National Disability Services (NDS) has called for all political parties to ‘drop the politics’ after it was revealed the NDIS scheme’s recent blowout saga was consistent with forecasted scheme growth.
It was highlighted in a 2017 Productivity Commission Study Report into NDIS costs that the scheme was forecasted to reach a cost of $30.6 billion by 2024-25 – a figure of similar magnitude to the forecast for the same year in this year’s Budget.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently announced that the NDIS was seeing a ‘cost blowout’ of about $30 billion calling into question the sustainability of the scheme as a result.
NDS chief executive, David Moody is calling on the government to consult with disability sector stakeholders on actual concerns with the viability of the scheme.
“At the moment we are hearing scary talk about a scheme in danger, which is unsettling for people with disability, and inconsistent with the Productivity Commission’s outlook from 2017,” Moody said. “Our ask now is that the government and the National Disability Agency commit to constructive conversations with NDS, our members and other disability sector stakeholders to help develop solutions to any concerns.”
According to Moody, when the scheme began, the Commonwealth’s share of the cost was around 51 per cent. This year it is about 55 per cent, rising to a forecasted 59 per cent by 2024-25, setting the scene for heated intergovernmental discussions.
“What we need to avoid is for NDIS participants and their service providers to be caught in any political crossfire over funding or for any new programs to be rolled out which are designed to ‘rein in costs’ or ‘drive efficiency’ but which have not taken into account the real-life experience of those who are directly impacted.
“NDS and our members can be a valuable resource for the government, if we are allowed to be,” he said.