List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

4.12

The committee recommends that the Australian Government apologise to Australian thalidomide survivors and their families.

Recommendation 2

4.22

The committee recommends that the Australian Government provide all Australian thalidomide survivors who have been recognised by Diageo with a lump sum payment on a scale according to their level of disability that is exempt from income tax and the social security income test.

Recommendation 3

4.23

The committee recommends that the Australian Government provide any person who has not yet received financial compensation with a lump sum payment as soon as they are recognised as a thalidomide survivor on an equivalent basis with those thalidomide survivors already recognised with a similar level of impairment.

Recommendation 4

4.29

The committee recommends that the Australian Government provide all Australian thalidomide survivors with an ongoing annual payment to provide them with flexibility to purchase the services they need. The committee considers that this annual payment should be increased over time to reflect thalidomide survivors' increasing health needs.

Recommendation 5

4.34

The committee considers that the Australian Government should establish a centre to disseminate information and coordinate services for thalidomide survivors and currently unrecognised survivors.

Recommendation 6

4.38

The committee considers that the National Disability Insurance Agency should implement a policy to refer matters relating to compensation payments and reduction amounts involving thalidomide survivors to the Chief Executive Officer, or their delegate, for consideration.

Recommendation 7

4.41

The committee recommends that the Australian Government establish an Extraordinary Assistance Fund to aid thalidomide survivors to meet major expenses such as home and vehicle modifications.

Recommendation 8

4.44

The committee recommends that the Department of Social Services and the Department of Health consider developing a health care card that could provide access to a broader range of health services than are available under the Pensioner Concession Card that could be provided to people in circumstances where they require a higher level of care or in special circumstances.

Recommendation 9

4.47

The committee recommends that Diageo expedite the examination of its archives to determine if it retains copies of assessments of thalidomide survivors' disabilities and, if it finds relevant documents, offer to make copies of those documents available to the thalidomide survivors to whom they pertain at no cost.

Recommendation 10

4.50

The committee recommends that the Australian Government publish the Maddocks Lawyers' advice.

Recommendation 11

4.52

The committee recommends that the Australian Government consider options to recover money from Grünenthal GmbH to support Australia's thalidomide survivors.

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