Sorting yourself out of the system: everyday processes of elusive social sorting in Australia’s disability social security regime for Indigenous Australians

Abstract

The Disability Support Pension (DSP), the primary social security payment for Australians living with disability, has undergone considerable reform since the early 2000s. Limited research has examined the impact of such reforms on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians living with disability. This article pays particular attention to the experiences of Indigenous Australians applying for the DSP, with a strong focus on reforms since 2015 as these modifications have been arguably the most rigorous changes to the assessment process and eligibility criteria. The article illustrates the challenges that Indigenous Australians with disability experience in applying for the disability pension under the new process and the supports they require in submitting their application. The article draws on sociological theories of social sorting identified for the disability category by Grover and Piggott and examines the application and implications within the Australian context of such processes for Indigenous Australians living with disability.