Statement from BCA President Graham Bradley
The Disability Support Pension forms a vital function in Australia’s welfare system for those who do not have, or have limited capacity, to participate in the paid workforce.
The BCA has not recommended that disability support pensions be cut or reduced to fund the flood reconstruction effort or as an alternative to the flood levy, as was reported this morning.
The approach to the reconstruction effort recommended in the BCA’s 2011–12 Budget Submission is that the federal government should first focus on reducing or resequencing spending on programs that give least value for money.
Longer term, the BCA submission recommends that steps be taken to place the nation’s finances on a more secure footing for the future, including policies that provide opportunities for people who want to work and are capable of working to enter the paid workforce.