Tens of thousands affected
NDIS “make it hard to get support”
Mackay Qld parents Tamie and Rob Bennett spent months fighting changes to their son Nic’s NDIS package after it was unexpectedly cut in half. The 20-year-old has autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, uses a wheelchair.
“They make it so hard for people to get support, they rely on people being broken by the system — there’s no other way to put it.”
Funding slashed
Jarrod, who has autism and severe intellectual disabilities, needs help to eat, get dressed and use the bathroom, but the NDIS funding that paid for his carers had been cut by more than half.
The 22-year-old Melbourne man is one of hundreds of people with autism and intellectual disabilities across Australia who have had their funding slashed in recent months after the NDIA determined the payments were not “not value for money”.
Jarrod’s single mother has had to quit her job to look after her son around the clock.
Disability rights service overwhelmed
Samantha Connor, President of People with Disability Australia — the peak disability rights body — said her organisation had been overwhelmed with hundreds of people contacting them after their NDIS funding was reduced in recent months.
“We run a group with 56,000 people in it and, from our group numbers, it’s probably at least half [that have had their funding cut].”
Ms Connor said funding cuts to NDIS packages have persisted since commencing in April last year.
Thousands appeal cuts at national tribunal
An NDIS spokesperson said around 3,750 participants were currently fighting changes to their plans through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
SOURCE: ABC NEWS, 11 Feb 2022
Families in crisis after NDIS funding cuts to participants with autism and intellectual disabilities
By state political reporter Bridget Rollason