Catholic Social Services Australia has expressed concern following the reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme announced by Health and NDIS Minister Mark Butler yesterday.
More than 160,000 people would be kicked off the NDIS under a government overhaul of eligibility requirements aimed at stemming the growth of the $50 billion program, ABC News reports.
Mr Butler unveiled a list of cost-saving measures designed to return the scheme to sustainable levels in a major speech to the National Press Club yesterday, three weeks before the federal budget is due to be handed down.
While acknowledging the importance of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the scheme, CSSA said the dignity, agency, and wellbeing of people with disability must remain central to all reform decisions.
CSSA director of policy and advocacy Carmel Sefian said Mr Butler’s comments highlighted an ongoing tension within the NDIS between preserving the original vision of choice and control for participants with significant or lifelong support needs, and the growing pressure to contain the scheme’s costs for future generations.
“The Minister rightly describes the NDIS as ‘one of Australia’s great human rights achievements’, however, reforms aimed at stabilising expenditure must not undermine the principles of dignity, inclusion, and individual support that sit at the heart of the Scheme” Ms Sefian said.
The Government’s intention to reduce the number of plans undergoing unscheduled assessment only under “exceptional circumstances” expected under the upcoming budget is an immediate concern.
Disability supports can be unpredictable. Limiting reassessments risks people becoming stuck with plans that are inadequate for their needs and delays for essential supports.
Ms Sefian stressed the personal cost of narrowing eligibility and tightening access.
“For many, losing NDIS support means losing critical assistance that enables them to get out of bed, to communicate, to work, to learn, and to connect with others. It means increased isolation, greater reliance on families already stretched to breaking point, and a diminished quality of life.”
CSSA said it is deeply conscious of the anxiety and uncertainty these reforms will create for an estimated 160,000 Australians with disability and their families who may be affected by changes to scheme access and participation.
“People deserve certainty, clarity, and reassurance that their dignity and wellbeing will remain protected throughout this process,” Ms Sefian said.
“Meaningful reform must remain grounded in the original promise of the NDIS.”
FULL STORY
More than 160,000 people to be kicked off NDIS as government overhauls eligibility test (ABC News)
