Hello EAC community!

I'm Dr George Taleporos, the Independent Chair of Every Australian Counts, the grassroots community of people with disabilities, our families and allies fighting for and defending the NDIS.

Last time I wrote to you, the Prime Minister had just announced an 8% target on the growth of the NDIS. Thanks to everyone who wrote to the Prime Minister and who asked questions and took action.

We had a lot of questions about how this would impact on NDIS participants and families. So I asked Minister Bill Shorten to meet with me to answer our questions and concerns. You can click on the video below to hear what he had to say:

Bill Shorten said: It is a Target Not a Cap

Minister Shorten said that the NDIS remains uncapped and that the 8% growth target is just that, a target, not a cap. He stressed that the NDIS remains an uncapped and  demand-driven Scheme. He said that this means that the spending can go above the target, but they will be trying to achieve it with some big changes coming our way.

So What Big Changes Can We Expect?

The government will spend $720 million to make changes that it believes will result in $74 billion worth of savings. It believes that these reforms will be enough to get the growth target to under 8% by 2026. We don't know if this will work but we do know a bit about the changes and here is a summary of what we know:

Changes in planning - the government is promising better and more transparent (clearer) decision-making processes, more training for planners and less frequent plan reviews when they are not needed. Planners will be more specialised and some planners will focus on working with specific groups such as people with disabilities stuck in the hospital or in nursing homes.

More support to use your funding – we are told that we will get more support when we get our funding to make sure that we understand our plans and our budgets. The government believes that this will reduce the amount of overspending. I'm not sure it will, but more support to understand your plan is definitely a good thing.

Prove it works or it won’t get funded – the government does not want to pay for things that have not been scientifically proven to be effective, so they will set up expert panels to decide what gets funded. This may affect access to funding for participants accessing less traditional supports like art, music or animal therapy. 

Payment for outcomes - there will be a trial of what they are calling "blended payments”. This means that providers will get paid bonuses for achieving a predetermined outcome or goal. Some examples might be finding someone a job, or getting someone out of hospital or out of a nursing home.

Help to access mainstream housing – more support will be available from the NDIS to look for housing in the mainstream market. This might include help filling out housing applications and finding affordable and accessible housing.

“Preferred provider” arrangements – The government will do deals with providers of commonly purchased products so they can help us find the cheapest providers and push the prices down. Some examples might be continence aids, beds and shower chairs.

First Nations pilot – the current way of providing support often doesn’t meet the needs of people living in aboriginal communities, so the government will work with these communities to find  better ways of delivering support. 

A commitment to codesign - the government has promised to work with people with disabilities to implement these changes. This is important if the government is going to deliver on its commitment to ensure people with disabilities are at the centre of the NDIS.

What Happens Now?

We will be working closely alongside other disability organisations, the National Disability Insurance Agency and the government to make sure that the new reforms to the NDIS result in the best possible outcomes for NDIS participants. We all need to be alert to any changes that cut packages or restrict our choices.

We must continue to hold the government to its promise of an uncapped NDIS where people with disabilities are entitled to reasonable and necessary support, and choice and control over our lives.

Meet Our Codesign Project Worker Nick Avery (She/ her)

Please meet Nick Avery from regional Western Australia who is representing Every Australian Counts in our codesign work with the National Disability Insurance Agency. Nick is an autistic parent with a physical disability and two autistic young adults.  She is the CEO of South West Autism Network (SWAN), a Disabled Persons and Families Organisation in regional WA.

Nick's knowledge of the NDIS is huge, and she’s very experienced in both individual and systemic advocacy. Nick is an NDIS participant and Self-Manages three NDIS plans. We are very lucky to have her on our steering committee as well! And to put a face to her name, here is a photo of Nick!:

The Latest on the NDIS Review

Thank you to the hundreds of you who attended our online forums. The NDIS Review has taken everything that you said on board and will be using it to develop their recommendations to government. We are also producing a report on your contributions at our forums.

I recently met the co-chairs of the NDIS Review to ask about their early findings. Click on the video below for my exclusive first interview with Lisa and Bruce. And remember, you can still have your say by visiting the NDIS Review website. They just released 2 new discussion papers on safeguards and pricing that are worth checking out.

One more thing...We don't have ongoing funding and rely on the generosity of donations.  If you or someone you know would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to Every Australian Counts please check out our donation page.

Thanks for reading! And if you haven't already come across it, please check out my Reasonable & Necessary podcast, full of the latest info and insights into the NDIS.

Dr George Taleporos

Independent Chair, Every Australian Counts