Disability Sector Leaders Call for Clarity on NDIS Funding

Sydney, Australia – 8^th May 2018 – Cerebral Palsy Alliance CEO, Rob White, is among leaders within the disability sector who are urging the Federal Government to provide clarity on how funding for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be secured into the future.

This follows the recent announcement by the Federal Treasurer, Scott Morrison, of the scrapping of the proposed 0.5 per cent increase to the Medicare levy designed to fund the NDIS, which would have raised $8 billion over four years from July 2019.

While assurance has been given that the Government has found a way to source NDIS funding through additional unexpected revenue, Mr White and other leaders within the sector are concerned that funding for the NDIS remains uncertain.

“We are urging the Government to provide more clarification about how the NDIS will be funded in a way that is sustainable for the long-term,” Mr White says. “It would go a long way towards easing the minds of people with a disability and their families and carers if the Government outlined how that will be done.”

This also comes at a time when the Chief Executive of National Disability Services, Dr Ken Baker, is calling on the Government to reassure the disability community that the NDIS will be fully funded.

"Implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme has not been smooth,” Dr Baker said. “The operating environment has presented major obstacles and the pricing continues to be inadequate to allow for high-quality disability services.

"The disability community needs certainty for NDIS funding so we can get on with the job of fixing implementation issues to ensure the scheme will deliver on its great promise for people with disability."¹

Mr White says he will continue to advocate on behalf of people with disabilities to ensure that the NDIS is fully funded and can live up to its original promise.

“We need the NDIS to be properly funded so it provides true choice and control for people with disabilities and their families, and allows every person with a disability to live their best possible life.”

¹https://www.nds.org.au/news/government-must-confirm-how-they-will-pay-for-the-ndis

About Cerebral Palsy Alliance
Cerebral Palsy Alliance provides family-centred therapies, life skills programs, equipment and support for people living with cerebral palsy and their families and operates from 55 sites throughout metropolitan, regional and rural NSW and the ACT. https://www.cerebralpalsy.org.au/