Advocacy

Federal Parliamentary inquiry - Better Support for Carers. Submissions due 4th July

A new Inquiry has been announced by the House of Representatives Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth looking at the system of carer support in Australia. The inquiry is focusing on social and economic participation and the practical measures need to better support carers in their role. The MS Society will make a submission, however this is a great opportunity for carers and families to tell the inquiry their own ideas for improvements that come from direct experience of caring for a person with MS. Read the Inquiry Media release:

We have prepared a brief guide for families wanting to make a submitting to the inquiry. Read more.

Keeping Cool Campaign

Keeping cool on hot days and nights is essential for people with MS. The Policy Team is working on improving State Government assistance for people with MS on low incomes to pay the costs of running their air conditioners on hot days and nights. 

WA already has an excellent scheme – the Thermoregulatory Dysfunction Subsidy Scheme puts $335 annually into the pockets of people on low incomes with significant heat intolerance problems.

Victoria likewise already had a concession scheme – the MS Summer Concession, which provided a 17.5% discount on summer (Dec, Jan & Feb) electricity bills for those on low incomes (typically those with pension or healthcare cards or DVA gold cards).

There are no dedicated medical cooling concessions available in other states, and over the next couple of years campaigns will be run to help address this gap.

In late 2007 the Policy Team launched a campaign to improve Victoria ’s MS Summer Concession, which was only contributing an average of $20 of assistance. As part of this campaign a Discussion Paper and a Budget Submission were developed. This campaign was incredibly successful, with annual expenditure projected to expand from $120,000 to $625,000. As part of the new Victorian Budget it was announced that the concession would be expanded from 3 months to 6 months (it now includes Nov, March & April). The concession has also been renamed the ‘Medical Cooling Concession’, to make it clearer to people with heat intolerance arising from conditions other than MS that they might also be eligible.

In March 2008 a ‘Keeping Cool’ campaign was also launched in NSW. A Background Paper and Cost Estimates note have been produced to support this campaign. Over the next 12 months we will be enlisting the support of people with MS and their families in this campaign to contact their MPs (letters, meetings and phone calls) to raise awareness of heat intolerance, and the need for additional financial assistance to enable those on low incomes to pay the cost of running their air conditioners. Well also be working with other non-government organisations, and NSW bureaucrats and politicians to find a workable solution to this issue. If you are interested in assisting with this campaign, please get in touch with Dr Michael Summers, Senior Policy Advisor for MS Australia, 03 9845 2730, msummers@mssociety.com.au.

Discussions have also been initiated with the MS Societies in Tasmania and South Australia regarding running campaigns there. Similarly, campaigns will be initiated in ACT and QLD over time.

View the Victorian Budget Submission for MS Summer Electricity Concession. 
View the Background Paper on the Need for a NSW Medical Cooling Concession 
View the Heat Intolerance Medical Cooling Concession for NSW Cost Estimates 
View the Discussion Paper on Victorian Government MS Summer Concession 

MS Australia's response to the Discussion Paper on National Standards

Download National Employment Standards Discussion Paper

Download MS Australia's Response

MS Australia has sought a range of initiatives to assist people with MS and their families in its 2008 Federal Budget submission. The submission addresses 4 main themes, Research, Employment and Financial Security, Health and Lifetime Care.

The submission details specific programs that need to be supported. It includes:

• Better support in the workplace, including job retention programs and work based personal care.
• A range of MS research projects coordinated by MS Research Australia.
• Broader access to non PBS medications.
• Reform of the Welfare to Work regime to improve eligibility for the Disability Support Pension for people with progressive conditions.
• Improved Government coordination in the provision of respite and other lifetime care services and to implement a dedicated continuous care program for people with MS and similar conditions.

Download the Budget Submission (Executive Summary)

Download the Budget Submission (Complete Submission)

Have you got any questions about Centrelink's benefits?

People with MS and carers who are in receipt of Centrelink or family tax benefit need good information in their dealings with Centrelink and this information is not easy to find.

The National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN) has compiled a comprehensive set of fact sheets dealing with all aspects of Centrelink benefits and processes, including appeals.

Click here to be transferred to the NWRN website page that lists the available fact sheets by subject an benefit.

www.welfarerights.org.au

The NWRN is a network of services throughout Australia that provides free and independent information, advice and representation to individuals about Social Security law and its administration through Centrelink.

The NWRN consists of both specialist community legal centres and services as well as individual advocates who are based in generalist community legal centres.

NWRN member organisations are located in each capital city in Australia and in four regional centres. They are completely independent of Centrelink and all government departments.