Re: Submission into Services

I would like to make a further Submission into Services 
Housing NSW
Every time I get a pension rise from the Federal Government The State Government Housing NSW puts the rent up to 25% of my income of that Pension rise as Housing NSW regards pension rises are income the Housing NSW rental increases wipes out any Pension rise that I may had had in my Pension 
I submit that it is no good rising the pensions until the Issue with Housing NSW Policy has been addressed I think people who are on the Disability Support Pension should be exempt from Housing NSW rental increases every time they get a rise in their Pension The Disability Minister need to influence the Housing minister and put in Legislation to Protect our people with a Disability who are on the Borderline of poverty 
I recommend the Commoners takes this up with the State government to put in change I had to cut back on Recreation things to survive 
Pensions
Pension rises needed to go beyond the 25% to come in line with Housing NSW Policy that I pay 25% of my income this includes Pension rises 
I recommend that the Commissioner looks both at the State Governments and Federal Government and this Submission should go to the Next Coarg Government to come up with an agreement
Electricity 
It has been advertised in the Media that Power is going to go up and up this will have Dire Financial Hardship for people who are on a Disability pension and people with a Disability this will lead to disconnection or people turning to welfare like St Vincent’s De Paul and the Salvation Army and the Smith Family Lifeline and Anglicise I think their needs to be a cap on how high the Power Company need to raise the power to ensure that the power does not come unaffordable for people with a Disability 
Homecare
Homecare is no Longer Flexible if a person with a Disability needs to change the day they come from time to time in our area in Sutherland this was demonstrated when the day I receive the service that is on a Wednesday that Wednesday was Australia Day so I missed a Service on that week as I am on once a week service and the day of my public Holiday Australia Day fell on a Wednesday
Homecare NSW claim they have too many clients in the Sutherland Shire and must stick to a timetable and days
I recommend the Commoner investigate this and remind Homecare that the Service must be flexible to clients needs and comply with the Disability Appeals and Monitoring (Crama Act) Homecare is part of ADHC
To achieve this auditors that Audit Homecare must speak to their Clients including me for feedback but at present Auditors only speak to Staff Care workers that homecare Employs and the area Managers who tick all the boxes and say nothing is wrong but if auditors speak to Clients from homecare Complaints will come out and Auditors will find that Homecare is non Compliant with the Disability standards and the Disability Complaints and Monitoring Act
Since I raised Problems with a Community Centre in 2010 this matter has now been resolved I recommend no further action
Education TAFE and Community Colleges
I applied to do a course with TAFE on facebook and YouTube Tafe was not able to help me I was referred to a Community College I was booked in the Computer Course by the Disability worker but when I got to the Course the course was not able to teach youtube and facebook I was referred to Council Community Centres Community centres were not able to help me they referred me to Volunteers NSW after having an appointment with them they said they only send their Volunteers to Organizations and Services they do not assist individuals after everything was exhausted we were out of options
Educations body’s that employs a Disability worker that should able to find courses that tailor Indvidrauls to their Needs but I was put on the referral runabout with no success for Disability worker employed by the Dept of Education need to link people with a Disability into courses they want to do
In Summary
Please consider this matter and I recommend that Services and Organizations need to have a workable way of Dealing with people with a Disability

James Condren
21/4/11