NDIS
- $385.0 million in 2023–24 in additional funding to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) for operational funding to support National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants.
- Government has promised to employ 380 NDIS additional permanent frontline staff to improve frontline delivery with determination of authority as well as a dedicated review board.
- $21.2 million over 3 years from 2022–23 for NDIS Appeals providers to support people with disability and their families with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) appeals process
- $18.1 million over two years from 2022–23 to review NDIS design, operations and sustainability (this is the NDIS review)
- $12.4 million in 2022–23 to introduce an expert review pathway to resolve disputes arising from NDIA decisions, reduce the number of appeals to the AAT, and provide better and earlier outcomes for NDIS participants
- $0.6 million in 2022–23 to expand residential accommodation for people with disability at Jindelara Cottage in Ulladulla, New South Wales.
- The Government will provide $126.3 million over 4 years from 2022–23 to establish a cross-agency Fraud Fusion Taskforce to address fraud and serious non-compliance in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
- Funding for an additional 380 staff for the NDIA to improve front-line service delivery
Housing
- A Housing affordability package will create around 50,000 new affordable and social housing dwellings and may create further affordable homes subject to partnership arrangements through a new housing accord with the States/Territories and Super Funds. It is unclear how tightly this will be focussed on accessible housing and we will be interrogating this as we go forward. This includes:
- 30,000 from the Housing Affordability Fund including 20,000 social and 10,000 affordable homes
- While a new accord with the States/Territories and super fund investors will produce an additional 10,000 affordable (Cth) and, if matched by states/territory, additional 10,000
Disability Services Reform
- $19.4 million has been allocated to support consultation on modernising the Disability Services Act 1986, with a promise to put people with disability and their views at the centre of policy design.
Advocacy
- $11.2 million over 4 years from 2022–23 to increase existing support for disability systemic advocacy
Employment and Education
- The Government will provide $19.4 million over 4 years from 2022–23 to extend the Disability Employment Services program for two years to 30 June 2025. (Note this is not new money)
- $485.5m will be provided to universities to fund an additional 20,000 university places for students from underrepresented and low socioeconomic backgrounds will help offset barriers for students with disability and other disadvantaged groups
- 480,000 fee free spots in vocational education and training, targeted to priority groups, including people with disability, First Nations people and jobseekers
Health
- $787.1 million over 4 years to reduce the general patient co-payment for treatments on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from $42.50 to $30 per script.
- The Government has committed $23.9 million over four years for the National Centre of Excellence on intellectual disability and health
Community Services
- $560 million for indexation for community services, including some disability services, is welcome
COVID
- The Government will provide a further $29.5 million for the new High Risk Settings Pandemic Payment from 15 October 2022 to provide targeted financial support, on the same basis as the PLDP, for workers in aged care, disability care, aboriginal healthcare and hospital care sectors involving frequent close contact with those in care.
- Small amounts for COVID protections in aged care, PCR testing, telehealth and PPE for high risk settings plus distribution of RATS
- Additional funding for PPE which will be supplied across residential aged care, disability sector, GP’s etc
- $314.0 million for the distribution of fourth vaccine doses in primary care settings, pharmacies, state-based clinical sites, aged and disability care facilities, and First Nations communities
Misc.
- $10.3 million over 4 years from 2022–23 for the national expansion of the Sport4All pilot. The expansion will provide people with disability with the opportunity to participate in club and school sports with a focus on First Nations people living with disability
- $32.2 million over 4 years from 2022–23 to improve disability access in the community by contributing one-third of the funding required to build up to 400 new ‘Changing Places’ toilets for people with high support needs
- $5.3 million for the National Autism Strategy