What’s in the 2024 Federal Budget for Canberrans with Disability?

General comments

This Budget includes some welcome cost of living assistance which will help some Canberrans with a disability including the Energy Rebate and the broader tax cuts although neither is well targeted.

However, it does nothing to assist low income Canberrans on DSP who on our analysis are $824 behind a fortnight due to high transport, housing, and utility costs. The JobSeeker boost is only for recipients able to work less than 15hrs per week and will assist approximately 5000 people who arguably should already be on DSP. There is a ten percent increase in Rent Assistance and a measure making Carer Payment more flexible.

On the NDIS the Budget papers, the Financial Framework and MYEFO are predicting major savings ramping up over several years to moderate growth but there is very little detail on how outside of the fraud measures. This should continue to concern us given the cuts and strains already placed on consumers and services in the ACT. The overall healthy fiscal position of the Budget, with a $9.3 billion surplus, should once again cause us to question claims about the sustainability of NDIS and social spending.

We hold some concerns about the scope and purpose of the NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee – what it will do, who will run it and who it will be accountable to. There are some welcome investments to address the costs of medications. There is money for social housing although some of it is earmarked to changing the planning system rather than direct provision and there is no investment earmarked for gold standard accessible housing. There is a sizeable package on women and family violence although we would be keen for more detail on how this will support women with disability. There is money earmarked for a new system of Disability Employment Services but the papers are light on detail despite the current services nearing the end of their contract period. There is a mental health package focused on providing and expanding access to support free of change, and without a referral. While welcome, this package comes off the back of previous cuts to the sector and has some expert bodies sceptical of its impact.

As far as we can see there is also no money earmarked for significant responses to the Disability Royal Commission or the Commonwealths contribution to the new foundational support system which we would also have expected to see in this Budget. There has also been criticism that the leaving violence package fails to address the disability components of gendered violence.

There are a small number of ACT specific investments including for Light Rail, the Bruce Precinct, William Hovell Drive, the National Film and Sound Archive and the Australian Institute of Sport in the papers, as well as funding for APS functions. However we couldn’t locate much for social and community infrastructure beyond the city and the North or funding earmarked to Australian Disability Strategy priorities for the ACT.

This is a preliminary analysis, we will continue to analyse the papers and welcome feedback from members and colleagues.

Prepared by Craig Wallace, Head of Policy and Jo Luetjens, Policy Officer – Research and Data

The Big Picture

There is a $9.3 billion surplus for the 2023-24 financial year – this is despite government and media commentary about the potential drag from the NDIS and other social programs. There are, however, significant deficits predicted in the out years.

Budget predicts inflation and interest rate falls but Treasury are predicting 4.5% unemployment next year

No increase to Jobseeker or Youth Allowance or substantial responses to Robodebt however there is money to grow Services Australia capacity

Key Budget themes: cost of living relief (via tax cuts $36 a week for av wkly earners) and an energy rebate of $300 for every Australian

Freezing maximum cost of PBS medications $31.60 with freeze on costs for pensions at $7.70

Capping indexation on student loans (around $1,200 average saving)

New remote employment program, to replace the old punitive CDP for people in remote communities

Measures effecting people with disability and low-income people

Housing

An additional $1 billion for infrastructure funding for States and Territories to support housing supply (25% on social housing).

$1.9 billion for community housing providers.

Commitment to build 1.2 million new homes by end of 2029

$20 million for research into fast tracking social housing in planning

A modest workforce supply package to skill up housing industry workers to build more housing including social housing

Note: Most housing commitments mirror previous pledges.

National Shelter comments: “We know government has an appetite to solve the crisis, but we are still waiting for bold reforms that could address the core problems in our housing system”

Income support and Emergency Relief

There is a minor increase to Jobseeker for people with marginal work capacity. $41.2 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $7.0 million per year ongoing from 2028–29) to extend eligibility for the existing higher rate of JobSeeker payment to single recipients with a partial capacity to work of zero to 14 hours per week from 20 September 2024. Also an increase to the energy rebate.

$1.9 billion over five years from 2023–24 (and $0.5 billion per year ongoing from 2028–29) to increase all Commonwealth Rent Assistance maximum rates by 10 per cent from 20 September 2024 to help address rental affordability challenges for recipients. Equates to about $9 a week.

$18.6 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $3.1 million per year ongoing) to support Carer Payment recipients through increased flexibility to undertake work, study and volunteering activities.

Expansion of eligibility for Parenting Payment (Single): $35.4 billion over five years from 2023-24 with expanded eligibility for single principal carers with a youngest child under 14 years of age. This supports single parents, including those who have experienced family and domestic violence.

Continued freeze on deeming rates (benefiting pensioners with investments)

Boost to Emergency and Food Relief $138 million to boost funding for emergency and food relief, financial support services, and crisis support.

$33 million dollar package for financial distress, disaster and emergency measures – financial counselling, no interest loan vehicles, the National Debt Helpline and other measures

PWDA Comments: “PWDA welcomes the 10 per cent increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance and the higher rate of JobSeeker. This demonstrates some recognition of the disproportionate cost of living pressures for people with disability… However, Disability Support Pension recipients have been forgotten. PWDA will continue calling for a supplement to ease cost of living pressures for recipients.”

Mental Health

$888.1 million mental health package over eight years (in response to the Better Access initiative) – $139.8m per year

Incl. $588.5m over 8 years to establish a new national, free low-intensity digital service: 62accessible without a referral from 1 Jan 2026

Improved access to free mental health services through a network of walk in Medicare Mental Health Centres (upgraded network of 61 Centres to open by 30 June 2026): $29.9m over four years

$71.7m over four years to Primary Health Networks in partnerships with GPS to deliver wraparound supports and care coordination

$35.9m over 4 years to extend terminating mental health measures, to enhance the delivery of mental health and suicide prevention services and to provide greater funding certainty for service providers

$29.7m over 3 years to improve child and youth mental health services through uplifting workforce capability and co-designing new models of care

$7.1m over 4 years to build and support the lived experience peer mental health workforce

Health

$116.2 million over five years from 2023–24 to strengthen and support the health workforce

$2.2 billion over five years from 2023–24 to deliver key aged care reforms and to continue to implement recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

$71.0 million over four years from 2024–25 to continue support services, programs and research to improve cancer outcomes for Australians, in line with the Australian Cancer Plan

an additional $1.4 billion over 13 years from 2024–25 through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)

additional funding of $2.8 million over two years from 2023–24 to temporarily increase core operating funding for the National Joint Replacement Registry.

$3.4 billion over five years from 2023–24 for new and amended listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme – includes Paxlovid and Lagevrio, for the treatment of adults with COVID-19

$0.5 million in 2024–25 to maintain the Consumer Health Forum’s continued viability and functions as a national peak body representing Australian healthcare consumers

$1.2 billion over five years from 2023–24 ($14.8 million per year ongoing) to strengthen Medicare by supporting earlier discharge from hospital for older Australians, improving access to essential services, modernising Australia’s digital health infrastructure and ensuring the integrity and compliance of Medicare.

Education

HELP- and other student loan debt relief by limiting indexation (retrospectively to counteract the large CPI increase in 2023)

Broadening access to university by redesigning funding models and investing $350.3m to expand access to free university enabling courses from 1 January 2025

Paid placements for nurses, teachers and social workers: students to receive $319.50 per week while undertaking mandatory placements

Women and Family Violence

$1bn increase to National Housing Infrastructure Facility to better support housing for women and children experiencing domestic violence and for youth

$925.2m over 5 years financial assistance for victim-survivors leaving a violent partner. Incl. permanent Leaving Violence Program where victim-survivors can access up to $5000 in financial support

Addressing gender-based violence in higher education

Paying superannuation on Government-funded Paid Parental Leave for parents of babies born or adopted on or after 1 July 2025.

The Escaping Violence Payment trial and Temporary Visa Holders Experiencing Violence Pilot to be extended to 30 June 2025

$44.1m in community legal assistance services

$262.6m funding for new frontline and community sector workers to provide support to women and children experiencing family, domestic, and sexual violence. Expected to generate 500 new jobs for community organisations nationally

Tax cuts expected to increase labour supply by 930,000 hours. This increase is driven by women and individuals in the low-to-middle income range, particularly those earning between $25,000 and $75,000

PWDA comments:  “There’s nothing that recognises the unique forms of violence experienced by women with disability or prioritises accessible and targeted responses to end the violence we endure at twice the rate. The gaps in the Leaving Violence Program for women with disability is emblematic of this.”

Specific measures for people with disability

NDIS

The Budget papers, the Financial Framework and MYEFO are predicting major savings ramping up over several years to moderate growth but there is very little detail on how outside of the fraud measures. This should continue to concern us given the cuts and strains already placed on consumers and services in the ACT.

Spending in this Budget includes $468.7 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $37.9 million per year ongoing) as part of the Govts ‘getting the NDIS back on track measures’.

Funding includes:

$160.7 million over four years to upgrade the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s information technology systems, to better protect the safety of NDIS participants, reduce regulatory burden on NDIS providers, and improve cyber security

$129.8 million over two years from 2023–24 for design and consultation work to respond to the findings of the Independent NDIS Review

$83.9 million over two years from 2023–24 to boost fraud detecting information technology systems at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA),

$45.5 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $13.3 million per year ongoing) to establish a NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee, to provide independent and transparent advice to Government on the efficacy and cost-benefits of types of supports funded by the NDIS

$23.5 million over two years from 2024–25 for Services Australia to continue fraud investigation and response activities as part of the Fraud Fusion Taskforce Social Services

$20.0 million over two years from 2024–25 for initial design and consultation work on reforms to help participants and people with disability navigate services

$5.3 million in 2024–25 for the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority to work with DSS and the NDIA on pricing

Aged and Disability Care workers

Increase award wages for aged care workers, building on the $11.3bn allocated for the interim 15% increase

$87.2m for workforce initiatives to attract nurses and other workers into aged care

Changes to the 25 hour per week participation limit rules for the Carer Payment to provide recipients with greater flexibility. Recipients can now participate in work, study or volunteering for up to 100 hours over four weeks.

Disability Employment Services

$253.6 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $19.0 million per year ongoing) to reform employment services and supports for people with disability. Funding includes:

$227.6 million over five years from 2023–24 (and $11.4 million per year ongoing) to implement a new specialist disability employment program to replace the existing Disability Employment Services program by 1 July 2025

$23.3 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $7.6 million per year ongoing) to establish a Disability Employment Centre of Excellence

$2.6 million over three years from 2024–25 to extend the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline and the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service

Note some of these reannounced from 2023.

Disability Advocacy

The Disability Representative Organisations (DRO) program has committed $10,658,000 (GST exclusive) to 11 organisations to deliver systemic advocacy for two years

Grants have been given to representative groups for Autism, psychosocial disability, physical disability and people with chromosomal variations, as well as specific funding to represent LBTQIA+ people with disability.

Successful grant recipients include People with Disability Australia, First Peoples Disability Network (Australia), National Ethnic Disability Alliance, Women With Disabilities (Australia), Children and Young People with Disability Australia, Inclusion Australia, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) Ltd, Down Syndrome Australia, Physical Disability Australia, Autism Alliance National, and Community Mental Health Australia.

The Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) has also been funded by the government as a peak group for the individual advocacy sector and continues to be funded to deliver the National Coordination Function.

The funding increases are for Federal organizations only

Measures we have concerns or questions about

We’re unclear about what the NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee will do, who will run it, what its boundaries will be and who it will be accountable to.

We note funding for NDIS Navigators – we have called for funding for reliable, accurate and current peer reviewed information and referral services designed and managed by disabled people so people have good information to use while navigating. There also needs to be funding for grassroots, State and Territory based individual advocacy

There is a commitment to needs-based funding in higher education from 1 July 2026 (details to be announced following consultation). Unclear to what extent this will address disability as an area of need.

What’s missing

There are no increases to the Disability Support Pension
Jobseeker increases insufficient
Limited signs of investment towards the new foundational support system (we had assumed there would be a Federal component)
PWDA expressed concern at a lack of money to address the disability components of gendered violence within the DFV package
None of the social housing money appears to be earmarked for accessible housing and there is no effort to address the underlying issues driving overheated housing prices like Negative Gearing
There is nothing specifically tagged to respond to the findings of the Disability Royal Commission apart from some DES money
There is no additional money for disability advocacy beyond the National Organizations or to deliver the new National Disability Advocacy Framework