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As the dust settles following the NDIS Minister’s National Press Club address, in which he announced that NDIS plans, eligibility and the market are set to change as part of a significant number of reforms, many within the disability community are questioning if and how these changes will take affect.
According to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the Government’s plan to stabilise the NDIS focuses on four key areas, including stopping fraud, slowing rapid cost increases, clearer eligibility requirements and delivering quality services and support to participants.
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Mark Butler, claims without further reform, the NDIS will cost taxpayers more than Medicare and PBS combined.
In his National Press Club address, the Minister announced that National Cabinet has agreed to cut the NDIS growth down to 2% within the next few years, while Social and Community Participation spending will now be reduced from approximately $31,000 to $26,000 per participant.
In addition, Mr Butler also outlined a plan to remove 160,000 NDIS participants from the Scheme in order to reduce costs. Under new reform, the government intends to introduce evidence-based assessments of functional capacity to determine access.
In the wake of the announcement, Powerd spoke with Greens Senator, Jordon Steele-John, who calls Labor’s decision to cut 160,000 individuals from the Scheme “terrifying.”
160,000…the government has said explicitly they will kick off the NDIS. That’s 160,000 people who will be left to fend for themselves…but they'll be left with nothing. Every single person who's on the NDIS will be subjected to these mandatory reassessments, and not have that decision be based on the evidence they provide or the lived experience or any of that, but on the decision of a government bureaucrat, or maybe even an AI tool. That’s just wrong.
Jordon Steele-John
For people with disability who are not on the NDIS, Mr Butler revealed a new $200 million fund would be created to help community organisations provide genuine participation options.
Referring to the Thriving Kids initiative, the NDIS Minister says the government will also work to establish more programs with States under the Foundational Supports banner in order to give quality care to people who are not given access to the NDIS.
Like Thriving Kids, this will see us rebuild systems that used to be there for people with less significant support needs in partnership with the community and States and Territories.
Mark Butler
However, CEO of Children and Young People with Disabilities Australia, Skye Kakoschke-Moore, says there's still a lot of detail that hasn't been provided to the community surrounding Thriving Kids and Foundational Supports.
“Because of the cohort Thriving Kids is targeting, children age zero to eight with developmental delay or low to moderate support needs, that there were likely going to be less children accessing the scheme. What's unclear is how many children over the age of eight are now going to be impacted by these changes to eligibility,” she began.
For families of children with disability…they've gone to the NDIS for help…because the level of support they need goes beyond what would be considered a parental responsibility. The extent to which reasonable and necessary supports—the changes to that definition—the extent to that impacting families is yet to be seen. Particularly in relation to the level of care and support families are expected to provide children.”
Skye Kakoschke-Moore
Greens Senator, Jordon Steele-John, agrees, adding that tightening government support eliminates the choice and control participants currently have over their care.
This is really taking a bat to the heart of the NDIS…this idea of government-commissioned providers…taking control from disabled people and saying, ‘I don't care who you have built trust with…Who you feel safe with…You will use the services the government approve.’ That's a proposal that will shut out the choice, control and the voice of disabled people
Jordon Steele-John
Powerd Media will keep you updated on these changes as they happen.