Following several years of discussion, the Australian Government in 2010 initiated a public inquiry around how to provide long-term support to people with disabilities. A report was released in August the following year which summarised that current disability support arrangement were inequitable. Fragmented support gave people with disabilities little choice and no certainty that services would be available when required.
The report recommended a national approach and that decision-making around services should be given to people with a disability and their carers.
In July 2012 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to proceed with the launch of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as a ten-year strategy to improve the lives of people with disability. The legislation was passed in March 2013 with the creation of the NDIS Act. Trial sites were established in July of that same year with the intention to roll out the NDIS across Australia from July 2016.
The NDIS is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency and funded partly by the Australian Government and partly by individual States and Territories. An increase in the Medicare Levy from 1.5 percent to 2 percent was introduced to cover the estimated expenditure of nearly $21.6 billion. The NDIS was intended to provide an estimated 460,000 Australians under the age of 65 with support. The latest quarterly data shows that over 142,000 people with disability are now receiving supports under the NDIS.
How it works
The NDIS is available to Australian citizens and permanent residents under the age of 65 who have a permanent and significant disability which affects their ability to take part in everyday activities. The majority of individuals who were already receiving support services were automatically transitioned to the NDIS. Others were invited to request access to the NDIS by completing an access form and providing supporting documentation including evidence of diagnosis by a healthcare professional. Information around mobility, communication, learning etcetera and the types of assistance required are to be provided by a health professional in order for a plan to be developed.
Local Area Coordinators then work directly with people who receive an NDIS plan to connect them to services which can provide reasonable and necessary supports to help individuals achieve their goals around such things as employment and community participation. The NDIS does not cover healthcare costs or supports which are being funded through another means.
The NDIS is currently being independently evaluated by that National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University as commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Social Services. The evaluation involves surveys of disability support providers and people with disabilities and their families. To date, the surveys show that the average number of support accessed has increased and almost half of the respondents report having more say over the supports they receive.