5 ways Budget 2016 impacts on people with disability
Well it’s done and soon it’ll be dusted for another year. Here’s a quick list of ways the Australian Government’s 2016 Budget affects people with disability.
1.) An extra $2.1 billion will go towards fully funding the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
This money will go into a new NDIS Savings Fund and will come from savings the government has chosen to makeby doing things like:
Stopping “unnecessary carbon tax” compensation from going to people who start receiving new government payments
Not going through with an NDIS advertising campaign
“Aligning the backdating provisions for new Carer Allowance claims”
Reviewing 90,000 people who get the Disability Support Pension (DSP). You can read more about this below
2.) $62.1 million will be saved by reviewing DSP recipients, taking the payment off some of them and moving those people onto the lower Newstart payment.
This money will go into the new NDIS Savings Fund but the decision has already provoked an angry response from disability advocates, who say it’s akin to “robbing Peter to Pay Paul”.
3.) People already getting the Mobility Allowance will get to keep it as the NDIS is rolled out.
$46.5 million will be spent on this over the next four years to ensure “continuity of support” and to take a look at possibly changing allowance eligibility requirements in the future.
4.) Students with disability will get $118.2 million worth of extra support.
Set to be delivered over the next two years, the government says this money will go to schools with the greatest need.
5.) Para‑athletes will get to keep more of their DSP
$500,000 will be spent so para‑athletes who get the DSP will be allowed to travel overseas for additional periods without their payment being cut. The government says this will enable these athletes to attend approved international events leading up to the Paralympic Games.