The Albanese Government will pass reforms that it says will save the National Disability Insurance Scheme “from itself” by making it more sustainable and cracking down further on fraud. Source: ABC News.
The Coalition voted with Labor in the Senate last night to pass the sweeping changes, which are intended to curb the structural bloat of a scheme that costs more than $50 billion annually.
The overhaul is expected to save an estimated $37.8 billion over the next four years alone.
Health Minister Mark Butler argued the scheme had become a “soft target for shonks, for fraudsters and for sharp practice”.
Mr Butler said the 63 amendments, following engagement with the disability community, reflect a “government that is willing to listen”.
“We said when we announced this plan in April that we would engage deeply with the disability community but also with other parliamentarians,” he told reporters yesterday afternoon.
NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister said the changes would “deliver a NDIS that is strong, safe and sustainable and has a strong social licence”.
The changes include establishing an escalation pathway for high-risk participants.
Ms McAllister said it would ensure an individual requiring 24-hour continuous care could apply for a plan variation to have their needs met, protecting them from support cuts.
The legislation will strengthen anti-fraud measures, introducing new criminal and civil penalties for providers who offer or provide kickbacks.
Mr Butler said the new eligibility system, which aims to reduce participants from about 760,000 to 600,000 by 2030, is not explicitly spelled out in the bill.
Under the proposal, standardised assessments of functional capacity would determine eligibility for the scheme rather than diagnosis alone.
He reassured Australians that the new eligibility standards will be made clear well ahead of their introduction on January 1, 2028.
The Greens expressed concern the changes will leave hundreds of thousands without support, arguing they represent the “end of the NDIS as it was promised”.
Crossbenchers and disability advocates also insisted the changes have come “too far, too fast”.
Mr Butler acknowledged there was still “substantial” work to do on foundational support systems for children over the age of eight and other adults who will be taken off the scheme as a result of changes.
He remained adamant that the Thriving Kids program was on track to meet its scheduled start of October 1, despite the Queensland Government’s refusal to sign up to the scheme.
FULLS TORY
Federal government to pass its NDIS overhaul to deliver ‘strong, safe and sustainable’ scheme – ABC News (By Ewa Staszewska, ABC News)
