National Disability Insurance Scheme

What We're Doing

The Albanese Labor Government is getting the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) back on track by improving outcomes for participants and ensuring the sustainability of the Scheme for future generations.

 

Budget 2024-25

The Government is committed to improving outcomes for NDIS participants and ensuring every dollar of NDIS funding goes to those who need it most. In this Budget, the Government is providing a further $468.7 million to support people with disability and get the NDIS back on track. Key investments include: 

  • $214 million over two years to fight fraud and to co-design NDIS reforms with people with disability, announced earlier this year,
  • $160.7 million to upgrade the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's information technology,
  • $45.5 million to establish an NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee,
  • $20 million to start consultation and design reforms to help NDIS participants and people with disability navigate services. 

Furthermore, on 27 March 2024, we introduced the Getting the NDIS Back on Track Bill to Parliament. The Albanese Government’s legislative reforms are aimed at getting the scheme back on track and securing its future.

The Albanese Government is also proud to announce that $227.6 million will be invested in a new specialised disability employment program to replace the existing Disability Employment Services program by 1 July 2025. These reforms will support more people with disability into sustainable work, through a program with greater flexibility, increased individual supports, and better service quality.

Our work in this Budget builds on the $732.9 million provided in the previous 2023–24 Budget, which you can view a summary of below.

 

Australia's Disability Strategy 2021-2031

Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–2031 (ADS) is a national framework that all governments in Australia have signed up to. It sets out a plan for continuing to improve the lives of people with disability in Australia over ten years.  ADS replaces and builds on the first National Disability Strategy 2010–2020. Its purpose is to: 

  • Provide national leadership towards greater inclusion of people with disability, 
  • Guide activity across all areas of public policy to be inclusive and responsive to people with disability,
  • Drive mainstream services and systems to improve outcomes for people with disability and,
  • Engage, inform and involve the whole community in achieving a more inclusive society.

The NDIS is a key part of the ecosystem of support that Australians with disability rely on. Our role will be to continue working with all levels of government, people with disability and the sector to build a strong mutual understanding of:

  • How the NDIS and other service delivery systems interact and complement one another and,
  • How to determine the most appropriate funding and service delivery approach.

Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 recognises all levels of government are responsible for supporting people with disability to reach their full potential, as equal members of the community. It sets out priorities and plans for all governments to work with the community, businesses, and people with disability to implement and realise its vision in a coordinated and targeted way.

With all levels of government working together to deliver on our responsibilities, we can achieve the vision of an inclusive Australian society where people with disability can fulfil their potential, as equal members of the community. 

For more information about Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-31 please visit the Australian Government’s Disability Gateway website.

 

2023-24 Investments into the NDIS 

Reforming the agency that delivers the Scheme and ensuring every dollar goes to NDIS participants was an important part of our strategy in the 2023-24 Budget to create more opportunities for more Australians and improve government services.

As a first step, the Budget committed a total of $910 million over four years to improve the NDIS, and support and safeguard people with a disability and the Scheme. This included $732.9 million to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the NDIS which will uplift capability, capacity and systems to better support participants:

  • Capability: $429.5 million investment in the NDIA’s workforce capability and systems resulting in better consistency and equity in decision-making for access and planning decisions for NDIS participants
  • Better planning: $73.4 million to better support participants to manage their plan within budget, including assistance from the NDIA during the year and holding plan managers, support coordinators and providers to account
  • Flexibility: $63.8 million to take a lifetime approach to ensure plans are more transparent and flexible for life events
  • Independent living: $56.4 million to strengthen supported independent living decisions, including introducing a home and living panel with highly trained staff to improve consistency across decisions and updating guidelines for planners to improve participants' ability to live independently
  • Evidence-based supports: $29.3 million to support the quality and effectiveness of services provided to participants, through improving oversight of services and increasing take-up of evidence-based supports
  • Blended payment trial: $24.6 million to work with participants and providers to trial blended payment models, to increase incentives for providers to innovate service delivery and improve outcomes
  • First Nations and remote communities: $7.6 million to pilot approaches to partner with communities to improve access to support in remote and First Nations communities
  • Fraud: $48.3 million to crack down on fraud and non-compliant payments in the Scheme and to develop a business case for new IT platforms and systems to detect and prevent fraud and non-compliant payments.

People with disability deserve an NDIS that works with them and their lives. That is why we invested in initiatives that improved the NDIS planning process, making the scheme overall easier to engage with.

The Budget also included other measures to support and safeguard people with a disability and the Scheme:

  • Watchdog: $142.6 million to support the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to do its job of keeping NDIS participants safe
  • Workforce: $14.1 million to deliver a COVID-19 Leave Grant to help stop the spread of COVID-19 to vulnerable Australians and support disability workers
  • Policy funding: $13 million investment in the Department of Social Services to strengthen the Government’s oversight of the NDIS and get it back on track
  • Younger People in Residential Aged Care: $7.3 million to further reduce the number of people under the age of 65 living in residential aged care.

 

Independent NDIS Review Report Released

The Report maps out the Review’s recommendations to help restore trust, ensure the Scheme’s sustainability, and deliver a better NDIS experience for participants.

The independent NDIS Review Panel travelled to every state and territory – including regional and remote communities – heard directly from more than 10,000 Australians, worked with disability organisations to reach out and listened to more than 1,000 people with disability and their families, recorded more than 2,000 personal stories, and received almost 4,000 submissions.  

It is among the most comprehensive and accessible Commonwealth reviews in history. The report includes 26 recommendations and 139 supporting actions.

The Review’s recommendations included: 

  • Legislation: The Review recommended a range of legislative reforms to return the scheme to its original intent and improve the experience of participants. 
  • Foundational Supports: The Review recommended disability-specific supports that would be available to people with disability and, where appropriate, their families and carers. These included early childhood intervention and new approaches to psychosocial disability and mental health.
  • Service Navigation: The Review recommended the introduction of navigators to help people with disability, find and access all services available to them across mainstream services, community supports, foundational supports and the NDIS.
  • Fairer Housing and Living Support: The Review recommended consistency should be introduced to housing and living support budgets to make it fairer for NDIS participants. The Review recommended a more flexible and innovative approach to housing support, to help people access solutions that suit them better.
  • Registration: The Review recommended all providers should be enrolled or registered, with the level of regulatory requirement being determined by the risk and complexity of the different supports they provide.

The final report tabled to Parliament can be viewed here.

 

NDIS Fraud Fusion Taskforce 

The Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT) recently marked 12 months since its establishment, with data showing the significant progress being made to improve government capability to prevent and respond to fraud against the NDIS.

The Taskforce, co-led by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and Services Australia, consists of 16 government agencies working together to stop criminals from defrauding the world-first Scheme that provides life-changing support to hundreds of thousands of Australians with disability.

Services Australia has been working with participating agencies to understand and monitor the threat fraud actors pose to government programs and payments. Using prevention and detection tactics, Services Australia is responding to organised fraud by targeting criminals who seek to exploit government payments.

Recent FFT data showed that as of 31 October 2023:

  • $356.5 million in NDIS payments is currently under investigation.
  • 43 active NDIS fraud cases (up from 28 in September 2021) with an estimated fraud value of $35 million.
  • 18 NDIS prosecutions are in progress with an alleged fraud value of $18.3 million.
  • The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission took 92 compliance actions against providers and individuals, including the issuing of 43 banning orders.
  • Services Australia has 35 active investigations under the Fraud Fusion Taskforce.

 

Individual Capacity Building

The Individual Capacity Building (ICB) program seeks to enable systemic, nationwide access to peer support, mentoring and other skills-building for people with disability, their families and carers.

New Grant Opportunities

The new grant opportunities include up to $90 million through the ICB stream to support initiatives focused on building the knowledge, skills, capability and confidence of people with disability, as well as improving their access to community and mainstream services.

Funding will be available under the ICB grant opportunity for the delivery of one-off, time-limited activities for up to three years from July 2024 to June 2027. The minimum grant amount is $300,000 and the maximum grant amount is $3 million over three years. The ICB grant opportunity is scheduled to open from 7 September 2023 to 30 November 2023.

These projects will deliver nationwide access to peer support, mentoring, self-advocacy, and skill-building to support greater independence and participation of people with disability, their families and carers.

A further $50 million will be available through the Social and Community Participation (SCP) stream to fund projects focussed on connecting individuals with activities, supports and opportunities in their local communities.

Funding is available under the SCP grant opportunity for the delivery of one-off, time-limited activities of two years duration from April 2024 to June 2026. The minimum grant amount is $200,000 while the maximum is $2 million over two years. The SCP grant opportunity has opened and closes on 6 October 2023.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said funding for the ILC program demonstrates the Government’s commitment to advancing the key objectives under Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031.

You can view the full list of ICB grant recipients here.

 

Useful links for people living with a disability

  • Community Mental Health
    Assists people with mental illness and their families and carers to manage the impacts of mental illness on their lives and improve their overall well-being.
  • The Disability Gateway
    Assists with information, support and services for areas of life such as employment, education, aids and equipment, income and finance and COVID-19. 
  • Disability Royal Commission support services
    The Australian Government is funding free and independent counselling and advocacy support for people with disability who have experienced violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, as well as their families and carers, and anyone affected by the Disability Royal Commission.
  • Disability Employment Services
    The Australian Government is committed to ensuring people with disability receive opportunities to reach their potential through participating in the community and the workforce.
  • Early Childhood Intervention Services and Supports
    Provides information on current and past Early Childhood Intervention services and supports provided by the Department of Social Services, the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Aged Care.
  • Early Childhood Targeted Action Plan
    Focuses on children from infancy to school age and sets out key actions to strengthen early identification, information, supports and pathways, for children with disability or developmental concerns, their families and carers.
  • JobAccess
    JobAccess is the national hub for workplace and employment information for people with disability, employers and service providers. The JobAccess service can also help you to make a complaint or to report abuse or neglect of people with disability.
  • National Companion Card
    The National Companion Card scheme enables eligible people with disability to participate in venues and activities without incurring the cost of a second ticket for their attendant carer.
  • National Disability Advocacy Program
    The National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) funds organisations to provide advocacy support to people with disability that promotes, protects and ensures their full and equal enjoyment of all human rights, enabling community participation.
  • National Disability Advocacy Framework 2023 - 2025
    The National Disability Advocacy Framework 2023-2025 (NDAF) and its associated Disability Advocacy Work Plan (Work Plan) commit governments to collectively work towards improved national consistency and access to advocacy services for people with disability in Australia.
  • National Disability Conference Initiative
    Funding is provided each year to eligible conference organisers to enable them to support the attendance of people with disability at disability-focused conferences.
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme
    The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports people with a permanent and significant disability that affects their ability in everyday activities.
  • NDIS Appeals
    The NDIS Appeals (previously known as External Merits – Support Component) provides funding for support services to assist applicants in navigating the process of Administrative Appeals Tribunal review of National Disability Insurance Agency decisions.
  • NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework
    The NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework provides a nationally consistent approach to help empower and support NDIS participants to exercise choice and control while ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place and establishes expectations for providers and their staff to deliver high-quality support.
  • Postal Concessions for the Blind Program
    The PCB Program enables blind people and eligible organisations that service the needs of blind people, to send eligible material through Australia Post. The Department reimburses Australia Post for the postage costs of eligible material.
  • Print Disability Services
    The Department funds four print disability service providers to produce digital masters of printed material. The digital masters can easily be converted into the alternate format of choice for people with print disability.
  • Supported Employment
    Supported employment plays a vital role in improving the social and economic participation of many people with disability in Australia.

More Information

Authorised by Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP, Level 1, 261-271 Wattletree Rd Malvern VIC 3144