Primarily people with disability welcome the governments continued support of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the most important reform of our time’ said Matthew Wright CEO of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO).
However the budget utilises the NDIS Savings Fund to redistribute savings from welfare cuts to the NDIS.
‘The creation of a savings fund that links the NDIS to welfare cuts, in particular reassessments of the Disability Support Pension (DSP) is of great concern’ said Mr Wright.
The government has decided to reassess 90,000 people with disability on the DSP over three years, who have already been assessed as eligible.
‘Let’s be clear, cutting people off the Disability Support Pension does not create one single job, it just creates poverty’.
‘People with disability want to work, but that will only happen if the government has a jobs plan, not a welfare plan’.
There are some other targeted programs of benefit to people with disability, chiefly:
- 46.5 million in transition funding for the Mobility Allowance to provide continuity of support for people with disability
- 96 million for a ‘’Try Test and Learn Fund’ to test the effectiveness of innovative policies aimed at reducing long-term welfare dependency.
We cautiously welcome:
- 118 million for people with disability in schools with the stipulation that there should be no further investment in segregated special schools.
What’s missing:
- Funding for both national people with disability organisations and an expansion of the National Disability Advocacy Program
Please direct all media enquiries to Mr Matthew Wright on 0428 608 861.
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