In a world where we often take for granted the safety nets designed to catch us during our most challenging times, the story of a 35-year-old father from the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, served as a stark reminder that sometimes the system fails those it's meant to protect.

His plight is not just a personal tragedy but a glaring example of the gaps and flaws within our social support mechanisms.

Despite his efforts to access critical assistance, he fell through the cracks, highlighting the urgent need for reform in providing help to those in need.

Brendan Smith is battling end-stage kidney failure, a life-threatening condition that his lifelong struggle with type-1 diabetes has exacerbated.

Diagnosed only last year after a gradual two-year decline in health, Brendan now relies on daily dialysis to keep him alive as he awaits a double kidney-pancreas transplant.

Brendan Smith, a 35-year-old father with end-stage kidney failure, has been deemed ineligible for Centrelink assistance due to policy technicalities. Credit: GoFundMe

But his woes don't end there. Last year, while working as a security guard, Brendan survived a near-fatal stabbing and a car crash, leaving him with severe PTSD, a shattered pelvis, and a ruptured tendon.

These injuries have rendered him unable to return to his previous job.

Despite the severity of his condition and the apparent inability to work, Brendan has found himself ineligible for Centrelink's Disability Support payments.

His life-saving dialysis is considered 'ongoing treatment,' and under current regulations, those receiving ongoing medical treatment do not qualify for disability assistance.

This technicality has left Brendan and his family in a dire financial situation.

His cousin, Emily King, has expressed frustration and disbelief at the system's failure to recognise Brendan's need for help.

'It's infuriating to see that able-bodied people can access disability payments, yet someone like Brendan, who is fighting for his life every day, falls through the cracks,' she said.

Brendan receives minimal worker compensation payments, barely covering his mortgage and leaving him with a meagre $60 weekly.

The situation is even more heart-wrenching considering Brendan's role as a single father, striving to support his daughter amidst overwhelming health challenges.

The financial strain is immense, and the constant uncertainty is a heavy burden for any parent.

Before his health took a turn for the worse, Brendan was known for his generosity and charitable spirit.

Locals recall his random acts of kindness, such as paying for the fast food orders of those behind him or leaving substantial tips for wait staff.

Now, after years of giving, the community is rallying around him, showing their support through donations and heartfelt messages of gratitude.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Brendan cope with his mounting expenses, and the response has been a testament to the impact he's had on those around him.

'It's shown me I don't ever expect to get anything back—but it does come back,' Brendan reflected.

Brendan's resilience is nothing short of remarkable. Despite the numerous challenges he's faced, including losing vision in one eye due to diabetes, his humour and determination remain intact.

His doctors have even half-jokingly suggested that he might be indestructible, given his ability to endure so much.

As Brendan holds on to hope for a dual transplant that could significantly extend his life, his story raises critical questions about the adequacy of our social support systems.

How can a man dedicated to serving others be left without the help he desperately needs?

It's a sobering reminder that the system, designed to help, is not infallible.

The Department of Social Services has been contacted for comment. As we await their response, we are reminded of the importance of community and the need for compassion and advocacy for those who fall through the cracks.

Brendan's story is not just his own; it reflects the struggles faced by many Australians battling against a system that should be there to support them.

Key Takeaways

• Brendan Smith, a 35-year-old father with end-stage kidney failure and other severe health conditions, is ineligible for Centrelink assistance due to policy technicalities.
• He is unable to work due to his health issues and the injuries sustained from a near-fatal stabbing and a car crash, yet he cannot access Disability Support payments or JobSeeker benefits.
• His situation highlighted a systemic issue where those with life-threatening and severe chronic conditions may not qualify for governmental support under current regulations.
• A GoFundMe has been initiated to help Mr Smith manage his financial burdens, including his mortgage and medical treatments.

Have you or someone you know faced similar challenges with the social support system? How can we improve the system to ensure no one is left behind? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

 

[Milica]

Centrelink are the ones responsible for disability pensions, not NDIS.
Trying to deal with Centrelink can be very difficult
My daughter was born with an intellectual disability, along with several other problems and I was allocated
the disabled child's allowance. She automatically qualified for the disability pension when she reached the right age.

However several years later, when we moved from WA to SA we were told by the powers that be that she needed to reapply.
I told them that if my daughter's disability was going to disappear because we crossed the Nullabor we would have crossed years before. What stupidity!!
I said I was going over their heads, I was not going to reapply and I wanted a review of their decision.
The decision was overturned but people shouldn't have to jump through so many hoops and common sense should apply.

A friend whose son had Down's Syndrome was also put up for a review.
Like, as if you wake up one day and Down's Syndrome has miraculously disappeared.

Makes you wonder about the intelligence of some of the people in power at
Centrelink.

They have no intelligence, an example off this was the Robodebt Scheme - I loved that you advised them about the Nullabour Crossing, they have no idea - they started using the name "human services" somewhere along the line - but they still don't understand or have compassion for the Human part of that title - it's all about money.

 

[Milica]

I agree 100% what you said but in today's times we can't believe everything we read.
So many people believed that woman who was poisoning her baby and made out the baby had cancer, she raised over $150,000 on GofundMe .

My daughter and myself researched Brendan Smith from The Hunter Valley and found out he won a large payout from a car accident which maybe the real reason centrelink never approved him if he is telling the truth.

It is also showing Brendan Smith from the Hunter valley did a GoFundMe page a couple of years ago for his daughter.

If I'm wrong on this one I will be the first to apologise and will also donate to his gofundme.

I am not saying that i am right, it's not about that & i really don't believe everything i read, but when SDC puts at article up, i trust they have provided an article that is factually true, before they put the article up, we where invited to share our thoughts, on challenges with the social support system, & this young mans major medical issues- and the fact that he could not get a c/link DSP payment. It asks how can we improve the system, as lay pple i am not sure how we can improve the C/link system, we don't get a vote on anything that c/link puts in place for meeting the criteria for a c/link payment, this comes from the Top & the ones who are holding those purse strings, we can't even get a payment unless we jump thru hoops most times. All the best Suzanne:_)

 

[mylittletibbies]

It is also for people who are ill and can produce a doctors certificate which one doctors certificate can before 2 years now.
The old sickness benefit is now also under jobseeker

That is correct. He can qualify for jobseeker and keep getting it as long as he can produce a medical certificate.
The disability pension is very hard to
get and is usually only granted to someone who is permanently disabled with no chance of holding down a job ever.
They said he was receiving worker's comp which covered his mortgage and had $60 a week left. $120/ft.plus S833.20 for jobseeker with one child and then there's $213.36/ft Family Tax Benefit Part A for a child up to 12 years of age or $277.48 from 12 to 15.
That's a total of $1166.56/ft. If his daughter is over 12 then it's an extra $64,20/ft.
There is also a single income family supplement of about $300/year.
I'm sure he would have been advised of this by Centrelink when his disability claim was rejected.
That is more than the single age pension per fortnight and pensioners still have to pay rent.
I would hardly say he is left to fall through the cracks.
I'm a bit against gofundme pages. So many of them are scams and I feel there's probably a lot more people out their a lot worse off than this.
Under the present rules he doesn't qualify for the disability pension but he definitely qualifies for the above so I don't see the need to be asking complete strangers for help in this day and age when most people are struggling themselves.
Most age pensioners are managing on less.