NDIS

[farmerge]

The NDIS cleanout continues.

NDIS gets $1b injection to slow growth even as budget slides into deficit

New ways of assessing people for NDIS support will add to a series of changes that are slowing growth of the $47 billion scheme but also revoking people’s plans at higher rates.

www.theage.com.au

The federal government will spend $1 billion as it reboots assessments for the National Disability Insurance Scheme after years of argument about who should qualify for support, scaling up the key agencies charged with bringing its spiralling costs under control.

The investment in 1000 more staff and a crackdown on NDIS fraud are part of a broader spending program to be revealed in Wednesday’s mid-year budget update, adding to a series of changes that are slowing the growth of the $47 billion scheme but also revoking people’s plans at higher rates.

With the budget sliding into years of deficits after two years of surplus, the government is anxious to scale back growth in the NDIS, having been warned that spending was on track to reach $97 billion a year within a decade. The $47 billion scheme is due to grow 12 per cent this financial year after peaking at 23 per cent in the final year of Coalition government

The scheme’s actuary says the government is on track to limit annual growth of the NDIS to 8 per cent, down from about 20 per cent in recent years, but Labor says more staff and technology support are needed to enact major changes.

Under NDIS Minister Bill Shorten’s reboot, people will have to complete a new needs-based assessment before receiving a capped budget that lasts up to five years but has strict limits on how much can be spent a year.

The agency is reassessing about 1200 participants a week, with almost half of them moving off the NDIS as a result. Most are children, and officials say almost 80 per cent of children are exiting the scheme when they’re reassessed, easing a massive source of budget pressure.

A further $4.5 million in Wednesday’s budget update will go into designing an early intervention pathway for the NDIS so that children with mild autism and developmental delays are more easily identified and moved onto supports outside the scheme.

@sptrawler I guess the changes are better late than never.
Though I would have thought that Blind Freddy would have been able to see the rorts and thieving that was taking place over the years.

 

[sptrawler]

@sptrawler I guess the changes are better late than never.
Though I would have thought that Blind Freddy would have been able to see the rorts and thieving that was taking place over the years.

There is one thing knowing it is happening, it is a completely different story when trying to address it, then it can quite quickly be called a rabid attack on those most needy and vulnerable in society.

It is like everything these days, the media can present it in whichever light they chose.

It certainly needed to happen and it wasn't before time, but the coalition wouldn't have been able to do it without a massive backlash, that's exactly why our system of Govt works both sides have their strong suits and weak suits and get flipped often,

 

[Bellcose]

Though I would have thought that Blind Freddy would have been able to see the rorts and thieving that was taking place over the years.

Part of the issue with any initiatives is that not everyone is going to be a winner and those who aren't don't like that. From their perspective changes are unfair and detrimental. Probably not going to change their attitude no matter how valid the counter arguments are and the Government will have to wear the odium.