Survey of New Disability Support Pension Customers - Executive Summary
Project overview
There has been relatively little Australian research into the experiences of people with a disability who are receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and the factors that may have contributed to their need for income support. As a result, little is known about the profile of this population including their current and longer-term aspirations.
To enhance its knowledge of new DSP customers, during February and March 2004, the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) conducted a telephone survey of 1,001 new DSP customers. Participants in the survey had been receiving DSP for between three and seven months. The purpose of the survey was to provide an improved understanding of the circumstances and characteristics of new DSP customers.
FaCS would like to thank everyone who took part in the survey. The results of this survey and the related research activities will substantially contribute to the development of policy advice in relation to disability benefits and programs for people with a disability.
Data analysis and reports
This report contains preliminary analysis of the survey results. The analysis is preliminary because it is largely descriptive and presents the data in straightforward tables and charts. Further analysis will be undertaken over time and subsequent reports are likely to include more sophisticated analysis and to examine particular themes or findings in more detail. FaCS has also commissioned additional qualitative research that will engage survey participants in focus groups to explore in more depth some of the findings in areas of strong policy interest.
Methodology
The survey took an average of 26 minutes to complete and was conducted by telephone with DSP clients and/or a nominated representative. Interpreters were available for people from non-English speaking backgrounds and people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.
The survey participants were not a random or representative sample of the population of new DSP customers. Instead the sample was constructed to make sure there was a good representation of customers across three key variables – age, gender and medical condition. As a result of constructing the sample this way, drawing conclusions about the overall population of customers beginning to receive DSP is difficult, as the sample does not reflect this population. The advantage of having a sample of this kind is that much stronger conclusions can be made about specific groups. The preliminary analysis has examined similarities and differences between the circumstances and experiences of survey participants with common characteristics, including four age groups and four categories of primary medical condition.
Survey participants
The 1,001 survey participants are evenly distributed across 10 age groups from 16 years to 64 years, with roughly equal numbers of men and women within each of the age groups.
Within the survey cohort, 81.7 per cent of participants were born in Australia and 18.3 per cent were born overseas. A slightly higher proportion (2.9 per cent) identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or both, compared to the Australian population (2.2 per cent).
The distribution of survey participants across States and Territories appears to be broadly consistent with the distribution of DSP customers.
Participants in the survey have a diverse range of disabilities, with some representation in almost all of the 18 categories of primary medical condition identified for DSP customers. The three most prevalent categories both within the survey cohort and within the DSP population are psychological/psychiatric, musculo skeletal and connective tissue and intellectual/learning.
Wherever possible, survey interviews were conducted directly with the DSP customer. The proportion of interviews conducted with a nominee speaking on behalf of the customer was relatively small overall (13.9 per cent) but much higher amongst customers aged 16-24 years (39.4 per cent). This may be due to a combination of disability and age related factors impacting on the capacity of individuals to participate, particularly in relation to difficulties with comprehension and communication.
Households and family relationships
Overall, 73.7 per cent of survey participants live with family members, 17.9 per cent live alone; 7.3 per cent live with other people who are not relatives and 1.1 per cent live in other circumstances which included health or mental health facilities.
A total of 262 participants have children and of these around two-thirds are part of a couple family (63.7 per cent) and a third are lone parents (30.9 per cent).
Participants with children reported a slightly higher rate of participation in paid employment (10.7 per cent) compared to those without children (8.0 per cent). Employment participation was particularly high among those parents whose youngest child is aged between 13-18 years.
A total of 96 or 9.6 per cent of participants indicated that they are providing care to an adult person and around a third of these participants also have children. Over 70 per cent of participants providing care expect to be providing this care for more than 12 months. Just over 40 per cent provide less than 10 hours of care per week. Participants providing care reported a lower rate of participation in employment (4.9 per cent) compared to non carers (8.5 per cent) but there was no real difference between those providing more or less than 10 hours of care per week with regard to employment participation.
Housing and Transport
Overall, 86.9 per cent of participants identified their current housing as ‘private housing’ which typically means a property such as a house, apartment or townhouse that is privately owned or privately leased. A further 10.4 per cent of participants identified their current housing as public or community housing and 2.4 per cent identified their housing as ‘other’.
A private vehicle was the primary means of transport for most participants (74.7 per cent) and within this group 43.0 per cent rely on other people to drive the vehicle. Overall, 25.5 per cent of participants said that they experience regular transport difficulties and 15.1 per cent of participants said that they would like more help with transport. Common problems and suggestions for improving access to transport were explored with participants and are discussed in this report.
Disability, health and well-being
The length of time that has passed since the onset of the disability ranged from a matter of weeks to 62 years. The average length of time was nine years. An analysis of participants’ current age against the age of disability onset suggests that among those aged 16-24 years, roughly half have had a disability since birth or early childhood. Among those aged over 25 years the proportion who have had a disability since birth or childhood is much lower and drops as customer age increases.
Around one third of participants have a disability wholly or partly caused by an injury, accident or traumatic event.
Disability is typically not static, 60.4 per cent of participants have experienced major change in the level or nature of their disability since onset. Furthermore, 53.9 per cent of participants had experienced a major change in their disability in the past five years, 37.8 per cent in the past 12 months and 22.6 per cent within the past six months. In relation to current stability, 8.1 per cent of participants described their disability as improving, 39.8 per cent of participants described their disability as stable, 28.3 per cent described their disability as variable or episodic and 22.7 per cent described their disability as worsening.
Participants were also asked to describe their current health. The most common response was an assessment of ‘average health’ (44.5 per cent), 23.0 per cent of participants rated their health as ‘quite good’ or ‘very good’ and 31.2 per cent rated their health as ‘quite poor’ or ‘very poor’.
The survey explored participants’ support needs in relation to five common daily living tasks. 69.8 per cent of participants identified one or more areas in which they need assistance.
General difficulties, common to people living on income support, were also explored. Participants were asked to indicate whether or not they are currently experiencing any of the following difficulties:
- accommodation problems
- children having problems
- disputes with a former employer
- emotional or stress related problems
- family or domestic violence
- family relationship problems
- financial problems
- problems with access to any health care or specialist services
- problems with an ex-partner.
Overall 794 or 79.3 per cent of participants reported experiencing one or more of the difficulties, with the majority of participants identifying two to three difficulties. Just 207 people or 20.7 per cent experienced none of these difficulties.
Participants were also asked whether they have needed or used any community or crisis services, excluding medical or job related services in the last 12 months. In total, 237 or 23.7 per cent of participants identified that they have needed or used a community or crisis service.
Education and training
A total of 75 participants were currently undertaking secondary education in year 10, 11 or 12. The majority of these participants will be leaving school by the end of 2005 (66.7 per cent) and they were all asked a few questions about their plans for the future.
The other 926 participants were asked about their highest level of attainment in secondary education. Comparison with other data suggest that people with a disability in general have lower levels of secondary education attainment compared to the broader population and the levels of secondary education attainment amongst survey participants was lower again.
The majority of participants (57.3 per cent) have completed some further study or training since leaving school. However, the proportion of participants with higher-level qualifications is well below that of the Australian population.
A total of 79 participants were currently undertaking post-school study or training (8.5 per cent) and another 172 said that they plan to begin a course of study or training within the next two years (18.6 per cent). The most common reason for undertaking or planning to undertake study or training was to improve job or income prospects (70.1 per cent).
Labour force participation
Although patterns of participation vary, the large majority of participants have participated in the labour market and have had some employment experience (89.5 per cent). Within the relatively small group of participants (7.9 per cent) who have left school but have not participated in the labour market, roughly a third are young people aged between 16-24 years and the majority are women. Survey participants with an intellectual/learning or psychological/psychiatric medical condition appear to have experienced the highest rates of unemployment.
A total of 246 participants (29.0 per cent of all participants excluding school students) indicated that they have worked in paid employment during the past 12 months and 70.7 per cent of this group had experienced a significant change in their employment arrangements during this time. The proportion of those who have worked during the past 12 months does not appear to vary significantly across age groups and the three most prevalent medical conditions.
A total of 73 participants (7.9 per cent of all participants excluding school students) were employed at the time when they applied for DSP. At the time when the survey was conducted, 81 participants were currently employed. Another three participants had recently secured work and were waiting to start in their new position.
The weekly hours worked by the 81 participants currently employed ranged from one hour to 42 hours per week with an average of 15 hours per week.
At the time when the survey was conducted a total of 31 participants were actively looking for work, 48.4 per cent of these were young people aged 16 24 years. The majority had undertaken five to six job search activities in the past six months and roughly half had applied for positions in the past month.
With regard to future employment intentions, the total survey cohort is roughly evenly divided between those likely or hoping to work in the future and those not likely to work in the future or unable to predict their future labour market participation. Those not planning to work in the future or unable to predict their future work opportunities, included 352 participants who consider themselves permanently unable to work, 46 participants who are retired, 7 participants who do not need to work, 7 participants who are receiving palliative care and 11 participants on home duties, caring for someone, studying or currently not in a position to be looking for work.
Of the 46 participants who consider themselves to be retired, 84.7 per cent are over the age of 55 years and the majority indicated that they had retired earlier than they had planned due to deteriorating health.
Participants who were not currently working but with future work intentions or the potential to work in the future were asked a question regarding factors that they would consider before accepting an appropriate position. The three most common factors identified by the 418 respondents were:
- location or distance from home
- pay or salary
- employer flexibility (includes flexibility in relation to hours and days worked as well as work-from-home options).
Participants were also asked about the advantages and disadvantages of working. The most common advantages identified were:
- more money/income
- improve self confidence/self esteem/state of mind
- social contact.
The most common disadvantage of working identified by both groups was that of potential problems with physical and/or mental health.
The proportion of participants currently undertaking volunteer work (11.2 per cent) appears to be lower than the rate of volunteering in the broader community (31.8 per cent of all persons ).
Income and finances
The most common main source of income for participants, immediately prior to receiving DSP was:
- income support (48.9 per cent)
- income from paid employment or self employment (20.7 per cent)
- supported by partner/household income (13.0 per cent).
Analysis of income support history suggests that 57.0 per cent of survey participants transferred directly on to DSP from another payment, another 19.6 per cent have received income support previously but did not transfer directly from another payment and 23.4 per cent had no income support history.
Participants who have a disability that was caused or worsened by an injury or accident and those who have received a compensation payment, were asked a number of specific questions about injuries, accidents and compensation. A total of 393 participants fell into this category. Just over half of these participants were working full-time at the time of their injury or accident and of these 44.7 per cent experienced an injury that was work-related. The experiences of these participants in relation to employment since their injury or accident, rehabilitation and supports provided to them as well as compensation payments are explored in the report.
All participants (1,001) were also asked whether they had experienced any of a number of specific problems due to a shortage of money over the past year. Overall, 65.2 per cent of participants had experienced one or more of the problems identified with most participants having four to five problems.
Summary
This report contains extensive descriptive data about the 1,001 participants in the DSP new customer survey, 2004. Further analysis might examine in more detail the experiences and characteristics of certain groups such as young people, older people, people with children and people who have common types of disability. This will help to inform future policy and program initiatives which aim to better support this customer population.
You can view or download the entire Preliminary Analysis Report (PDF 2.4MG).
For more information on the research or to obtain a copy of the report, please contact Katrina Burke on (02) 6121 3504.