To the Commissioner
	
I might have missed it in everything I have read, but one of the biggest 
concerns for a lot of parents is the ability to meet all the criteria to get 
access to services, e.g. "means testing", is just one example that has not been addressed. I think to make this work for everyone, regardless of income and ability this should be abolished.

Yes I agree a person should be appointed to the individual to look after their 
care and rights to treatment, but why should we be punished by not being able to 
pass some mandatory requirement, I think all factors should be taken into 
consideration, not only income but what it takes for a family to exist with 
caring for a person with a disability and what that costs incur. 

These are the big hidden costs which are not addressed by a means test, for example it is very difficult to find rental property for a child with a disability so the only choice for us is to buy a house at a debt of about $750,000 which gives you a basic house in sydney with a lot of problems as well, but it is all you can find to suit a blind and disabled child, the bathrooms are small so I have to man handle my son into a very small bath and toilet. 

My wife works long hours to earn the money to pay for said mortgage, I stay home to look after my son, which the government in there great generosity pay me the total sum of $50 dollars a week, for 24/7 care. This does not even cover the cost of my own medications for my own ill health let alone harrys. It costs me about $50 just to get to Westmead Hosp to pick up his meds alone. Then we have another son, who also has problems, but because I do not have time to help him, he is falling behind in his education.

Yes and because or income is so great, ha ha we get no help there either because again we cannot pass the means test. Take all the costs into account and I think some weeks I would be better of not working all the years I have to pay tax etc, or for that matter why am I forced to pay for private health, when there is no private health facilities for children, that one makes me really laugh, you dont even have the dignity of a private room for your child to die in, or get some quiet time with a terminally ill child in hospital.

When the very people who are paying the tax to support a great scheme will be subject to this draconian measure is a bit of double dipping. If the means test system in abolished and a fairer system is proposed I am all for it. But at the moment I personally think the system stinks, it does not support the family, it just makes it harder to exist.

Thanks Lyell Townsend