The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a scheme of the
Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
that funds costs associated with disability.
The scheme was legislated in 2013 and went into full operation in 2020.
The scheme is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and overseen by the
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission).
The scheme entitles people with a "permanent and significant" disability (under the age of 65), to full funding for any "reasonable and necessary" support needs related to their disability (subject to certain restrictions). Funding is allocated to the individual, and the individual or their guardian chooses which providers supply the funded goods and services (subject to certain restrictions).
The scheme is entirely publicly funded: recipients do not purchase or contribute to an insurance policy. The scheme is not means-tested. The word 'insurance' refers to the scheme's use of proactive insurance principles to manage long-term financial sustainability, and that it aims to 'insure' any citizen will have costs covered in the event they are born with or acquire a disability.
NDIS funding is independent of the Disability Support Pension and
Medicare, Australia's universal health care insurance scheme. NDIS legislation draws a distinction between health care and disability supports, only the latter being within the remit of the NDIS. In addition to funding for individuals, the scheme funded some general 'information, linkages, and capacity building' (ILC) programs until mid-2020, when ILC programs moved to the Department of Social Services.
History
The states and territories operated asylums and other institutions for disabled people not long after their establishment, replicating the predominant model of treatment in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. These institutions were often large and residential.
The Commonwealth "Invalid and Old-Age Pensions Act 1908" provided an "Invalid Pension" to people "permanently incapacitated for work" and unable to be supported by their families, (so long as they fulfilled racial and other requirements). This provided money that recipients could spend on their care and assistance.
In 1941, the "Vocational Training Scheme for Invalid Pensioners" was begun by the
Curtin Government. This provided
occupational therapy and allied services to people who were not permanently incapacitated, to help them gain employment. In 1948, this body became the
Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service The Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service was an Australian Government body that provided rehabilitation and employment services to Australians with a disability from 1941 until 2015. At this time, the body was abolished and replaced with the more dec ...
, and its work continued.
During the 1970s, care of people with severe disability in Australia shifted from institutionalisation to being cared for in the community.
In 1974,
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. The longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1977, he was notable for being the ...
proposed a national disability insurance scheme like the
scheme created in New Zealand that year. Academic Donna McDonald suggests it was Treasurer
Bill Hayden
William George Hayden (born 23 January 1933) is an Australian politician who served as the 21st governor-general of Australia from 1989 to 1996. He was Leader of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1977 to 1983, and served as ...
who convinced Whitlam to focus on the introduction of
Medicare instead.
In 1991, the
Disability Support Pension (DSP) replaced the Invalid Pension, with the aim of increasing recipients' rehabilitation and hours of paid work.
In 2005, the
NSW government
The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales. It is currently held by a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Governmen ...
created the Lifetime Care and Support Scheme to cover ongoing care for people who had been severely injured in motor accidents.
In 2006, Bruce Bonyhady, chair of
Yooralla, met with former Labor cabinet minister
Brian Howe, who put him in touch with a group of people who became known as the Disability Investment Group. The Disability Investment Group made an independent submission to the
Australia 2020 Summit
The Australia 2020 Summit was a convention, referred to in Australian media as a summit, which was held over 18-19 April 2008 at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, aiming to "help shape a long-term strategy for the nation's future". Announ ...
in 2008. They then sent their recommendations to the
Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy, regulation and a range of other social and environmental issues.
The Productivity Commission was created as an independent a ...
. The Productivity Commission released a report on the issue in 2011.
Disability in Australia
Four million people in Australia (18.5%) reported having a disability in 2009, according to the results of the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers.Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findin ...
"was framed as an economic issue, rather than a social issue". Research by
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounti ...
in 2011 found that by approximately 2025 the cost of maintaining the status quo in relation to the care of people with a disability would be greater than the cost of an NDIS.
In 2011, the
Council of Australian Governments
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) was the primary intergovernmental forum in Australia from 1992 to 2020. Comprising the federal government, the governments of the six states and two mainland territories and the Australian Local G ...
agreed the disability sector in Australia needed reform.
In 2011, it was recommended that psychosocial disability be included in the scheme. Due to the mental health sector's use of the
recovery approach
The recovery model, recovery approach or psychological recovery is an approach to mental disorder or substance dependence that emphasizes and supports a person's potential for recovery. Recovery is generally seen in this model as a personal journey ...
rather than a focus on permanent disability, this has been a culture clash.
According to a report from the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in September 2012, demand for disability aid in Australia had seen significant increases in recent years.
![NDIS rally Reddacliff Place Brisbane P1250202](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/NDIS_rally_Reddacliff_Place_Brisbane_P1250202.jpg)
A bill to establish the NDIS was introduced into Federal Parliament in November 2012 by then Prime Minister
Julia Gillard.
It was passed in March 2013 as the ''National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013''.
There is a COAG Disability Reform Council which continues to oversee the NDIS.
When the
Abbott Government came into power in 2013, the assistant minister in charge of the NDIS was
Mitch Fifield
Mitchell Peter Fifield (born 16 January 1967) is the Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations. He is a former Australian politician who served as a Senator for Victoria from 2004 to 2019, representing the Liberal Party. He wa ...
, who capped the number of employees the NDIA could have to 3,000, when the
Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy, regulation and a range of other social and environmental issues.
The Productivity Commission was created as an independent a ...
had estimated 10,000.
The
2013 Australian federal budget
The 2013 Australian federal budget for the Australian financial year ended 30 June 2014 was presented on 14 May 2013 by the Treasurer of Australia, Wayne Swan, the sixth federal budget presented by Swan. The 2013 budget estimated total revenue of ...
committed $14.3 billion to the NDIS, to be paid for by increasing the
Medicare levy
Medicare is the publicly-funded universal health care insurance scheme in Australia, operated by the nation's social security department, Services Australia. Medicare is the principal way Australian citizens and permanent residents access most ...
by 0.5%. As of May 2013, the Australian Government estimated the disability sector in Australia would need to double to meet the needs of the NDIS. The first part of the scheme rolled out on 1 July 2013. It was initially known as "DisabilityCare Australia" and commenced only in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
,
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, the
Hunter Region in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and the
Barwon region of Victoria. The NDIS then commenced in the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. I ...
(ACT) in July 2014. The Medicare levy increased from 1.5% to 2% on 1 July 2014, to fund the NDIS.
In the first nine months of the scheme, 5,400 people with disabilities accessed an NDIS plan.
In February 2015, government disability rehabilitation and employment body
CRS Australia was abolished, with its functions being distributed via the NDIS and Disability Employment Services markets.
In late 2015 the
Abbott Government began a process of making significant changes to the board of the NDIA. Current board directors, including then board chair Bruce Bonyhady, claimed their positions were advertised publicly before they were informed. In October 2016 then Minister for Social Services,
Christian Porter
Charles Christian Porter (born 11 July 1970) is an Australian former politician and lawyer who served as the 37th Attorney-General of Australia from 2017 to 2021 in the Turnbull government and the subsequent Morrison government. He was a Me ...
, announced his intention to appoint several new board members, including a new chair. The primary experience of the newly appointed members were in various corporate sectors, including "financial services, health, energy, resources, education and arts sectors",
rather than the previous board member's disability sector experience. The new board appointees, including incumbent chairwoman Dr Helen Nugent, were officially announced on 12 January 2017.
The
2016 Australian federal budget attempted to make savings of $2.1 billion for the NDIS fund by re-assessing
Disability Support Pension recipients' capacity to work, and cutting
compensation for the carbon pricing scheme. This included scrapping an ad campaign letting people know about the NDIS. Furthermore, this budget committed to reduce the number of permanent employees in the NDIA to 3,000. Peak disability group
People with Disability Australia expressed concerns the NDIS would become a 'political football'.
The NDIS was rolled out nationally on 1 July 2016.
NDIS CEO, David Bowen, announced his resignation in March 2017, which took effect in November 2017. He was replaced with former
Bankwest
Bankwest is an Australian full-service bank based in Perth, Western Australia. It was sold in October 2008 to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia for 2.1 billion and operates as a division of its parent company.
Bankwest previously had branch ...
CEO, Rob De Luca.
In April 2018, the NDIA announced that
Serco would be operating contact centres in Melbourne and regional Victoria for two years. This prompted concern from peak advocacy body
People with Disability Australia and others about Serco's lack of experience with disabilities despite being at the first point of contact with clients.
The ''
Financial Review
''The Australian Financial Review'' (abbreviated to the ''AFR'') is an Australian business-focused, compact daily newspaper covering the current business and economic affairs of Australia and the world. The newspaper is based in Sydney, New Sou ...
'' noted that the NDIS was "becoming an economic factor in its own right", particularly in regional areas.
A report by
Flinders University into the running of the NDIS found that half of all participants in the NDIS have either had their support reduced or have not experienced a change in their support levels since the NDIS has been introduced.
In 2018 it was reported that the NDIA had a budget of $10 million for legal services that are employed to attempt to prevent people appealing for more money under the scheme or to prevent them from accessing the scheme. As of May, 260 cases had been resolved by the courts, with the NDIA losing 40% of them.
The NDIS has been developing a
virtual assistant
An intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) or intelligent personal assistant (IPA) is a software agent that can perform tasks or services for an individual based on commands or questions. The term " chatbot" is sometimes used to refer to virtua ...
called "Nadia" which takes the form of an
avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...
using the voice of actor
Cate Blanchett (see
Artificial intelligence in government).
As of 30 June 2019, some 298,816 people with disabilities were being supported by the NDIS. The Tune Review, in 2019, made 29 recommendations to help the NDIS.
In April 2022, around 85% of people with disabilities in Australia were not covered by the NDIS. It served just over 518,000 people out of an estimated 4.4 million Australians living with disability. This was in part because people aged over 65 were not eligible for it.
Services
The first stage of the NDIS aimed to provide reasonable and necessary support for people with significant and permanent disability.
Supports funded by the NDIS are split across three areas. "Core Supports" include everyday consumable items such as
continence aids, personal care assistance, support with social and community participation and funding for transport. "Capacity Building" is intended to build the person with disability's independence and ability to manage their own life. The "Capital Supports" budget is intended for very expensive
assistive technology and home or vehicle modifications. Through the ILC program, NDIS participants have also been supported to run
micro-enterprise
A micro-enterprise (or microenterprise) is generally defined as a small business employing nine people or fewer, and having a balance sheet or turnover less than a certain amount (e.g. €2 million or PhP 3 million). The terms microenterprise and ...
businesses.
The first year of the launch serviced:
*about 3,000 people initially drawn from the NSW local government area of Newcastle
*about 1,500 children with disabilities in South Australia from birth to 5 years of age
*about 800 eligible young people aged 15 to 24 in Tasmania
*about 4,000 people in the Barwon area of Victoria including the local government areas of the City of Greater Geelong, the Colac-Otway Shire, the Borough of Queenscliffe and the Surf Coast Shire, and
*the ACT getting ready for launch to support 2,500 residents from July 2014.
The ACT became the first state or territory to complete a NDIS rollout.
The number of people assisted rose to 20,000 people with disabilities by 2015. It has been recommended to increase participation to 410,000 however this figure remains uncertain.
There are two main entry points to the NDIS, through Early Childhood Early Intervention for those under 6 years old, and the general scheme for those between 6 and 65 years of age.
The NDIS is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency.
In 2017 NDIS had an annual budget of $700 million for specialist disability accommodation, to be used to house 28,000 people with high support needs.
As of 2015, over 7,000 young disabled people lived in
aged care homes. One goal of the NDIS is to get younger people with disabilities out of residential aged care settings.
Therapies to treat
dysphagia
Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, in some contexts it is classified as a condition in its own right.
It may be a sensation that suggests difficulty in the passage of solids or liq ...
(swallowing difficulties, potentially life-threatening) were funded under the NDIS until late 2017, when they were discontinued.
Healthcare for NDIS recipients
There has been a call for a critical analysis and evaluation to ensure the integration of the NDIS and the health system. Currently primary care and the public health system act in isolation and there is a call for integration to improve health outcomes. Rather than being person-centred and holistic, the current lack of collaboration has resulted in siloed care by separating out disability and health conditions.
NDIS participants suffer chronic and severe illness at a much higher rate than the general population, from an earlier age and frequently with greater associated cognitive, social and financial disadvantage. The emergence over the last decade in Australia of
patient advocates has shown they deliver better outcomes, fewer hospital bounce-backs and better case management (neither complex care or case management are remunerated to GPs by Medicare). Funding options for NDIS participants for expert healthcare support exist within individual plans according to goals and needs.
Funding
The cost of the NDIS was a point of contention at a time when the Federal Government insisted upon a return to surplus in the
2013 Australian federal budget
The 2013 Australian federal budget for the Australian financial year ended 30 June 2014 was presented on 14 May 2013 by the Treasurer of Australia, Wayne Swan, the sixth federal budget presented by Swan. The 2013 budget estimated total revenue of ...
. In 2010, the
Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy, regulation and a range of other social and environmental issues.
The Productivity Commission was created as an independent a ...
estimated it would cost A$15 billion a year. Two years later a Government report revised that figure to $22 billion in 2018.
According to the Minister for Disability Reform,
Jenny Macklin
Jennifer Louise Macklin (born 29 December 1953) is an Australian former politician. She was elected to federal parliament at the 1996 federal election and served as the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2001 to 2006, unde ...
, the program will effectively double the cost of supporting those with disabilities. A number of state disability ministers initially described the draft legislation for the NDIS as lacking flexibility and criticised it for being too prescriptive.
The first state to fully commit to funding for the scheme was New South Wales on 7 December 2012, with costs roughly divided between federal and state governments.
The then Premier of Queensland,
Campbell Newman, wanted the federal government to fully fund the scheme, arguing the state cannot commit funds while the state's debt was high. On 8 May 2013, Campbell Newman signed the agreement in support of the program.
An agreement between Tasmania and the federal government was achieved on 2 May 2013. The state committed to $134 million of initial funding.
The
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
signed an agreement to join the scheme on 11 May 2013.
From 1 July 2014 the
Medicare levy
Medicare is the publicly-funded universal health care insurance scheme in Australia, operated by the nation's social security department, Services Australia. Medicare is the principal way Australian citizens and permanent residents access most ...
rose from 1.5% to 2% to help fund the NDIS.
The scheme's funding has been noted to be complex, with money being pooled from multiple sources at federal and state/territory government levels. Guide Dogs Victoria has complained that only half of its members are eligible for the NDIS, and that they are losing donations because the public thinks Guide Dogs Victoria is funded under the NDIS.
Scott Morrison announced in January 2017 that the
Productivity Commission
The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government's principal review and advisory body on microeconomic policy, regulation and a range of other social and environmental issues.
The Productivity Commission was created as an independent a ...
would be conducting an independent review of the NDIS. A Victorian man who lives at
Moriac won a court case against the NDIS for only agreeing to fund 75% of his transport costs to
Geelong for his work and "NDIS-supported activities".
The emphasis of the NDIS has been noted to stem from the 2011 productivity commission report that began it.
An 0.5% increase to the
Medicare levy
Medicare is the publicly-funded universal health care insurance scheme in Australia, operated by the nation's social security department, Services Australia. Medicare is the principal way Australian citizens and permanent residents access most ...
was proposed after the
2017 budget, but in April 2018 this was scrapped, as the government had found "other sources of revenue". Disability groups have urged the government to provide greater clarity. In 2018 the
Morrison Government
The Morrison government was the federal executive government of Australia, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party of Australia, between 2018 and 2022. The Morrison government commenced on 24 August 2018, when it was sworn ...
set up a Drought Future Fund for farmers using $3.9 billion "repurposed" from the NDIS.
The NDIS provides funding to modify homes as per the needs of any disable person so they safely access it and move around comfortably in areas they frequently use. The NDIA also finance fair and appropriate supports related to or incidental to home modifications in some cases.
A 2021 report by independent think tank
Per Capita
''Per capita'' is a Latin phrase literally meaning "by heads" or "for each head", and idiomatically used to mean "per person". The term is used in a wide variety of social sciences and statistical research contexts, including government statistic ...
estimated that for every dollar spent on the NDIS, there was a return of investment of $2.25.
The NDIS is the second most expensive government program in Australia, after the aged pension.
Staffing
The Productivity Commission reported that some areas had less than 40% of the number of disability services employees needed to cope with demand for NDIS services. The NDIA spent over $180 million on consultants and contractors between July 2016 and October 2017, which
Jenny Macklin
Jennifer Louise Macklin (born 29 December 1953) is an Australian former politician. She was elected to federal parliament at the 1996 federal election and served as the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2001 to 2006, unde ...
argues is due to the NDIA operating under a staffing cap. Disability support workers only identified negative aspects to the NDIS on the quality of jobs in interviews with
UNSW
The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...
. The
Albanese government will remove the staffing cap.
As of 2021, it was estimated that the NDIS employs over 270,000 people over 20 different occupations, and indirectly contributes to the employment of tens of thousands more.
How NDIS plans are managed
Each participant has funds allocated in what is called a plan. Each plan contains funding that can be spent on pre-approved activities such as therapies. There are three ways a NDIS plan can be managed: by the participant or their nominee managing the plan, by a registered plan management provider, or by the NDIA. Where the participant self-manages their plan, they are told to keep records of all purchases in case of a future audit.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NQSC) allows participants in the NDIS to make complaints about the safety and quality of services provided through the NDIS. From 1 July 2020, the NQSC will gain full jurisdiction of the quality and safety of the NDIS throughout Australia. The Commission gained oversight for the NDIS in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
on 1 July 2018. Starting 1 July 2019, it also began operations in
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
, the
ACT,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
,
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, and the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
. Its final starting date, 1 July 2020, will see the NQSC will gain oversight of the NDIS in
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
, bringing the entirety of the NDIS under the scrutiny of the NQSC.
Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) program
While the NDIS will support some people with disability in Australia, the ILC program aims to support all PWD in Australia by improving the community's ability to welcome PWD, and helping PWD to access wider community supports. The ILC program provides grants to organisations. From mid-2020, the ILC program moved to the Department of Social Services.
Independent assessments
In 2021, independent assessments were to be introduced for NDIS participants over the age of 7. The independent assessments will focus on "individual circumstances and functional capacity". Assessors will be qualified health professionals who are not NDIA employees, and they cannot be a participant's regular healthcare professional. Assessments will take 1 to 4 hours, and the assessors will "ask you questions about your life and what matters to you, and ask to see how you approach some everyday tasks. They will work through some standardised assessment tools with you, based on your age or disability". Disability advocates are concerned about the introduction of independent assessments, and the NDIA has explicitly linked the introduction of independent assessments to containing the cost of the NDIS. While the Coalition government is committed to introducing independent assessments, they do not enjoy parliamentary support.
Carers
While a 2014 government report on the NDIS predicted the scheme would enable carers to participate more in the workforce or in work-allied activities, as of 2018, there was limited evidence that this was the case.
Access issues and criticism
In the year 2015–2016, only 76% of participants' funds were utilised, which the Productivity Commission has stated was concerning as this could lead to poorer outcomes for participants. As of 2017, approximately 90% of NDIS costs were related to participant funding packages.
In 2018, Bruce Bonyhady said that a key issue that was yet to be resolved was what the supports were for those not the NDIS. There have been concerns that people with mild
intellectual disabilities
Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation, Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signif ...
, as well as those who are socially marginalised, will find it difficult to engage with the NDIS.
Jan Pike, former
Paralympian
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
, said in February 2017 that while having been on the NDIS, it took five months for a wheelchair to be delivered to her, and she could not get contractors to install a shower handrail because they were worried about not getting paid due to the NDIS web portal being "broken". A Facebook group, "NDIS Grassroots Discussion", was created for use by people with a disability to discuss their experiences with the NDIS.
In April 2017 Kirsten Harley, who had a terminal illness, was denied augmented communication through the NDIS because her condition would deteriorate. Neurological Alliance Australia said NDIS plans aren't being made with the input of people who understand neurological conditions and so were inadequate. Dr
Justin Yerbury was denied wheelchair and
accessible housing modifications due to being assessed as having a poor life expectancy. Tim Rubenach was in the NDIS, but his assistive equipment delivery was delayed until after his death. His family have said that the delays in receiving his equipment hastened his death.
In June 2017 it was reported that the process of writing NDIS plans had been reduced to hours rather than weeks, and people requesting a review were being cut off from basic services.
It was reported in May 2017 that in the Barwon region, for adults with disabilities, administration times had lengthened, but services had not increased.
Guidelines have been developed to show how the NDIS will interact with other systems, such as health systems,
child protection
Child protection is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides for the protection of children in and out of the home. One of the ways to e ...
, and education services. These interactions were described in September 2017 as being open to "cost-shifting" between the NDIS and existing services.
In September 2017 it was reported that many specialist services were closing due to no longer having block funding, making it harder for NDIS participants to be able to use their packages.
In September 2017 it was predicted that childhood disabilities with a late onset (ages 2–3) were likely to be under-served in the ECEI model.
The peak body for disability services in Australia, National Disability Services, estimated in February 2018 that the NDIS may have owed up to $300 million to service providers.
''
The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...
'' newspaper noted in March 2018 that
tarot card
The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots, ...
readers and other fringe therapy providers had become NDIS providers.
In July 2018, the NDIA asked that an
Aboriginal boy in
Tennant Creek
Tennant Creek ( wrm, Jurnkkurakurr) is town located in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is the seventh largest town in the Northern Territory, and is located on the Stuart Highway, just south of the intersection with the western termin ...
be placed into care.
Participants or their carers can appeal decisions made around their NDIS funding by going to the
Administrative Appeals Tribunal
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) is an Australian tribunal that conducts independent merits review of administrative decisions made under Commonwealth laws of the Australian Government. The AAT review decisions made by Australian Gover ...
.
The amount of funding that young children can be allocated for therapies is determined based on an internal NDIA guideline rather than the recommendations of treating experts.
See also
*
List of South Australian organisations providing support to people with a disability
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Disability in Australia
Public policy in Australia
2013 introductions
Gillard Government