Changes in the NDIS
Many of you will be aware that there’s lots going on in the disability sector and the NDIS at the moment. The media is full of stories about the outcomes of the NDIS Review Final Report, Bill Shorten’s proposed NDIS Bill, the federal budget’s impact on the NDIS, and the upcoming annual NDIS pricing review. We have been receiving questions from our community about what is changing in the NDIS, and how we are responding to these changes, so wanted to provide an update for you here.
The Fighting Chance Group (including Avenue, Jigsaw, and Plus) actively engaged in consultation and advocacy during the NDIS review and we continue to do so to influence reform. We are broadly pleased with the recommendations made in the final report and believe they will go a long way towards building a more effective, outcomes-focused and less onerous system for people with disability, and reforming payments and pricing which should ensure the long-term sustainability of quality service providers like Fighting Chance. The 2024-2025 Federal Budget announcement included $500,000,000 to invest in implementing these recommendations.
Whilst reform is ongoing (it is set to take place over a five-year timeframe), we are doing everything we can to cement our future in the NDIS. First, under the current payment and pricing systems, the cost of providing our services outstrips what we can charge through the NDIS. In response, we have recently undergone an organisational restructure to ensure we can sustainably provide services until a fit-for-purpose pricing structure is in place.
Second, the exact nature of what the new NDIS will look like is not yet clear, however, we are staying across changes as they occur and will communicate these to you. You can subscribe to our NDIS newsletter to receive notice of webinars and resources we produce. Recent resources include a webinar on the new NDIS access process, and an updated How to make the most of your NDIS Plan, with advice from Alex Browne, our Senior Support Coordinator, direct from her experience of helping families navigate the process every day.