‘Dark day’: sector braces for impact from NDIS changes
The overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme leaves a vulnerable disability sector feeling left behind.
Disability activist Jarrod Sandell-Hay, who relies heavily on the NDIS for treatment of cerebral palsy, bluntly described the federal government’s announcement of cuts as a “dark day”.
“This caught us off guard, we knew something was coming but we didn’t know how bad it would be,” the 37-year-old told AAP.
“We’re pretty upset and pretty angry.”
The government aims to reduce the number of people on the NDIS from around 760,000 to 600,000 by the end of the decade.
But Mr Sandell-Hay questioned what support would be given to the 160,000 people to be expelled.
Another cost-cutting measure will be to reduce average annual spending on participant plans from $31,000 to $26,000, or 2023 funding levels.
Mr Sandell-Hay said the reduction would directly impact quality of life.
“When it rains in Melbourne I can’t use my electric wheelchair because it will stop working if it gets wet, so I rely on support workers to take me places,” he explained.
He said going to work, grocery shopping and “all these very basic day-to-day things” would be at risk for him and his wife, who is also in the program.
“For some reason, this government does not prioritize the lives of disabled people,” he said.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced major changes to the $50 billion plan in a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday.
The reforms are expected to save $15 billion by the end of the decade, with the NDIS becoming the government’s third largest budget line item.
A dozen disability rights groups have said they are concerned about changes to the eligibility threshold that could impact the program for a generation.
“Decisions determining who gets support and who does not should be made with the people most affected,” the groups said in a joint statement late Wednesday.
“People with disabilities are experts in their own lives and should lead the design of solutions.”
The minister said the announcement was “a move away from the ‘let it rip’ market that has developed over the last 10 years”.
He said the coming restrictions would combat “very little oversight” over the quality and qualifications of providers of services that are essentially taxpayer-funded.
Laws implementing the NDIS overhaul will be introduced in May when the federal parliament returns for the budget.
Australia’s Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national news channel and has been providing accurate, reliable and fast-paced news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We inform Australia.
