Brownie,sorry I misinterpreted your comment about the 750,00 single mothers as a snide comment about my realist views of our society's foibles.The reality is under our socialists system,the mothers with real genetic ability are having no children,they are also defending the rights of the ferals to be supported by the state and have as many progeny as they wish,totally paid for by the tax payer.Genetically we are going backwards thanks to socialism.Harsh,but I like to face realities.

Oh! how rare for anyone to say sorry about anything these days. RJ you DO have a caring side you have been hiding. The DSP will flare up in the news again when Clink have finished with Habib. I swear to all you commentors with jobs, that there is no excess for overseas travel after I pay rent utilities and buy plain food. I don't smoke or go to movies. My ISP $18 per month is my only luxury and my computer was purchased with the remains from selling my house. This year the usual car rego discount was revoked from us. I anticipate having to beg for a living in the future and am practising my harmonica . . . . .

Brownie ,the genuinely disabled I will back to the hilt.They should be able to maintain part time jobs and collect the full pension as a way of recompense for their hardship.The Govt however has reclassified many long term unemployed and general lay abouts as disabled.This has taken money from the genuinely disabled.If the bludgers get to work there will be more than enough for all.Of the 700,000 on DSP they estimate about half are able to work.

i'm curious about what is meant by 'genuinely disabled'?

i have been trying to get employed for six years now. i'm university educated, but my disability has led to my being excluded from serious consideration, or undervalued when i have convinced someone to give me a go.

having a job is one thing, but having employment that is satisfying is as much a right of a person with a disability as for anyone else. being employed below your capacity (and skill & training level), and paid a fraction of the wage of your peers is just as insulting to me as it would be for mr howard.

the government's estimate of half od dsp recipients being able to work relies on their proposed changes to the benefit's eligibility rules. just because someone *may* 'be able' to work x hours per week doesn't mean they'll get a job, or keep one. setting out to create another cheap labor underclass is great for everyone except the cheap underclass. [who would *want* to work and be treated badly?]

centrelink rules are at least as much to blame for this supposed 'crisis' as anything else. to be excluded from assistance that could see me employed as a professional because of 'classification' rules is insane. to then blame (all) welfare recipients ... well ...