‘Dark day’: sector braces for impact from NDIS changes

The overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme has a vulnerable disability sector feeling left behind.

Disability activist Jarrod Sandell-Hay, who heavily relies on the NDIS to manage his cerebral palsy, bluntly described the federal government’s announcement of cuts as a “dark day”.

“We are blindsided by this, we knew something was coming but didn’t know how bad it would be,” the 37-year-old said.

“We’re quite upset and quite angry.”

The government is aiming to reduce the number of people on the NDIS from about 760,000 to 600,000 by the end of the decade.

But Mr Sandell-Hay questioned what support would be given to the 160,000 people who will be booted out.

Another cost-cutting measure will be the average annual spend on participant plans to be downsized from $31,000 to $26,000 – back to 2023 funding levels.

Mr Sandell-Hay said the reduction would directly affect his quality of life.

“When it rains in Melbourne, I am unable to use my electric wheelchair because if it gets wet it will stop working so I rely on support workers to drive me to places,” he explained.

He said going to work, grocery shopping and “all these very basic everyday things” would be in jeopardy for him and his wife, who is also on the scheme.

“For some reason, this government doesn’t prioritise the lives of the disabled,” he said.

Health Minister Mark Butler revealed the major changes to the $50 billion scheme in an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday.

The reforms are expected to save $15 billion by the end of the decade with the NDIS coming in as the government’s third-largest budget item.

A dozen disability rights groups said they were concerned about changes to the eligibility threshold and that it could impact the scheme for a generation.

“Any decisions that determine who gets support and who doesn’t must be built with the people most affected,” the groups said in a joint statement late on Wednesday.

“People with disability are the experts in their own lives and must lead the design of solutions.”

The minister said the announcement was “a move away from the ‘let it rip’ market that has built up over the last 10 years.”

He said the incoming restrictions would combat the “very little oversight” over the quality and the qualifications of providers of what he said were essentially taxpayer-funded services.

Laws putting in place the NDIS overhaul will be introduced in May, when federal parliament returns for the budget.