Thousands of Australians ‘worse off’ under NDIS scheme: report

AN explosive new report has found the NDIS is failing many of Australia’s most vulnerable people, with as many as one in five saying they’re worse off under the scheme.

AN explosive new report has found the NDIS is failing many of Australia’s most vulnerable people with up to one in five saying they feel the scheme has left them worse off.

The Australian reports researchers at Flinders University have found about half of all NDIS participants have had their support cut or experienced no change in support under the new scheme.

In what is the nation’s longest and most comprehensive study of the first four years of the NDIS, the researchers also found the full rollout of the scheme was unlikely to be delivered on time as it struggled to cope with a massive workload.

It comes as Treasurer Scott Morrison prepares to reveal the funding details for the NDIS in next week’s federal budget after last week dumping the government’s plan to fund the scheme through a Medicare levy rise.

MORE: Disability groups ‘stunned by NDIS backflip

Treasurer Scott Morrison will reveal the funding details for the NDIS in next week’s federal budget. Picture: Kym Smith

The report says the NDIS is working “very well” at a high level but also states it leaves a “large minority” or about one third of participants feeling there has been no change in their support level.

It also found a small minority, between 10 and 20 per cent, felt worse off under the scheme.

That included many indigenous people.

“These proportions come up time and time again in the evaluation’s findings,” the report says.

“In most cases of a new policy, leaving a clear minority feeling worse off because of the policy would be a cause for concern.”

The report also found the rollout was rushed with many practical issues remaining unsolved four years in.

“Hindsight suggests that the speed of the implementation was too fast and that more thought needs to go into the practical aspects of the NDIS rollout,” the report says.

“Some of the practical issues appeared to be getting solved during the four-year evaluation period, some remained largely unchanged and some ­appeared to be getting worse.”

The report also highlights work stress among staff and experienced disability workers leaving the industry,

Staff at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) have reported “increasing concerns about high workloads and stress” and that there have been “considerable levels of turnover within the agency.”

“Work stress was linked to high rates of resignations and in some cases adverse health impacts for staff,” the report says.

It also highlighted issues relating to “the ability to pay staff award rates within NDIS pricing levels”.

Under the Coalition government, the number of staff the NDIA can employ once the scheme is fully rolled out by 2020 is 3000 — significantly less than a Productivity Commission estimate of 10,000.

Read the full story at The Australian.