In recent weeks, the NDIS minister, Linda Reynolds, has argued the scheme is no longer sustainable without such changes – which are universally opposed by disability groups.
So, one of the biggest ever Australian government programs is controlled by an agency that administers itself, designs much of its own policy, sets its own budget without serious central agency oversight, spends more money than the army, and operates with an extraordinary level of independence from the elected government and responsible minister.
Let us be clear. If the intention is to “let her rip” before ensuring that all of the 1a and 1b vaccine rollout groups are vaccinated, this will not be “living with COVID”. This will be eugenics against a protected group of citizens. People with disability will die.
A plan for controversial independent assessments of National Disability Insurance Scheme participants has been dumped by the Morrison government after a showdown with the states.
NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds confirmed the federal government would not push ahead with the proposal. “I can absolutely confirm that we agreed with the Independent Advisory Council’s recommendation that the independent assessments in their current form will not proceed,” she told the ABC. “So are independent assessments as we currently understand them dead? Yes, they are.”
Advocates say it is a ‘beautiful thing’ the government was forced to back down after the states and territories rejected the proposal. Reynolds confirmed on Friday night that independent assessments – which have sparked a massive backlash among the disability sector – would “not proceed”.
Victorian Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan also welcomed the scrapping of independent assessments. “I thank all those Victorians with disability who have been advocating for months to stop the current independent assessments plans and look forward to the Victorian disability sector playing a key role,” he said.
Mr Morrison said the government was looking to incentivise corporate sector vaccinations for aged care and disability. “With the corporate program that will be used to incentive vaccinations for aged care workers, we will extend that to disability care workers as well.”
States and territories (bar Victoria) today committed to introducing public health orders to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination for aged care workers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said following the latest National Cabinet meeting. However, there was no recommendation for a vaccination mandate for disability care workers, although they are “strongly recommended” to be vaccinated, he said.
A Victorian man has been sentenced to jail for rorting the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) of more than $300,000 by billing the provider for fake lawn mowing services.
The NDIS Act 2013 recognises that decision-making is a human right for people with disabilities. However, the agency said the current environment is often weighted towards substitute decision-making, where someone such as a nominee or guardian has authority to make decisions on behalf of an adult with a disability.
Both independent assessment, and algorithm-based funding decisions, lack research evidence to support their implementation. A current trial of the independent assessment, examines participant satisfaction only, not the outcomes or risks associated with implementation.
Labor’s NDIS spokesman has likened the financial sustainability report prepared by the National Disability Insurance Agency’s actuary to the flawed intelligence about weapons of mass destruction ahead of the Iraq war.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) today released an interim update to the Annual Financial Sustainability Report (AFSR) Summary. The Report is based on forward looking assumptions, fully described, for participant entrant rates, participant exit rates and average spend growth rates that are set below current actual experience but above prior forecasts.
The federal government’s overhaul of the national disability insurance scheme plans to ban certain forms of support it considers “ordinary living expenses” .