Minister won't commit to delay NDIS exit if supports not ready

NDIS minister says government 'not contemplating' need to delay cuts In short: The NDIS minister will not say if the government will delay participants' exit from the scheme if foundational supports are not ready. Jenny McAllister has insisted the government will not leave people without support and says the Thriving Kids program is on track to roll out in October. What's next? The government is expected to pass sweeping cuts to the NDIS in a deal with the Coaltiion in parliament this week. The NDIS minister has refused to commit to delaying participants’ exit from the National Disability Insurance Scheme if alternative services are not yet in place, while insisting the government will not leave people without support. Jenny McAllister told Insiders the government "had time" to make sure safety net supports were ready before the projected removal of hundreds of thousands of people from the scheme in 2028. Asked repeatedly if the government would delay the rollout of changes if supports were not ready, the minister said the government was "not contemplating" a delay. “We want to see alternative supports in place at the same time that we bring access changes into play," she said. "I don't think we need to contemplate delay at this point … what we are trying to do is move to a position where we are ready to make these changes." Senator McAllister also said she was confident one of the pillars of the foundational supports, the Thriving Kids program, was on track to meet its scheduled start date of October 1. That is despite a refusal from the Queensland state government to sign up to the scheme. "I'm really confident this is in the interests of the Queensland population, and I think Queensland residents will want to see their government take the next step," she said. Among submissions to a Senate inquiry into the legislation this year, state and territories ministers said the changes to the NDIS were happening too fast and with too little consultation, and warned alternative services would not be ready. Government close to deal with Coalition Senator McAllister said the government was close to a deal with the Coalition to pass sweeping changes to the scheme this week, which would include stronger protections to combat fraud. She said issues identified in a Senate inquiry into the legislation, including serious concerns about people being left to languish in hospitals, were not being considered as amendments. "We do think the broad direction of policy the government is pursuing is right," she said. "We consider changes to clarify who is eligible for the scheme and clarify what kind of supports they should receive is absolutely essential if the community is to retain confidence in the scheme." Under the proposed overhaul, the federal government expects about 300,000 people to be either kicked off or prevented from accessing the now-$50 billion scheme, with many to be serviced by yet-to-be-built supports to be run by the states. The changes would save more than $36 billion over the next four years, and follow concerns the NDIS has been growing faster than Medicare, has been exploited by criminals and is shedding public support. Inquiry hears concern for children who age out of Thriving Kids A Senate inquiry into the proposed changes to the NDIS heard concerns about parents who cared for children with a disability. Under the proposed changes, parents would be responsible for providing "substantial care" for their children that "would reasonably be expected of a parent of a child of a similar age". The Thriving Kids program is only available to children eight years old and younger. Asked what would happen to a child who would not qualify for the NDIS but still needed support once they aged out of alternative programs, Senator McAllister said the government was considering additional supports. "That will likely include supports for children as well," she said. The minister was also asked about concern from disability advocates over sweeping cuts to community engagement programs for participants. Senator McAllister said the program was costing taxpayers the same as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme each year. "We think we can somewhat reduce the supports that are available to people in this one category, and do that in a way that is safe," she said. She also ruled out the introduction of an inspector-general to oversee the administration of the scheme, saying "another layer of bureaucracy" was not required.