The Albanese Government is making changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to help those who need it most and to ensure the NDIS works as originally intended.
Yesterday, a new bill was introduced to Parliament, called the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024. This fulfils a promise made earlier to make these changes by the first half of 2024.
The goal of this bill is to improve the NDIS so it can keep changing lives for Australians with disabilities. It aims to ensure the money in the NDIS goes to the people who need it, and it gives more power to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to protect participants from experiencing exploitation.
These changes come after an independent review of the NDIS, consultations with states and territories, and discussions with people with disabilities and the sector.
The main areas this bill focuses on are improving access, plans, budget settings, and quality and safety.
In summary, the bill aims to make the following changes:
- They want to change how they decide who gets support from the scheme. Instead of just focusing on diagnoses, they’ll look at what people actually need. This could mean less paperwork for people with disability because they won’t have to keep proving they have a disability.
- Also, they might give people plans that last longer, up to five years, and let them have more control over how they spend their support money.
- They’re working on making a clear definition of what “NDIS support” means so that money is spent properly. They’re looking at international guidelines to help with this.
- They’re thinking about giving the NDIS agency more power to deal with financial risks, like fraud, and they might make the watchdog commission that oversees the scheme bigger to make sure it’s working well.
The Minister for the NDIS, Bill Shorten MP, says these reforms will take time and they’re committed to working with the disability community to make sure the changes happen the right way.
While some improvements won’t happen immediately, the government will keep working with the disability community to make sure the NDIS works well for everyone.
This bill is part of a larger effort to return the NDIS to its original purpose and create better support for people with disabilities across Australia. Last year, we summarised the NDIS Review, which you can find on our In the News page.
The government has already invested $130 million this year for consultation and co-design, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to make these reforms a reality.
They’re encouraging people to stay informed and engaged through their website and to reach out if they have any questions or need support.
Watch this space for further updates!
For more information on the bill, visit www.dss.gov.au/NDISreforms
More information about the NDIS Review is available on the NDIS Review website.
Subscribe for their updates about coming engagement opportunities at www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers
You can find a great Easy Read resource here: Easy Read Resource
To contact the department, you can email them at enquiries@dss.gov.au or call 1300 653 227 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm (AEDT). If you are Deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use the National Relay Service to contact the department.
Written by Amanda Robinson, B.A., MMentalHealth Prac.
Amanda is a professional with over a decade of dedicated experience in the fields of Mental Health and Disability. Her extensive expertise lies in navigating the intricate landscape of the Disability Sector. She brings a unique perspective to her work, being both a person with lived experience of disability and a compassionate carer. She has a passion for advocacy, making her a staunch champion for the rights and well-being of individuals facing similar challenges
