Gay pension threat
Two elderly gay men were told their Centrelink pensions would be cut as part of the new same-sex reforms because they can’t prove they aren’t in a relationship.
The pair, who were once in a relationship, now don’t know what to do because there is no legal means for gay divorce.
Mike, 65, has been caring for his former partner Russ, 63, since a surgical procedure went wrong four years ago, and has acted on his behalf when dealing with his Centrelink disability pension.
I told them we were going to be leaving the country for three weeks and Centrelink was asking me if we were legally married and said we’re going to lose the single person rate, Mike told Sydney Star Observer.
Do I have to prove I’m not in a relationship? If you can’t legally marry, you can’t legally divorce.
Eight years ago Mike sponsored Russ as his interdependent partner to immigrate to Australia from the US, but said the relationship ended after two years.
We were go to the States to see his mother, who isn’t well. He has to tell Centrelink whenever he intends to leave the country.
When I called Centrelink, she said even if you are married overseas or in a de facto relationship with another same-sex person you are now going to lose your single person rate and put on the married couple rate.
A Centrelink spokeswoman told Sydney Star Observer that questions about a possible same-sex relationship were not generally asked of customers, but questions about carer benefits could involve relationship status.
Centrelink has not started registering the relationship status of people in same sex relationships. As with all changes to Social Security Law, we rely on policy details to be provided by the relevant Federal Government Department on whose behalf we deliver payments, she said.
Although the equality reforms recognising same-sex couples has not yet passed the parliament, this year’s federal budget authorised agencies to update their computer systems in preparation.
Mike said it was the first time he’d ever been asked about the nature of his relationship by Centrelink and didn’t know how to prove they were only in a carer relationship.
I sponsored him many years ago, that’s on our record. But the romance is gone. We’re just friends now. There’s no such thing as gay divorce, he said.
We’ve got friends who are little old ladies who moved together for economic reasons. Are they going to have to prove they aren’t in a relationship too?
Mike said he was never told he needed to tell Centrelink or Immigration officials about his relationship break-up because Russ’s citizenship was granted and Centrelink had not previously recognised them as a couple.
On pension forms, Mike had written the pair were carer and friend.
Attempts to clarify how Centrelink will recognise same-sex separations were unsuccessful this week. Further clarification has been sought from Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin.
It often amazes me, the friends I have who have shouted from the roof tops about their rights to be recognized in a same sex relationship.Now centrelink want answers to the hard questions about your relationship, hence a cut in your welfare payments.And now the same people shouting from the roof tops, Its not fair. centreflunk.com will show you whats not fair with centrelink
Be alot of people breaking up just before july 2009, who wants to loose $100buks per fortnight. Bad enough living on the pension without loosing 100
Hyperthetical man lives with man 2yrs break up live together still as friends, you trust them in your home beats finding a flatemate? how u prove that????? to many grey areas this outa be a riot in july i cannot wait.
I am on a carers pension looking after my mother who lives next door. The arrangements I have with my girlfriend in sharing a mortgage and home for 10 years have always included us being financially independant. We never agreed to be financially responsible for each other apart from our mortgage. 6 years into this arrangement where we were all financially independant my mum got sick I couldnt do both my job and care for her . Since then my career has come to a stop, I have no superannuation and work part time, and receive part pension. With centrelink seeing our arrangements as de facto…my income will drop by 2/3s and I have been struggling already,for several years. I live very frugally, growing most of my own food As a woman and a single mother of 37 years my income has always been substantially less than the average. My mother requires more and more caring 24×7 and my gf also low alo part time contract work is expected to support me financially. When the age of the old age pension was made equal between men and women they used a phase in period over many years. We plan our lives and commitments over many years and it is very strange to suddenly have the government its all equal now. Let me tell you i am stressed and panicking.
Nice way of avoiding the substantive question, Shayne: redirect to a completely unrelated and irrelevant issue.
“The Special Assistance Subsidy is available” yaddah yaddah? We *were* talking about treating same-sex relationships equally to opposite sex relationships. Still waiting for you to explain EXACTLY HOW same-sex marriage is an -œimminent threat to unmarried cohabiting welfare recipients and -œto the detriment of our disadvantaged. (It’s okay, you can say you were wrong; try it sometime, it might make a healthy change for you).
Anyhoo, I’m not seeking “purge” anyone of any fair and reasonable entitlement. But at least your rush to erroneously point a finger of personal blame speaks volumes about your character — yet again. :)
Oliver – I note you state homosexuality is legal, actually sodomy is legal which then is assumed to mean homosexuality is legal, well look Oliver homosexuality is more than just sodomy. The problem is Oliver is that when gay/lesbian couples start a realtionship problems begin regarding law and entiltements. You see Oliver untill the government reforms pass, in the eyes of the federal law there is no such thing as a same-sex couple, we are treated as two singles instead of a couple which is silly when you consider that the states reconise same-sex couples.
“It is inequitable for one group of welfare recipients to be treated differently to another equivalent group of welfare recipients…” ya da ya da.
The Special Assistance Subsidy is available for people living with HIV/AIDS who rent in the private market. To be eligible, the client must be HIV/AIDS positive, be eligible for public housing, and meet the -˜Priority Assistance’ criteria. I suppose that will be the next target in your purge on the few crumbs that welfare dependent glbqti receive, Brendan.
With friends like you…
Having a personal preference against marriage is one thing. Mocking the rights and aspirations of others by being intellectually dishonest about their impact is another thing entirely.
Same-sex marriage is an “imminent threat” to unmarried cohabiting welfare recipients and “to the detriment of our disadvantaged”, shayne?
You’ve yet to answer, so I’ll ask again: HOW exactly?
Short answer: it actually isn’t and it actually won’t be. Same-sex marriage poses no substantive threat to unmarried cohabiting welfare recipients nor anyone else. Welfare law changes are occurring WITHOUT REGARD to same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage idoes not legally exist in this country nor, alas, is it likely to in the forseeable future. It is therefore a furphy to claim that this non-existent thing will disadvantage unmarried couples, when the real flaw is in the assumptions the welfare system makes about cohabitants.
It is inequitable for one group of welfare recipients to be treated differently to another equivalent group of welfare recipients. ALL welfare recipients should be treated fairly, like groups should be assisted equally, and people who need more help that others should get it (consistent with a due right and genuine need to access welfare). True, you’re not the one “seeking to break it”, shayne… because it is already broken. It’s just more noticeable to you now because it will affect GLBTQI for the first time ever — without regard to same-sex marriage. QED
What is it exactly that Gay Men want? Homosexuality is in fact Legal!!!
Brendan, have a little think next time before you hit, ‘submit comment.’ I’ll go through it one last time for you.
What I said was, “thousands of welfare dependent glbqti couples that are now in peril .” I did not say “glbtqi on welfare are suffering” (present tense). The threat to those most in need is imminent as the demands for marriage equality will see their relationships redefined such that one of that couple will lose benefits.
And to the God-botherers, I’d be telling them to stick their antiquated marriage ritual up their jaxies. Personally, I think we are better than to be seeking acceptance by assimilation, by subjugating ourselves to an homophobic, patriarchal, mysogenistic and archaic church function.
“who is supposedly insisting that GLBTQ folk have to be married? ” There is an overwhelming call for ‘gay marriage’ rights and while it sounds like a fair call that we all have the same rights, I would like some of those proponents to consider if it is really necessary when it will be to the detriment of our disadvantaged.
“..fix the welfare system”? It wasn’t broken. And I’m not the one seeking to break it.
Oh, but we do agree on one thing, marriage is not mandatory.
shayne, nonsense.
You keep alleging that glbtqi on welfare are suffering because of same-sex marriage. How? Same-sex marriage is not currently legal in Australia. Ergo, if don’t legally exist, it cannot possibly be causing adversity for same-sex cohabiting welfare recipients — or anyone else — in any meaningful real terms. And who is supposedly insisting that GLBTQ folk have to be married? People who support or aspire to same-sex marriage are simply calling for that choice to be legally available, not mandatory. You do such people an injustice by misrepresenting them.
Nice way to reinforce hetero religious marriage though. Christians happy-clappers call it “preserving marriage”. Arguments like yours help them. Good for you.
Meantime, scapegoating same-sex marriage ain’t gonna fix the welfare system. If you’ve got a gripe with the welfare system, try tackling the source of the problem: the welfare system.