The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is demonstrating progress in both cost management and participant outcomes, according to the latest NDIS Quarterly Report, covering the period up to June 30.
The report highlighted key developments, including improved employment rates among carers, greater social participation by participants, and increased support for First Nations Australians.
The report showed that the NDIS now supports over 661,000 participants, with 52% of families and carers engaged in paid employment – exceeding the target of 50% set for the 2023-24 period.
Additionally, 76% of participants aged 15 years and older reported that the NDIS had enabled them to exercise greater choice and control over their lives, slightly surpassing the target of 75%.
The report also pointed to a rise in community and social engagement among participants and noted that 9.9% of the more than 14,000 new participants in the past quarter identified as First Nations people.
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) CEO Rebecca Falkingham stated that the report’s findings reflect the effectiveness of ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing the scheme’s outcomes and sustainability.
“We know there is a lot more hard work ahead; however, we have seen positive gains this year, as demonstrated in this latest data,” she said.
The NDIS reforms are backed by substantial funding, with over $720 million allocated in the 2023-24 Budget and an additional $468.7 million in the 2024-25 Budget. These funds are intended to drive improvements in participant outcomes and secure the scheme’s financial stability.
Financial data from the report revealed that the scheme’s expenses for the 12 months ending June 30, 2024, were approximately $600 million below the 2024-25 Budget forecast. Additionally, plan inflation rates have stabilised, continuing a trend first noted in September 2022.
In light of concerns over the misuse of NDIS funds, the Australian government is intensifying its oversight efforts. This comes after the NDIA and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission reminded plan managers and support coordinators of their responsibility to prevent the inappropriate use of funds.
The report also noted a decrease in the number of participants requiring supported independent living (SIL) services, with the number stabilising at 34,850 by the end of June.
The NDIA’s reform efforts are being implemented through a collaborative process involving people with disabilities and the broader disability community.
This quarter, the NDIA increased funding by $10.7 million for 27 Disability Representative and Carer Organisations (DRCOs) to further engage people with disabilities in the reform process. Additionally, the NDIA, the Department of Social Services, and the NDIS Independent Advisory Council have adopted a co-design approach to the development and implementation of these reforms.
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To address recent delays in the Participant Service Guarantee timeframes, the NDIA has expanded its frontline service teams by more than 400 staff members and added 160 staff to the National Contact Centre (NCC). These efforts aim to manage the increased demand for plan changes, which has risen since late 2023.
During the April to June quarter, the NDIA processed 6,274 access decisions, a 13% increase from the previous quarter. The agency also approved 14,341 NDIS plans, an 81% increase, and completed 56,002 plan reassessments, up 38% from the previous quarter.
