FIFTH ALTERNATIVE

LETTERS

Your article (‘Private eyes catch welfare freeloaders’, 6/4/10), presents a biased view of the people in the Department of Human Services and in Centrelink whom you have called ‘welfare cheats’ and ‘rorters’. In fact I am one the people helped by the Department and by Centrelink. As a 62-year old on a disability pension, I have had my welfare category reviewed and upgraded. I have been promised a greater level of care. I will no longer need to justify trying to overcome loneliness, trying to shelter a companion in the house. Rather, I have been offered shared and serviced accommodation, at least in the short term. I have an 82-year old friend who has received a similarly welcome offer. Like the newly-arrived boat people, we older Australians can only be grateful for the auspices of a caring society in our great brown land.

Beryl Dreer.