |
Sickness Allowance | 980 | 1.7% |
Partner Allowance | 718 | 1.2% |
Other payments | 5,424 | 9.4% |
Total | 57,798 | 100.0% |
5.2 Where DSP Recipients Are Going To
The majority of recipients who were on DSP in June 2004 but were not on DSP in June 2005 moved on to Age Pension (48.4%). As recipients reach Age Pension eligibility age the vast majority transfer across although a very small percentage of recipients choose to remain on DSP.
Of the people who left DSP, 26.9% left payments entirely. A substantial proportion (17.9%) of exits from DSP was because of the death of the recipient.
Destination | Count | % |
---|---|---|
Age Pension | 26,224 | 48.4% |
Non Client | 14,558 | 26.9% |
Deceased | 9,687 | 17.9% |
Newstart/Youth Allowance | 1,046 | 1.9% |
Other payments | 2,646 | 4.9% |
Total | 54,161 | 100.0% |
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