Key Facts:
- Federal Budget includes $37.8 billion cuts to NDIS participant payments over four years, particularly affecting social and community participation supports
- Government criticised for cutting disability supports before establishing alternative systems, with 60% of savings coming from people with disability who represent only 25% of the population
- States and territories warn they lack funding and capacity to replace NDIS cuts, raising concerns about a postcode lottery of support access
- Budget fails to provide adequate investment in Foundational Supports despite plans to move more people outside the NDIS system
- Additional funding of £15.9 million over four years allocated to Disability Representative Organisations, though concerns remain about poverty levels and appeal rights for people with disability
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) says the Federal Budget cuts the supports people with disability rely on to live ordinary lives, without delivering the equivalent alternatives people are being told will replace them.
This Budget focuses on sweeping National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) changes with direct cuts to participant payments of $37.8 billion over four years, including an unclear reset to social and community participation and capacity building supports. While participants are set to lose access to the Scheme and supports, the Inclusive Communities Fund looks to focus on increasing access for NDIS participants only.
PWDA Acting CEO Megan Spindler-Smith said people with disability understand the need for reform, but the Government has made a political choice to cut supports before building the systems people would be expected to rely on instead. This budget is relying on 60% of its savings coming from people with disability, when we are only 25% of the population.
"Budgets are about choices. This Budget chooses to directly cut the supports people with disability rely on to get out of bed, go to work, care for their children and participate in community life. You cannot build an inclusive community with budget savings that damage people with disabilities' basic rights," Mx Spindler-Smith said.
"We absolutely know that the NDIS needs to work well and be sustainable into the future. But you do not achieve that by stripping support away and failing to deliver adequate safeguards, replacement supports or measures that address the administrative inefficiencies within the NDIA and Quality and Safeguards Commission. Without a serious reset the NDIA and Commission are not set up to deliver these changes in a way that limits the harm to our community. We see no evidence of that reset.
"The Government has stated social and community participation supports will be reset. It's heartless to cut supports we need to leave the house, work and study at a time when then cost of living has dramatically increased and alternatives are simply not there."
PWDA said this Budget has failed to provide adequate investment or certainty around Foundational Supports, despite the Government proposing to move increasing numbers of people outside the NDIS system.
