What’s the issue?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme is not functioning as expected, with allegations the Coalition is focusing on cost-cutting over performance, and people with disabilities claiming they’ve been left out of reforms.
Why is it an issue?
The $30 billion scheme supports nearly half a million Australians with a disability. The Coalition has said costs are blowing out and has repeatedly been accused of slashing individuals’ funding. Meanwhile the sector’s watchdog has limited capacity and power to crack down on dodgy companies rorting the system.
What the parties are offering
Labor has released its six-point plan to overhaul the NDIS, with NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten announcing plans to hire an extra 380 agency staff, limit the agency’s use of private law firms, and crack down on rorting providers.
NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds has announced changes to NDIS home and living supports, also providing $100 million over three years for advocacy and legal support for people with disabilities. The Morrison government has also fully funded the uncapped scheme in line with expectations and supported the NDIS Participant Service Guarantee Bill to reduce red tape and increase flexibility for participants and their carers.
What’s up for discussion?
In an exclusive interview with Crikey, Shorten said Labor would cut waste from the top — not the bottom. This has been a key issue in the sector: as Crikey has revealed, dodgy companies have drained the accounts of NDIS participants while the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has dismissed complaints of abuse and neglect, punishing just a handful of providers.
Management needs to be overhauled, Shorten said. “You’ve got to change some of the senior management at the agency a question.” No decisions have been made about agency CEO Martin Hoffman but he stressed the need for a “sea change”.
Shorten said this would include putting more people with disabilities into top roles. Dr Denis Napthine — a former Liberal premier of Victoria — was appointed chair of the agency’s board one month ago, although he is one of the few executive staff with lived experience of disability — his son has disabilities and Napthine acts as his care provider.
There’s been limited consultation with the disability sector, advocates saying they weren’t asked about the independent assessment changes and saying they’ve been left out of the loop with a number of proposed reforms. Reynolds has said she’ll talk to the sector more often following the aborted independent assessment saga.
NDIS participants unhappy with the agency can turn to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, although this is also fraught with issues. Often without legal representation, people with disabilities enter closed-door meetings with the NDIA’s high-profile lawyers, rarely appearing in front of a tribunal member.
Shorten has vowed to crack down on the agencies’ legal spending — last year $17.3 million was paid to legal firms representing external legal matters, a 30% increase from the year before.
“I want to do a blitz on all AAT outstanding NDIS matters,” he said, and he wants increased transparency in decisions so that other participants can use tribunal rulings as a guide for their cases.
While the Coalition’s advocacy and legal funding will help those with disabilities understand their rights, especially in the AAT, no overhaul of the tribunal process has been announced.
As an NDIS participant I say that it is rivers of gold out there for providers. My physio rate went up from $65 per session to $95 when I told them I was on the NDIS. And then up to $135 per hour for the next one. Occupational therapists (many of whom do it part time outside their normal job) charge $200/hour to fill out pro forma applications. One major national OT provider lists addresses in every town on the NDIS Provider Search, so you think they have someone local. But then once they have found out how much NDIS funding you have they will bleed you dry charging for “our very best people” to come from the nearest capital at $200/hr extra for travel. Sadly the cost of all sorts of disability services have gone through the roof, assuming you have NDIS funding, putting them out of reach of people, often the elderly, who don’t.
Let’s hope this is the kind of rorting Shorten would fix. I sense a slogan,,, “No rortin’ with Shorten,”
Searching for a word StBob24? Called out Aged Home Care a massive rort but your NDIS exceeds. Obviously, dismantling of a professional Public Service imperative. For if there was a single honest Executive left within Public Service the AFP would have had no option . . . other than to police? Utterly disgusting!
A a a a gh!! $17.3M paid out to Legals.
All clients are DISABLED! Surely, staff ‘assessment procedures’ could not be so incompetent as to result in accepting so many questionable client claims costing millions of dollars per annum? Or is it just a bureaucratic means of balancing budgets? And sod client needs?
Related to the following, good luck:
‘cut waste from the top — not the bottom. This has been a key issue in the sector: as Crikey has revealed, dodgy companies have drained the accounts of NDIS participants while the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has dismissed complaints of abuse and neglect,‘
This is the now Anglosphere modus operandi of (radical right) libertarian economics aka Buchanan’s ‘public choice theory’ in US, Australia and the UK; voters want services, hence, if you cannot shut it down then divert funding to private sector contractors and ‘own’ the regulator, preferably with no expertise.
‘The Wrecking Crew‘, 2009 copyright Thomas Franks (Amazon):
‘Frank describes the rise of a ruling coalition dedicated to dismantling government. But rather than cutting down the big government they claim to hate, conservatives have simply sold it off, deregulating some industries, defunding others, but always turning public policy into a private-sector bidding war…. the same politicians who guffaw at the idea of effective government have installed a regime in which incompetence is the rule. Nor will the country easily shake off the consequences of deliberate misgovernment through the usual election remedies. Obsessed with achieving a lasting victory, conservatives have taken pains to enshrine the free market as the permanent creed of state.‘
I suspect that the same thing is going on here as in the aged care agencies in charge of providing care for elderly people at home. I do not know the exact numbers but I do know that a very large amount of the money is spent on administration. I also know that the people who do the actual work – you know – the carers, cleaners and gardeners are certainly not making much money, and most of them work very hard.
It seems it is always possible for the ethically challenged to find a way to rip off government money.
For NDIS support staff working for agencies they typically get paid $25-35 per hour while the agency charges $70-100. As I am “self managed” I can employ my own support workers and charge back the NDIS after I pay them directly. I pay $55-60 per hour. You would think the bare minimum amount agencies should be paying is $40 per hour and they’d still be making a tidy profit.”But what about all our overheads and admin costs!!!” you will hear them cry. Those post it notes aren’t going to pay for themselves.
NDIS struggles. Residential Aged Care a disaster. Aged Home Care a huge, huge, rort. The source of each system’s problem rests with a Morrison Government that has dismantled a professional Public Service and, abandoned democratic values ie accountability, transparency. Not to mention the inhumane treatment of vulnerable citizens whether disabled, discarded, devalued or down-right despised for their legitimate claims upon the public purse? After all, our nation’s wealth, vision and commitment came from . . . the labour of those before? Australia and Australians before had a national health system envied by a world, the world, around. And today, hand-in-hand, on an American ‘slide’ faster, and faster?
A useless system for anyone over 65. Doesn’t apply so as an accident victim in my late 60s I get ZILCH. So all academic to any older disabled person who might have otherwise been in good health and an acrtive retiree…..