Imagine being at risk of collapsing into unconsciousness at any time but being told you are fit enough to hold something close to a full-time job.
That is the predicament that 'Ronnie', who suffers from a rare condition called tachy-brady syndrome, has found herself in.
It means her heart can beat too fast, too slow and be interrupted by long pauses.
"I am just bedridden — I can't do anything," Ronnie said.
Five cardiologists deemed Ronnie unfit for work but, despite this, she was denied the Disability Support Pension (DSP) for four years.
The tables turn
Before 2012, a medical diagnosis was all that was required for a person to move from what was then the Newstart program to the DSP.
After that, a functional assessment process using impairment tables was introduced.
That spread the level of impairment across separate tables, making it harder to qualify.
In addition, a person's condition must be fully treated or stabilised — meaning that it is permanent and cannot be improved through professional care.
Ronnie said although she was extremely unwell she was knocked back every time she applied and told she could work 30 hours a week.
Ronnie said she tried to put the hours in so she would be approved for government payments.
"It has been hell — I was just so desperate," she said.
Mid North Coast Legal Centre disability law solicitor Kylie Hyde said another hurdle for DSP applicants was finding a doctor who understood the wording needed to fit the criteria.
"It is actually not that based on your condition — it is based on the impairments to your function and a continuing inability to work as a result of those functional impairments," she said.
Kicked off after 13 years
Accessing the DSP is not the only challenge.
A Queensland woman, who did not want to be identified, told the ABC she was kicked off the DSP after being on it for 13 years.
She suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and fibromyalgia.
"What happened is I was reviewed in 2016 and it was literally a couple of months after a suicide attempt, so my review was done quite poorly," the woman said.
"I missed my interview and my pension was cancelled — I was no longer eligible.
"So that took me on a two-year journey to try and get it back.
"That journey took my mental health to a whole new level.
Senate review — and a tragic twist
After repeated calls for a review, a Senate inquiry was announced in May 2021 into the purpose, intent and adequacy of the DSP.
In its submission, the Australian Department of Social Services talked up the DSP assessment process.
"Decisions on medical eligibility for all DSP claims are informed by assessments undertaken by Services Australia, who employ qualified health and allied health professionals," the department said.
It also said the process reduced red tape and claim assessment times for people who were clearly ineligible for DSP.
In Ronnie's case it took a trip to a tribunal to confirm that the assessors got it wrong.
While she had a win by eventually getting the pension, her story does not have a silver lining.
Ronnie got a pacemaker last year to improve her daily life — and it was then she was given five years to live.
"I am at risk of heart attack and stroke every single day," the 54-year-old said.
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