News In Briefs

Injustice

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, Cretinlink has told 16 year old Matthew Pearce, who suffers from leukaemia, that he has to find work.
"I have to bath and dress him," the boy's mother said. "It's like going back to having an infant. I don't begrudge it. I'd love him to go back to school and be with his friends but he can't do that."
She said that Matthew arrived home from hospital in a wheelchair and fitted with a nasal feeding tube to find a letter instructing him to appear at the assessment the following day.
Unable to contact the company to explain their situation, the Pearces went to the building only to find the main entrance did not admit wheelchairs. Two passing police officers had to assist them into the building.
Mrs Pearce was so angry she contacted her MP, Labor's Kim Wilkie, who will raise the case in Federal Parliament today. Mr Wilkie said the Pearce family's situation was the result of "ill-conceived government policy".
"The Howard Government needs to explain how people with a disability are supposed to get assessed if they can't even get into the building. Once they get into the building, their assessments are clearly unjust."
Tough new welfare rules have begun requiring people applying for the disability support payment to prove they are not able to work a minimum of 15 hours a week.

posted by Steve @ Wednesday, August 09, 2006