Disability funding reforms trigger 'so many questions'
Disability Minister Mark Butler will deliver an address at the National Press Club on Wednesday on the future of the NDIS, a year after major reforms to curb spiralling spending passed federal parliament.
The scheme is the budget's third-largest expense and is set to cost taxpayers more than $52 billion in 2025/26.
The NDIS reforms include a cap of eight per cent growth in spending per year.
But the changes had not fully hit the mark, People with Disability Australia deputy chief executive Megan Spindler-Smith said.
"There's still so many questions unanswered about what the reform will look like long-term," she told AAP.
"Is it on people with disability and their needs, or other things that are not necessarily focusing on what we need?"
Of the estimated 5.5 million people in Australia living with disability, the NDIS covers fewer than 700,000.
"We would love to see consistency across how people are able to access their support needs, regardless of whether or not they're able to be a participant with the NDIS or not," Ms Spindler-Smith said.
Commitments to funding individual advocacy and foundational supports should be important points of discussion for the minister, Disability Advocacy Network Australia chief executive David Petherington said.
"They're really desperately needed by people with disabilities," he told AAP.
Every Australian Counts chair and NDIS participant George Taleporos said participants and their families must be included to co-design reforms.
"Too often we face bureaucratic barriers and decisions that do not reflect our needs or our voices," he told AAP.
Foundational supports include information and advice, disability employment supports, peer support and self-advocacy.
Mr Butler's speech at the National Press Club follows the federal government's announcement of an NDIS Reform Advisory Committee on Tuesday to oversee how the laws are implemented.
NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister said the committee would ensure changes to the scheme were implemented with "transparency, integrity and accountability".
"Australians with disability, and those who care for them, deserve no less," she said.
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2 hours ago
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Herald Sun
4 hours ago
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While Mr Albanese's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood ramped up tensions, Mr Burke cancelling the visa of a far-right Israeli MP pushed Mr Netanyahu to strike out. The Israeli government in turn revoked visas for Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority. In announcing the move against Australian diplomats, Israel's foreign minister hinted further action could be taken against Australian officials seeking entry to Israel. Israeli Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu has labelled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese 'weak'. Picture: Abir Sultan / Pool / AFP Mr Burke also sparked controversy last year by blocking a visa for ex-Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked. He did so for comments Ms Shaked made in 2014 calling children of terrorists 'little snakes'. She said the families of terrorists 'are all enemy combatants, and their blood shall be on all their heads'. 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Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Not the right fit': NDIS won't take children with autism, developmental delay in $2b shift
'Only around one in 50 people have significant and permanent disability, hence the need for a bespoke scheme like the NDIS. But 10 in 50 young children experience developmental delay or autism – mostly at mild to moderate levels. 'That's a broad-based, mainstream issue that should be supported by broad-based, mainstream services ... I know this will be hard for some parents to hear, and I don't say it lightly.' Many families with children on the scheme responded with concern on Wednesday. Melbourne woman Katie Koullas, who runs autism charity Yellow Ladybugs, took issue with the government's framing. Both Koullas and her child are autistic. 'There is no such thing as 'mild autism' when you are the autistic child living with the daily toll of masking, anxiety, exhaustion and exclusion,' she said. Loading 'Suggesting these children are 'not the right fit' for the NDIS sends the message that their struggles are less real, less worthy, and less urgent. That is simply unacceptable... If this transition is rushed or poorly designed, it will strip children of essential supports and leave them at risk.' Butler made the case that the NDIS model, which issues individualised plans and budgets, did not suit the needs of children with developmental challenges. 'Families with a young child who is missing some milestones are not best helped by receiving a budget of $10,000 or $20,000 or $30,000 and then being expected to work out themselves how to spend it. And, frankly, many of those children are being overserviced.' Another mother — who requested to remain anonymous to protect the identity of her 13-year-old son — said she was satisfied with NDIS services. 'I never felt that we were using [them] more than necessary. The moment his speech became fluent, we stopped [speech therapy],' she said. But she said she mainly 'just wanted some clarity' about how the changes would affect her family, and was not confident that public schools were sufficiently funded to support students with developmental delay or autism without the support of the NDIS. Butler said the Thriving Kids system would leverage existing schools, childcare, community centres and playgroups – where families already interacted with support services – and boost the services they offered. 'I know schools can play a more co-ordinated role, very different to the individualised approach right now that sees school principals reporting literally dozens and dozens of different therapists turning up to their school to provide therapy to individual students one at a time.' 'Early childhood education and care is also a crucial touchpoint for families and that will become even more important as we move towards more universal provision.' Butler said the government was also looking to introduce universal health checks for three-year-olds, and new Medicare items for occupational therapy, speech pathology and psychosocial therapy. He said he also wanted to develop an online gateway service that would give parents free support or guidance about where to seek help if they were worried about their child's development. The Commonwealth would start by making a $2 billion contribution, which would be matched by state governments. Former NDIA board member Martin Laverty, now chief executive of NDIS provider Aruma, said Butler's remarks were 'brave and necessary'. Laverty said families' uncertainty was very reasonable, but he was confident the system would work. 'We've been given a two-year time frame to first clarify the way in which Thriving Kids program will work, and a further 12 months to put in a pathway for those who will be serve,' he said. 'We can't lose sight that today, there are children are receiving therapies for which there are questionable impact. If you are a parent or carer, you want confidence that your children are receiving the best care.' Butler said access and eligibility changes would be made to the NDIS once the Thriving Kids system was rolled out in 2027. Loading 'Children who are enrolled in the NDIS now or become enrolled before that time will remain on the scheme subject to its usual arrangements, including, from time to time, reassessments,' he said. 'But from 1 July 2027, there will be access and eligibility changes put in place that do steer those parents and their children towards the system of Thriving Kids, and I think that will be entirely appropriate.' Federal and state governments have been locked in negotiations to establish a new disability system for children called 'foundational supports' since a national cabinet deal agreed to take pressure off the NDIS in 2023. Butler conceded work on those reforms had drifted. He said the Commonwealth would take on a greater role in designing the new system.
