Published 25th July 2019
When Brianna Bell turned up at Centrelink with her wheelchair, assistance dog and carer, staff wondered how it was possible she was not yet receiving any payments.
The 23-year-old had been trying to get on the Disability Support Pension since late 2015, but it took her 22 months before she was even able to complete an application.
While Centrelink staff seemed sympathetic, they offered no help navigating the complex system, which required her to spend thousands of dollars in medical appointments and fill out countless forms.
During these months Bell felt severely stressed, both by how long it took to get her application together and by the unexpected financial and personal pressure she was placing on her parents as a young person with frequent medical bills.
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Source:Luke Michael, 2019, Probono Australia (https://probonoaustralia.com.au/)
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