Submission: Productivity Commission Study on National Disability Insurance Scheme Costs

One of the key objectives of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the landmark social policy reform of this generation, is to ‘enable people with disability to exercise choice and control in pursuit of their goals and the planning and delivery of their supports’. However, there is a growing disconnect between this objective of the NDIS and the experience for some individuals in entering and being a participant in the scheme. The ACT was the only whole jurisdiction trial site for the NDIS and is the first jurisdiction to complete full rollout. Some of the issues related to implementation of the NDIS and related costs are therefore highly visible in the ACT. ACTCOSS’ submission to the Productivity Commission highlights:

1. The impact of planning processes on outcomes and related long term costs of the scheme
2. Reasons for difficulties in implementing plans
3. The impact of communication failures on administration, evaluation and costs of NDIS
4. The impact of ILC implementation on the provision of vital community infrastructure and long term financial sustainability of the NDIS
5. The intersections and gaps between the NDIS and mainstream services.