NDIS fully funded in 2013 Federal budget

People with Disability Australia welcomes the Government’s commitment to lock in full funding for the NDIS through a commitment of $14.3 billion of new money over seven years to move to full implementation of the scheme by 1 July 2019.

“This is an important moment for Australians with a disability and provides a lifeline to around 460,000 people with disability and families mired in crisis,” said People with Disability Australia President Craig Wallace.

“We now call on the coalition to support a permanent levy flowing into a secured fund as a way of safeguarding the scheme and ensuring that it continues to grow and manage growing future demand for disability services,” said Mr Wallace. “We cannot afford a return to the rationed system which kept 600,000 people in poverty and locked out of employment.”

“The creation of this investment fund growing over ten years will raise $20.4 billion and the future of the fund is linked to the future of the NDIS and the future sustainability of the financial arrangements with the states,” said Mr Wallace.

People with Disability Australia supports the linking of these payments to the performance of states and territories in delivering the NDIS and extending coverage across their eligible populations and calls upon Western Australia to sign onto the scheme and meet the conditions so that Western Australians with disability can access this additional support.

“Deloitte Access Economics report has identified a $43 billion dollar increase in GDP if Australia increases the participation rate by around one third,” said Mr Wallace. “There is a very clear return to the Australian people and the money invested will go directly to disability care and the spending will be transparent.”