Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012

From: To: Community Affairs, Committee (SEN); Subject: Submission to the Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012 Date: Tuesday, 22 January 2013 5:50:56 PM

Please consider this email a formal submission by me to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012.

The current disability system has many problems that need to be addressed.

Having family and friends on the Disability support pension who want to become independent by finding suitable employment through a disability employment service have walked away feeling let down. Only 25% of the approx 160,000 people connected to a DES find work longer than 6 months. Of the approx 260 providers across Australia, take in revenue and don’t reinvest it into the 75% of people who can’t get work. One provider supported 3000 people to find work across Australia. Only 25% found work longer than 6 months. This DES provider made $13,000,000 in revenue. The new DES contract vegans this year in March until 2018. The government will invest a further $4 billion dollars to have only 25% of people with disabilities connected with a Disability Employment Service gain employment longer than 6 months. The underachieving providers (less than 3 stars) have amalgamated with other DES providers to continue to operate and collect the revenue without investing it into the 75% of p eople who don’t reach employment. The TAFE system and RTO’s are required to make reasonable adjustments at their expense to accommodate people with disabilities enrolling in courses to make them more employable. Disability Employment Services are not required to contribute financially to the person with disabilities enrolling in a course. It is the RTO’s responsibility. The DES provider does nothing and continues to receive revenue if the client passes or not. This will break the education system financially unless someone changes the rules and makes DES providers accountable.

The main features of the NDIS that will make a difference to the community are:

• Ensure support and equipment is available when needed,
• People with a disability can choose the types of support to use,
• Better access to mainstream support and services,
• Better access to education and work opportunities,
• More opportunities to participate in the community,
• More employment of people with disability and less reliance on social welfare,
• More rights for people with a disability,
• People with a disability can plan their lives and pursue their goals and dreams,
• People with disability can choose who comes into their home,
• The ability to receive services when needed and in the way that suits the person,
• Increased ability to coordinate services to suit the “whole” person/family,
• Minimising the number of times people have to tell their story in order to get support,
• Less red tape, with planning done locally by people who know their community,
• Access to reliable information about support options,
• Removal of age barriers to services for children,
• People with disabilit y/family will influence the types of support and services offered,
• Older parents and families will not worry what happens when they can no longer provide support.

The most important services for the NDIS to provide are:

• Equipment and home/vehicle modifications,
• Education support (technology/services/equipment),
• Employment support.

I support the introduction of the NDIS.

• Give the power to the individuals and stop the entrepreneurs.

I agree for my submission to be made public

Regards,

Mr Benjamin Crosthwaite