NDIS Achieves ‘Major Milestone’
21 August 2017 at 5:22 pm
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is celebrating a “major milestone” after being delivered to 100,000 participants.
According to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) as of Friday figures showed 100,000 NDIS participants now have “choice and control over life-changing support delivered through the scheme”.
An NDIA spokesperson told Pro Bono News the “careful rollout” of the NDIS was continuing “with solid progress in the last quarter”.
“We have been able to achieve this result in line with information on clients transitioning from state, territory and Commonwealth programs,” the spokesperson said.
“We know we can do more to improve and that is why there is a committed effort to continue to improve the NDIS experience for both participants and providers.
“As the Productivity Commission noted in June, the NDIS is a complex and highly valued national reform and the scale, pace and nature of the changes it is driving are unprecedented in Australia – we are working hard every day to deliver the best NDIS possible.”
The Turnbull government called the latest figure a “major milestone” for the rollout.
Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter, said the achievement represented “significant progress” for the NDIS.
“One year into the national rollout of the NDIS we have 100,000 people with disability living more independent lives, accessing the services and equipment they need, participating in their communities, entering the workforce and contributing to the economy,” Porter said.
“All Australians should be very proud of this landmark scheme that replaces a system where the level of support a person with disability received was determined by their postcode and the vastly different funding provided from all levels of government.”
Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services, Jane Prentice said Australians should be “proud” of what the scheme had achieved.
“In my discussions across Australia with NDIS participants, and their families and carers, it is clear that they believe the NDIS is making their lives better,” Prentice said.
In a statement acknowledging the milestone Labor’s shadow minister for families and social services Jenny Macklin called the figure “significant” but said it did not reflect initial targets.
Citing the NDIS Quarterly Report, Macklin pointed out the NDIS had only approved plans for 96,722 participants, much less than its original target of 116,555 set for the quarter ending 30 June 2017.
The NDIS was first established in 2013 over a three-year trial period. During that time 30,000 Australians with disabilities applied for support through the scheme.
The trial was deemed a success by government and commenced a national rollout last year, with a view of registering approximately 460,000 Australians with a permanent and significant disability under the age of 65 by 2020.
