Government receives the Productivity Commission’s disability care and support report

The Australian Government today received the Productivity Commission’s final report into a long-term disability care and support scheme.

In February last year, the Australian Government asked the Productivity Commission to examine the feasibility, costs and benefits of replacing the current system of disability services with a new approach which provides long-term essential care and support for people with severe or profound disability.

The report proposes significant change to the way disability services are provided in Australia. It follows the interim report released by the Productivity Commission in February.

Since February, more than 400 further submissions have been received by the Productivity Commission in response to their draft report.

The Government welcomes the Productivity Commission’s report into disability care and support and would like to thank the Productivity Commission and the Independent Panel for their work.

We asked the Productivity Commission to examine this because our disability services system is simply not providing the kind of care or support we want to see for some of our most vulnerable people, and reform is necessary.

Disability reform can deliver important improvements to disability services, including workforce participation, and we look forward to considering the Productivity Commission’s views.

The Government will now carefully consider the report ahead of tabling.

In accordance with the Productivity Commission Act, the final report will be tabled in the Parliament within 25 sitting days.