Malcolm
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Malcolm is in his early 60s and has bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Scheuermann’s disease.
He received the Disability Support Pension (DSP) until changes to the Social Security Act 1991 (Cth) made him ineligible.
Malcolm has been unemployed for about five years. During this time he has made three separate applications for the DSP. Each application required paperwork from medical specialists and a range of forms to be completed. Malcolm said he supplied everything required.
‘Centrelink have treated my applications with a mix of disinformation, lies and deceptive conduct,’ Malcolm told the Royal Commission.
He estimates 100,000 people like him were removed from the DSP and put on unemployment support – at the time Newstart and now JobSeeker.
The situation with Centrelink and the DSP has caused Malcolm so much distress ‘he has twice tried to commit suicide’.
Forcing people with disability onto JobSeeker makes Malcolm think the government ‘regards us as TRASH’.
‘I ask for situations like mine, and so many others, be considered by the Commission.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.