More than 55,000 Australians have signed a petition urging a reversal to recent changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
On July 1, the Albanese government froze pay rates for allied health workers for a sixth consecutive year and slashed travel reimbursements.
According to a national peak body, at least 25 major NDIS providers have already been forced to consider closure or significant service reductions.
National Disability Services CEO Michael Perusco has warned that thousands of children with disabilities could lose access to their therapists.
‘It will impact well over 10,000 participants, most of whom are children. It’s important to say that’s the tip of the iceberg,’ he told the Daily Telegraph,
A grassroots campaign called It’s Now or Never is leading a charge against the cuts, calling on the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and its board to urgently review the pricing structure.
The petition has amassed tens of thousands of signatures in less than a month, with 56,009 signed as of publication.
A coalition of peak bodies, including the Australian Physiotherapy Association, Dietitians Australia, Australian Podiatry Association, Australian Psychological Society, Australian Association of Social Workers, and Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia are spearheading the push.
It has been said that 10,000 children will lose access to their therapist under the changes
They warn that the revised pricing guide threatens both participant access and provider sustainability – with claims children will lose out on therapy or have to travel to access it, and thus the burden on the system will be greater in the long run.
‘This decision follows five years of pay freezes across the sector, paired with rising operating costs,’ a joint statement from peak bodies read.
‘It’s stretching NDIS providers to breaking point.’
The NDIA has also flagged its intention to eliminate higher price loadings for services in regional areas of WA, SA, Tasmania, and the NT, a move that could result in a reduction of up to $40.06 per hour in those areas.
‘This change would devastate already underserved communities,’ the campaign said.
‘The price placed on support is shrinking, and it’s making it harder to put the person first.’
On Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was not happy about the continued growth of the NDIS.
‘The vision of the NDIS is a great one. It’s one we should be really proud of as Australians,’ Albanese said.
The Prime Minister has called for the NDIS to be more sustainable, as its budget blows out
‘But we need to make sure that it is made more sustainable… The vision of the NDIS wasn’t that those sort of numbers (of children) go on the system.’
The NDIS is now set to cost more than the entire defence budget, with taxpayer funding expected to hit $52billion in 2025, surpassing defence spending, which is forecast at $51billion.
According to the 2025–26 federal budget, the NDIS recorded the second-fastest annual growth in major government payments, behind only interest on debt.
Projections show the scheme’s cost will balloon to over $64billion by the end of the decade.
