He said the aim should be to achieve consensus on what level of support is fair and reasonable for each disabled person.2. NSW Disabilities Minister Gareth Ward wrote to Mr Robert recently, urging him to consider a “consultative approach” on changes to support levels. He has not, for instance, involved them in pilot trials of the new independent assessments.
Shifty person how to#
Once the government publishes the final draft of the legislation it will be easier to make a judgment on what it has in mind, but so far Mr Roberts’ approach to developing the new legislation seems too secretive and confrontational.Ĭertainly it is important to get value for money and fairness in the system, but he has failed to bring the community and other tiers of government into the discussions about how to achieve that. He is also oversimplifying the issue of variation between regions, which they say can be explained by the fact that people with the most serious and costly disabilities live in major centres where they can receive help. They argue that Mr Robert is playing politics by raising the emotive case of funding for sex workers. They say a three-hour assessment based on cookie-cutter nationwide criteria is not the best way to develop an individual plan.
It also appears to exclude from the NDIS categories of people who are now eligible, including those with acquired brain disorders and fetal alcohol syndrome.ĭisability groups say the changes are primarily about cutting costs rather than helping the disabled. The Herald on Friday reported on draft legislation that would make explicit that people who refused to submit to these tests would lose access to funding. He wants to replace the current system of determining a plan for each customer in conjunction with their doctors and other health professionals, with a standardised three-hour assessment. He has also questioned some categories of funding, especially a case where the NDIS was asked to pay for the services of sex workers for a person with disabilities. The NDIS now covers more than 400,000 people, with another 100,000 in the process of transferring from other forms of support (or no support).īut Disabilities Minister Stuart Robert has signalled major changes, saying the current system lacks consistent national guidelines, resulting in marked differences between the level support that is received in the country and the cities. A planner assesses what services are reasonable and necessary for each person and the government funds them, but the individual can choose their own providers. The National Disability Insurance Scheme, which began in 2013, is a single national agency that has taken on the job of funding the services that each disabled person needs, combining a myriad of local, state and federal bodies. The idea of a single national scheme to give the disabled more dignity and control has enjoyed bipartisan support for the past decade, but that consensus appears to be fraying over changes now under active contemplation by the federal government.
0 kommentar(er)
