Home Australia The unbelievable reason why this gravely ill Aussie dad is unable to access help from Centrelink: ‘The system is broken’

The unbelievable reason why this gravely ill Aussie dad is unable to access help from Centrelink: ‘The system is broken’

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Despite undergoing daily dialysis and battling multiple life-threatening conditions, Brendan Smith is unable to access any government assistance. In the photo with his cousin Emily King.

A young Australian father cannot receive Centrelink benefits while he is bedridden and on daily kidney dialysis, due to a surprising policy technicality.

Brendan Smith, 35, from Hunter Valley, New South Wales, faces end-stage renal failure as a result of his long battle with type 1 diabetes, which he was diagnosed with last year after his health gradually deteriorated over over two years.

He depends on daily dialysis to stay alive while he waits for a double kidney and pancreas transplant.

In addition to his kidney problems, Smith suffered a near-fatal stabbing and car accident last year while working as a security guard. Injuries from these incidents, including severe post-traumatic stress disorder, a shattered pelvis and a ruptured tendon, have left him unable to work.

Their workers’ compensation payments for the incidents are minimal: they are just enough to cover their mortgage with just $60 remaining each week.

Mr Smith cannot return to his previous job and his compensation payments will end when his tendon is healed.

Despite his circumstances, he has not been able to access any government aid.

Centrelink told him he was not eligible for disability support payments as his condition does not qualify as a “disability” even after his doctor did the paperwork, his cousin Emily King said.

Despite undergoing daily dialysis and battling multiple life-threatening conditions, Brendan Smith is unable to access any government assistance. In the photo with his cousin Emily King.

Mr. Smith was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure after years of working 72 hours a week and serving his community. Pictured before his diagnosis.

Mr. Smith was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure after years of working 72 hours a week and serving his community. Pictured before his diagnosis.

“Dialysis, while saving lives, is considered ‘continuing treatment’ and under current regulations, people receiving ongoing medical treatment are not eligible for disability assistance,” Ms King explained.

You are also not eligible to receive JobSeeker payments due to your current compensation status.

‘This creates a cruel vicious cycle: Brendan’s condition is life-threatening and his ability to work is non-existent, but the system fails to recognize that he needs help.

‘They see the illness as something short-lived, even though it wasn’t. The problems you face are not due to age. He’s young, he’s in his thirties, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke and the reason he developed this is the diabetes he’s had all his life.’

Smith has burned through a decade of savings just to keep up with her mortgage and her treatments over the past 10 months.

‘It’s infuriating to see able-bodied people able to access disability payments, but someone like Brendan, who fights for his life every day, is left on the sidelines. The system is broken and Brendan needs our help now more than ever,” said Mrs King in a fundraising for his cousin.

‘To make things even more difficult, Brendan is a single father and is doing everything he can to support his daughter as she overcomes these overwhelming health challenges. He’s determined to stay strong for her, but the financial strain is immense and it’s heartbreaking to watch him struggle under the weight of this situation.

“The job coverage payments he receives fall far short of covering his basic living expenses, including house payments, leaving him in a constant state of financial uncertainty.”

From a near-fatal stabbing and car accident to life-threatening kidney failure, Brendan has faced it all, but the system still doesn't recognize his need for help.

From a near-fatal stabbing and car accident to life-threatening kidney failure, Brendan has faced it all, but the system still doesn’t recognize his need for help.

After years of helping others, Brendan now receives great support from the community who show their gratitude for his kindness.

After years of helping others, Brendan now receives great support from the community who show their gratitude for his kindness.

But Mr Smtih is determined to continue providing for his family.

After his recent struggles, including losing vision in one eye due to his diabetes, his doctor jokingly suggested he might be indestructible.

“The doctor said, when I broke my neck, ‘you’re too stubborn to die,’ another was that I have ‘one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel,'” he said.

‘Last time, he simply asked, “How come you’re not dead yet?”

Before undergoing his lengthy treatments, Mr Smith was known for his generosity and charitable work.

Locals remember him paying for customers’ fast food orders behind him at the drive-thru or surprising servers with big tips at the table.

“I never wanted a ‘thank you’ to make it awkward,” he said.

After years of donations, the community came together to support Mr. Smith, leaving donations and expressing gratitude for his kindness over the years.

“This has shown me that I never expect to get anything in return, but that comes back,” he said.

Mr Smith is given top priority receiving a dual transplant at a Sydney hospital.

The treatment is expected to extend his life by at least 15 years by a conservative estimate, but his cousin believes it could extend his life by more than 30 years, given his generally healthy lifestyle.

‘My way of looking at it is that there is a lot of pain in the world. So if I take on more, there will be less for everyone else,” Mr. Smith said.

Centrelink has been contacted for comment.

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