Member update: Draft report into Long Term Care and Support for People with a Disability

On February 28 2011, the Australian Government Productivity Commission's draft report into Long Term Care and Support for People with a Disability was released.  The Productivity Commission recommends the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to better support Australians living with disability and their families. 

The Commission clearly identifies that "the disability support system overall is inequitable, under-funded, fragmented and inefficient and gives people with a disability little choice". 

Particularly welcome is the recognition that an additional $6.3 billion is needed, around double the existing funding, to drive real improvements to the system.

The report is long and detailed, examining many of the complex issues that must be addressed before the NDIS can be introduced and implemented. As a result it will take some time for us to digest. In the meantime a summary of the key points of the report is below.

Thank you to the many individuals and organisations who took the time to make a submission to the inquiry to make the case for change - the Commission has listened to your stories and acted on them.

But we are still a long way from all parties committing to implementing the Commission's recommendations.

We need to maintain the pressure on Members of Parliament and opinion leaders to introduce the NDIS. We need to continue to spread the word.  You can still sign up and show your support of NDIS at Every Australian Counts. 

View the draft report into Long Term Care and Support for People with a Disability here.

Summaries of the recommendations and an Auslan summary of the key features of the report are also available at the site. 

The Productivity Commission is inviting comments and feedback on the draft report by 30 April 2011.

Please continue to spread the word among your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.

Kinds regards, 

Diana Heggie
CEO, Scope Victoria 

Summary of Productivity Commission Draft Report into “Long Term Care & Support for People with a Disability 

1. The report recognises that the current system doesn't work and it needs to be reformed.      
2. It proposes the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme overseen by a National Disability Insurance Agency.   
3. The NDIS would "Fund long-term high quality care and support" to 360,000 people. 
4. It will also have several other important roles, including mustering community resources, providing information to people, quality assurance, diffusion of best practice among providers, and breaking down stereotypes.  
5. The report estimates that it will cost an additional $6.3 billion on top of the existing $6.2 billion to deliver the changes necessary.   
6. Funding to come from the Federal Taxation system (not a separate levy).
7. It is based on the individualised services model and has eligibility criteria for people with significant disability. 
8. It aims to provide a long list of services including:
   a. Aids and appliances, home and vehicle modifications
   b. Community access support (facility and home based activities, supervision and physical care, supports range from long term day supports to time-limited supports)
   c. Respite
   d. Special accomm support
   e. Domestic assistance
   f. Transport assistance (to provide or coordinate individual / group transport)
   g. Specialist employment services
   h. Therapies
   i. Case Management
   j. Crisis / emergency support
   k. Guide dogs and assistant dogs
9. A separate "National Injury Insurance Scheme" is proposed for people acquiring catastrophic disability due to accidents.  It will have the same goals as the NDIS but be state based and funded separately.
10. It proposes that the reforms be implemented in 2014 in a regional area of Australia and rolled out across Australia in 2015.

View the draft report into Long Term Care and Support for People with a Disability here. The Productivity Commission is inviting comments and feedback on the draft report by 30 April 2011.