Coalition warning: Aussies with milder disabilities at risk of ‘falling through the gaps’ in NDIS

The Coalition has warned Australians with milder disabilities not eligible for the NDIS are at risk of “falling through the gaps” as they wait for a deal on foundational supports.

EXCLUSIVE: Australians with milder disabilities not eligible for the NDIS are at risk of “falling through the gaps” as they wait for a deal on foundational supports, the Coalition has warned.

The Opposition’s new NDIS assistant spokesman Phil Thompson has backed disability advocates’ calls for clarity on the rollout of state-run supports for autistic children and other vulnerable Australians, after an initial plan to phase them in from July 1 was delayed.

In an interview with this masthead, Mr Thompson said the Coalition stood willing to play a “constructive” role on foundational supports, but was concerned about people left in limbo waiting for states and the Commonwealth to finalise an agreement.

“Early intervention is the first and most important step to make sure that people can have a meaningful, fulfilling life, and if you cut it or scale it back before (states) take proper responsibility, then we’re going to see significant issues,” he said.

To curb the growth of the now $44 billion-a-year scheme, the Albanese Government in 2023 persuaded states and territories to fund early interventions in schools and health services, tying talks to negotiations for a new five-year hospital funding agreement.

But neither issue remains resolved, with Health and NDIS Minister Mark Butler saying last month he was working to finalise deals “over the course of the rest of the year”.

Health and NDIS Minister Mark Butler. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

People With Disability Australia president Trinity Ford.

People With Disability Australia president Trinity Ford said delays and uncertainty around foundational supports meant people were waiting “unsupported”.

“Many people with disability who are not eligible for the NDIS still have real and ongoing support needs,” she said.

Mr Thompson has vowed to ensure vulnerable Australians and their families have a “voice” as the expensive scheme is brought to a more sustainable level.

“I do believe that the NDIS needs to be person-centric,’ he said.

“I’ve been contacted by a lot of parents who feel like their children are just an inconvenient dollar figure on a government’s budget bottom line.”

Opposition’s new NDIS assistant spokesman Phil Thompson. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mr Thompson said there were still “horrific” stories of people waiting years to get assistance for basic things like wheelchairs through the NDIS, while he is also concerned about fraudulent operators robbing people of the support they deserved.

“We need to keep cracking down on these companies who are leaving people with disability in the lurch with nowhere to go,” he said.

Mr Thompson, whose five-year-old daughter Emery has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder level three and is an NDIS participant, said he had a “lived experience” of interacting with the scheme and understood its importance.

“I’ve seen the good parts and the bad,” he said.

“My role in this is to listen, work for and deliver for those families that are doing it so tough, the stakeholders that want to see positive change.

“I’m all in on this.”

Originally published as Coalition warning: Aussies with milder disabilities at risk of ‘falling through the gaps’ in NDIS