1384.6 - Statistics - Tasmania, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 13/09/2002   
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Contents >> Income >> Income support >> Payments for those with a disability or those who are sick, Department of Family and Community Services

Over the past decade, increasing numbers of people have become reliant on disability-related income support payments. This trend will continue with the increasing incidence of disability associated with an ageing population, changes in labour market structure leading to a decrease in the availability of certain types of work, and the extension of eligibility criteria for the Carer Payment.

The implementation of the Disability Reform Package in 1991 aimed to encourage people with disabilities to maximise their workforce potential through rehabilitation, training, and labour market programs in order to minimise long-term dependency on income support.

SELECTED PAYMENTS FOR THOSE WITH A DISABILITY OR THOSE WHO ARE SICK(a), Tasmania - June 2003
Recipients at June 2003

no.
Disability Support Pension
23,307
Carer Allowance
8,577
Carer Payment
2,690
Mobility Allowance
1,369
Sickness Allowance
161

(a) As at May 2004, Centrelink figures have been revised to conform to new standard definitions.

Source: Centrelink.


The Disability Support Pension ensures an adequate level of income for people whose physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment prevents them from working, or for people who are permanently blind.

At 30 June 2003, there were 23,307 people receiving this pension in Tasmania.

A Wife Pension may be paid to the female partner of a disability support pensioner if she does not qualify for a pension in her own right. New grants of Wife Pension ceased after 30 June 1995. Women who were receiving the Wife Pension at that time can continue to receive this pension provided they meet qualification provisions and their partner is receiving the Disability Support Pension.

At 30 June 2003 there were 1,596 female partners of Disability Support pensioners receiving the Wife Pension.


RECIPIENTS OF DISABILITY SUPPORT PENSION(a), Tasmania
Unit
June 2001
June 2002
June 2003
Age group (years)
16-19
no.
449
467
454
20-39
no.
4,573
4,828
4,942
40-59
no.
12,530
13,183
13,609
60 and over
no.
3,762
4,172
4,302

Sex
Males
no.
13,485
14,123
14,424
Females
no.
7,829
8,527
8,883
Persons
no.
21,314
22,650
23,307

Wife Pension (Disability Support)

no.

2,050

1,819

1,596

(a) As at May 2004, Centrelink figures have been revised to conform to new standard definitions.

Source: Centrelink.

Further information about the payments in the tables above is available from the Centrelink web site:



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