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To About Time staff,
Congratulations on your newspaper. I am writing to the legal corner as I have a concern about the length of the sentence (imprisonment) and the Disability Support Pension eligibility criteria.
Q1. What is the legal sentence period after which an inmate must reapply for the DSP?
NSW prison rumours say under two years and one is automatically reinstated onto the DSP, over two years, and one has to reapply and resubmit all the new paperwork for a new claim for the DSP.
As this issue would affect about 15% of the population, I figure it would be an important question to seek your help with. Thanks.
Regards,
Al
To About Time staff,
Congratulations on your newspaper. I am writing to the legal corner as I have a concern about the length of the sentence (imprisonment) and the Disability Support Pension eligibility criteria.
Q1. What is the legal sentence period after which an inmate must reapply for the DSP?
NSW prison rumours say under two years and one is automatically reinstated onto the DSP, over two years, and one has to reapply and resubmit all the new paperwork for a new claim for the DSP.
As this issue would affect about 15% of the population, I figure it would be an important question to seek your help with. Thanks.
Regards,
Al
Hi Al,
Thank you for the question. While imprisoned, your payments are suspended. You will need to lodge a whole new claim if the payments are suspended for more than two years for DSP or 13 weeks for the Age Pension. If under two years of imprisonment, you do not need to make a whole new claim, but you will need to fill out a ‘request for restoration’ of the Disability Support Pension form. It does not ‘automatically’ reinstate. You must fill out the form within seven days of release, if you are not able to lodge the form while in prison. Ask someone to provide it to you to fill it out while you’re in prison, in anticipation of your release.
Once released, you can go to www.servicesaustralia.gov.au or visit a service centre. Call 132 717 for Disability Support Pension or 132 300 for Age Pension. If you need to speak with them in your language, call 131 202. Services Australia can also translate documents for free.
There are lots of reasons why people may get lighter or heavier sentences than someone else who has committed the same crime.
If a prisoner is detained in solitary confinement, the conditions they face in custody are significantly more challenging compared to the general prison population. In some cases, this may be taken into account by a sentencing court and result in a shorter sentence being imposed.
Would I be forced to drop my appeal just to get to minimum security? Is this fair? My parole is due November 12 but I can’t see how I can get it.
I am a first-time inmate in a Victorian prison and I am trying to obtain some accurate information with regards to my debts.
There are major differences between how offences in prisons are dealt with around Australia. These offences typically range from minor ones, such as keeping an untidy cell, to more serious ones and others that can become criminal charges.
Your security classification impacts which prison you are placed in and the level of security that is imposed on you.
Wrongdoing thrives in the darkness. Too often, it is only because of brave people who speak out that the public learns what is happening in the shadows.
There are lots of reasons why people may get lighter or heavier sentences than someone else who has committed the same crime.
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Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.
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