NDIS plan dumped in major Morrison government backdown

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NDIS plan dumped in major Morrison government backdown

The Morrison government has been forced to dump plans to introduce independent assessments for National Disability Insurance Scheme participants, in what has been hailed as a major win for the disability community.

NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds had asked her state and territory counterparts to endorse the government's planned shake-up of the scheme at a crunch meeting on Friday.

But the state ministers stood firm and blocked the controversial proposal, delivering a major blow to Senator Reynolds and the Morrison government.

Senator Reynolds confirmed late on Friday independent assessments would be abandoned, with the states agreeing to instead work with the disability community to design a new "person-centred model".

The decision represents a substantial backdown from Senator Reynolds, who had been steadfastly committed to independent assessments amid concerns the existing system was "inherently unfair".

She had argued the wider package of reforms was also needed to make the scheme simpler for participants and affordable for taxpayers.

Disability groups, Labor and the Greens have fiercely opposed the proposed new assessment process, which would have seen government-contracted professionals used to test participants' functional capacity.

ACT Minister for Disability Emma Davidson, who has been a vocal opponent of independent assessments, hailed the outcome as a major win for Canberra's disability community.

"This is a massive win for the sector and it is clear that the voices of people with disability were heard loud and clear in today's meeting," she said.

"We look forward to co-designing a new model with the community towards a more equitable scheme."

Labor's NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten said participants could breathe a "sigh of relief" after the Morrison government's retreat.

"This is a win for the good guys," he told The Canberra Times.

Mr Shorten said questions now had to be asked about the architects of the reforms, including the National Disability Insurance Agency's chief executive Martin Hoffman.

In her post-meeting statement, Senator Reynolds said ministers had discussed a "pathway" to introduce legislation to deliver other parts of the overhaul during federal parliament's spring sittings, but did not provide further detail.

She said there was also a shared commitment to examine the assumptions which underpin the agency's secret modelling on the scheme's cost.

The agency's latest projections showed the scheme's cost rise to as much as $60 billion a year by 2030, a figure well beyond any previous forecast.

Ahead of the meeting, Ms Davidson told The Canberra Times there was "absolutely no way" she could endorse the sweeping legislative overhaul because she hadn't even seen the draft bill.

Dressed in a T-shirt with the slogan "Hands Off The NDIS", Ms Davidson said she remained opposed to the introduction of assessments despite the major changes flagged earlier this week.

ACT Minister for Disability Emma Davidson wearing a "Hands Off The NDIS" T-shirt ahead of Friday's meeting. Picture: Supplied

"Fundamentally, people with disabilities do not want strangers coming into their homes, checking things off a list and putting them into a box - that isn't the NDIS that they want," she said.

Ms Davidson called for more transparency on the financial state of the NDIS and commitment from the Morrison government to genuinely listen and consult with the disability community on the future of the scheme.

Advocacy for Inclusion chief executive Nicolas Lawler thanked Ms Davidson for the voicing the concerns of Canberra's disability community.

"We are scared of the direction in which the NDIS is being driven," he said.

"The proposed changes will not fix issues in the NDIS, they will only bring additional challenges and disadvantages."

www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7333834/a-massive-win-major-backdown-on-ndis-overhaul/

[nomadic]

They stuck it up them it seems. A GGGRRRRIIINNN for change. Reynolds has been added to my list of even more horrid than normal politicians.

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Sure is great to see some positive news for a change nomadic . All it is though is temporary relief until the Spring sitting; which gives Scotty & Linda plenty of time to get their reptilian heads together to further their.......

[bear]

Something stinks with the state of play in Australia. AWN has been under some type of Facebook News embargo since Sunday night. Access is available again this morning though they appear to be only showing the government side of things i.e only the bottom part of this post is published on their site. Thankfully they provided their original source which was confusing to say the least with the top half of this post looking completely different. Oh heck, click both links to compare for yourself........ cheers bear

Call for heads to roll on NDIS assessments

The government is designing a new NDIS assessment process after its first attempt at change failed.

 

Bill Shorten has called for a "shake-out" at the top of the agency running the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The shadow disability minister has also accused the Morrison government of lying about the "$60 billion NDIS problem" after ditching proposed changes on assessing disability care needs.

"If they're not lying, they are cowards because they don't have the courage of their own convictions," Mr Shorten told the ABC.

The federal executives who recommended the independent assessment scheme are still in charge.

"I don't trust them not to try again," Mr Shorten said.

"I think there are improvements you can make to the NDIS, but this crew, this mob running it, they just think it's a welfare program to be cut."

www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7336377/call-for-heads-to-roll-on-ndis-assessments/?fbclid=IwAR0rcPByFPA6hD9ePK6qb5TTP_prcBOYvAk3GJItqy2f9SRgpD5wl070_Po



Back to drawing board on NDIS assessments

The government is designing a new NDIS assessment process in consultation with disabled people.

The minister responsible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme has been forced to start from scratch after dumping a proposal to introduce independent assessments.

Linda Reynolds was desperate to introduce the controversial reforms to rein in the spiralling cost of the scheme.

But she was rolled by state and territory ministers following a concerted campaign from the disability community, who feared the changes would leave them worse off.

Senator Reynolds has since promised to co-design a new assessment process in consultation with disabled people.

"We are starting afresh," she told ABC radio.

"With the sector, we will work through how we best achieve a fairer outcome for people."

Senator Reynolds said the existing process was inequitable because it allowed for people's support packages to be determined in part by their postcode and socio-economic status.

However, a trial of independent assessments for NDIS participants and new applicants exposed a litany of major issues.

Government advisers identified problems with those conducting assessments in the pilot program and the experience of participants in the lead-up.

They also raised concerns about how the assessments were carried out and the amount of choice participants were given over who conducted them.

The problematic use of pre-existing information was also highlighted as a flaw.

Labor and the Greens are staunchly opposed to the introduction of independent assessments.

Senator Reynolds is also planning to introduce legislation aimed at cracking down on unscrupulous providers.

She expects to introduce the bills in coming months.

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3023422604594420&id=1415019052101458

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Former minister defends axed NDIS overhaul

Former disability minister Stuart Robert has defended the scrapped independent NDIS assessments.

An architect of major changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme continues to defend the abandoned reforms.

Stuart Robert was disability minister when controversial trials of independent assessments were extended.

The changes were universally opposed by the disability community and other major stakeholders.

But the proposed model was not scrapped until late last week, when the Commonwealth failed to secure support from the states and territories.

Mr Robert said the independent assessments were designed to address massive inequity in the NDIS.

He said the existing model allowed for someone's postcode and socio-economic status to determine their support package.

His proposal would have seen all NDIS participants and applicants subjected to independent assessments.

However, trials of the overhauled assessment model exposed a series of major failures and flaws, and eventually the federal government's own advisers recommended they not proceed.

Many disabled Australians were left deeply traumatised by the process.

Even still, Mr Robert rejected several opportunities to apologise for how the process played out.

He blamed public servants for leaking details of the changes and whipping up public debate.

"And that's very sad because what was leaked had nothing to do with what government was going to do," Mr Robert told ABC radio.

He is disappointed the independent assessment process has been ditched.

"I would like to see transparent processes continue to operate with the sector so everyone can make joint decisions," Mr Robert said.

"The NDIS started on the bipartisan level and we can only continue to grow it on the bipartisan level with the sector involved."

www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7340530/former-minister-defends-axed-ndis-overhaul/?src=rss&fbclid=IwAR3vcKoE9ROunLles8YbuvMd6p51HfzDfC5nT80TvncYfqN3f4psYEib8vI

[nomadic]

I think Robert should suffer the same fate as a rabid dog.

[bear]

NDIS contracts under review after assessments plan dumped

The National Disability Insurance Agency is reviewing the lucrative contracts it signed with companies to deliver independent assessments - but won't explicitly say if it will tear up the deals in the wake of the decision to dump the controversial plan.

Labor's Bill Shorten is demanding the contracts be cancelled immediately, as he labelled it a "scandal" that agreements - potentially worth up to $339 million - had been struck months before legislation needed to usher in the new regime had even been introduced to parliament.

NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds has this week declared compulsory independent assessments for participants are "dead" and won't be resurrected after her state and territory counterparts rejected the proposal at a meeting on Friday.

The ministers instead agreed to design a new "person-centred" assessment model in consultation with the disability community.

The result of Friday's meeting will have immediate and significant implications for the agency, which had already appointed eight companies to deliver independent assessments in anticipation of the new system rolling from mid-2021.

The contracts were worth up to an estimated $339 million over three years, based on the number of assessments expected to be conducted.

Agency officials have previously insisted that under the arrangement the contractors would be paid per assessment. That means they would only receive payments if independent assessments went ahead.

The panel's appointment in late February was, and remains, highly controversial.

The successful tenders were announced just three days after public consultation on independent assessments concluded, a move which heightened the disability sector's fears that the government was not committed to genuine collaboration.

The Canberra Times put a series of questions to the agency about the contracts following last Friday's meeting, including whether the panel would be disbanded and the deals torn up and, if so, whether the companies would be paid compensation.

The agency was also asked if the companies had been paid since their appointment to the panel, and whether they might be retained to deliver the proposed new "person-centred" model in the future.

In a written statement, the agency did not respond directly to the questions.

An agency spokesman said it supported the decision to not proceed with independent assessments.

The spokesman said it was reviewing all "relevant operations to ensure alignment with the decision", which included discussions with the contracts. It did not provide any further details.

The companies contacted this week by The Canberra Times referred all questions about the contracts to the agency.

Mr Shorten, Labor's NDIS spokesman, said it was scandalous that the agency had signed contracts to deliver independent assessments before the states, disability stakeholders and, crucially, federal parliament, had agreed to them.

"I think it is a scandal," he told The Canberra Times.

"This is a government that has no shame. If we had an anti-corruption commission, I'd want them to check out how contracts can be issued before there was legislation to create the path to do the work. How do you get to do that?"

Mr Shorten said the government had to come clean about how much had been spent on the tender process, and whether or not taxpayers would be now be on the hook for compensation.

www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7339872/it-is-a-scandal-lucrative-ndis-contracts-under-review-after-assessments-plan-dumped/?fbclid=IwAR1MloUMQy6teOa87LYToYWM-U-pRONerjh_AMPKB7RQe9ts-UmqpJxhu6E