NDIS wait times slashed in SA, but disability advocates question quality

Wait times for an NDIS plan have dropped dramatically in South Australia – but disability advocates are concerned the quick turnaround is affecting quality.

Waiting times for the National Disability Insurance Scheme have drastically improved in South Australia, and it now takes an average of six weeks for young children to get their first plan, instead of over seven months.

SA no longer has the biggest waiting times in the country, and the average number of days to get a first NDIS plan have dropped significantly in the past 18 months.

Waiting times have also dropped for South Australians aged seven and older.

For older children and adults, the average waiting time for a first plan, once access to the NDIS was approved, has dropped from 249 days (eight months) in 2018-19 to 76 days as of September.

For children aged nought to six, the average waiting time for a first plan had dropped from 214 days in 2018-19 to 43 days as of September.

Despite the improvement, SA’s waiting times remain higher than the national average, along with Western Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory.

The average national wait for a first plan as of September was 34 days for children aged zero to six and 61 days for those seven and older.

Waiting times have dropped after concerted efforts from the Federal Government and the National Disability Insurance Agency.

Disability advocates have praised the quicker access to NDIS plans, but are also voicing concerns that the focus on cutting waiting times has coincided with a drop in the quality of plans for some individuals.

National Disability Insurance Scheme wait times have drastically improved in South Australia.

Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of SA chief executive Kendall Field said: “The reduced wait times are undeniably positive however it is critical this is not being achieved at the expense of quality, individualised plans.

“If a balance between timeliness and plan adequacy is not struck, reducing wait times is a counter-productive effort,” she said.

“Consistency is key to achieving both participant confidence and a successful scheme.”

Ms Field said DACSSA continued to receive reports of “significantly reduced or inadequate plans following plan reviews or initial planning meetings resulting in increased demand for NDIS Appeals”.

People With Disability Australia president Samantha Connor, pictured, also welcomed the drop in waiting times, saying it was a major concern of the 2019 Tune Review of the NDIS.

But Ms Connor said there were concerns that plans and funding decisions may be being rushed if NDIA staff were under pressure to meet KPIs for waiting times.

“Many members of the disability community are currently reporting significant funding cuts in the wake of fast turnarounds,” she said.

An NDIA spokeswoman said a survey of participants showed satisfaction with NDIS had increased or stayed consistent over the past two years.

In September, 85 per cent of participants rated their planning experience as “very good” or “good”, the survey showed.

A spokesman for NDIS Minister Stuart Robert said the Federal Government had made improving access and planning decision timeframes a priority, and had made “significant improvements since May 2019”.