The Sydney Morning Herald has run a prominent story today regarding a number of disabled residents of Norfolk Island who have been stripped of the disability support pension as a result of the Australian Government’s takeover of the island in July last year. (See online: http://www.smh.com.au/national/norfolk-islanders-refused-disability-support-under-australian-government-20170202-gu42no ).
I can provide contact details for the two men featured in the story.

The first is David McCowan, a 63-year-old amputee with a serious heart condition who was told by the Department of Human Services that he is capable of working as a mobile security guard.

The second is Greg Magri, 47, who previously received a Norfolk Island disability pension for 15 years due to a brain injury caused by a stroke. He has had his application for an Australian pension rejected because he is not registered with a disability employment service. This is despite the fact that this was never previously a requirement on Norfolk Island, and no such organisation exists.

Below are brief summaries of their individual situations.

David McCowan’s case:

David McCowan is a former nurse and hospital administrator.
In June 2016 he applied for the Disability Support Pension.
On 30 June 2016 he suffered a massive heart attack and was medivaced to Australia, where he was treated in the Prince of Wales Hospital Intensive Care Unit and Coronary Care Unit. He was clinically deceased for at least half an hour and required resuscitation numerous times.
On 22 July 2016, when he returned to Norfolk Island, he found he had received notification of a Job Capacity Assessment at Darlinghurst on 19 July 2016. Attendance at this Job Assessment would have meant flying to Sydney (at a cost of up to $1,000), plus accommodation from the Monday to Friday (at least $150.00 per night).
Mid August 2016: Underwent a telephone Job Assessment.
Late August 2016: Advised that application for Disability Support Pension was unsuccessful.
In October 2016 he lodged an appeal.
On 21 December 2016 he received a telephone call from the Department of Human Services to advise that his appeal was unsuccessful. They stated that this was because he had not been under a Disability Support Provider for at least 18 months (despite none existing on Norfolk Island).
The written report outlining the reasons his appeal was rejected also stated that he was capable of undertaking jobs including taxi driver, bus/tram driver and mobile security patrol (despite being an amputee who is unable to drive). Other jobs recommended are those that do not exist on Norfolk Island, including telephone nursing and gaming attendant.

Greg Magri’s case:

When Greg was four years old, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, resulting in permanent brain damage.
Prior to July 1, 2016, he had been a recipient of the Norfolk Island disability pension for nearly 15 years.
On 17 May 2016 he applied to move over to the Australian disability support pension.
On 25 July he was sent a rejection letter, with the Department of Human Services informing him he had been rejected due to not having been registered with a Disability Support Agency for a period of 2.5 years. He was then referred to a disability service in Sydney.
He has appealed three times, and been rejected on each occasion for the same reason.
Financially, the situation has been extremely hard. He has gone from receiving $350 per week on the Norfolk Island disability pension to $249 dollars a week on Newstart.
He says he has been extremely lucky that he has family on the island to fall back on, as the financial and emotional hardship caused by this situation is quite extreme.
Tim Vollmer