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Last week, the Productivity Commission released the findings of its review into National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) costs, which recommended improvements to the NDIS. 

Many of the Commission’s findings and recommendations are consistent with NCOSS' and the Disability Network Forum's (DNF) advocacy. For example:

  • Fund advocacy outside the NDIS at both a State and Commonwealth level. The report called on States to at least match Commonwealth levels of funding for advocacy. This supports the StandByMe campaign launched last week, calling on the NSW Government to maintain advocacy funding post June 2018, which also mirrors NCOSS' Pre-Budget Submission 2018/19 recommendation; 
  • More work to be done operationalising the interfaces between the NDIS and State services. This was recommended as a standard item on the Disability Reform Council agenda. We will be bringing stakeholders together to identify gaps in key areas;
  • Increase funding in Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) to the full scheme amount ($131 million) each year as the NDIS rolls out. The Commission argued that less funding in ILC would be a “false economy” because ILC supports are critical to the success of the NDIS. To implement this recommendation, it is critical that Local Area Coordinators be resourced to focus on inclusion activities rather than solely NDIS planning; 
  • Focus on the needs of marginalised groups, who are to date experiencing fewer benefits from the NDIS. The Commission recommended a specialised gateway be implemented to meet the needs of people with psychosocial disability; and
  • Publicise continuity support arrangements to assist in identifying service gaps.

For more information, download the report via this link.

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has also released a new participant pathway, highlighting how processes of engagement with the NDIS will be more person centred (for example, planning meetings will no longer take place by telephone). Download more information about the new participant pathway