Gillard government delivers DisabilityCare Australia

The Gillard Government will invest $14.3 billion over seven years to roll out DisabilityCare Australia, the national disability insurance scheme, across the country.

This Budget makes the responsible decisions to fully fund DisabilityCare Australia for the long term. This unprecedented long term funding security will provide people with significant and permanent disability, their families and carers the certainty they deserve.

DisabilityCare Australia will give people with disability, their families and carers the care and support they need over their lifetimes, and choice and control over the services they receive. DisabilityCare will end the cruel lottery that currently exists, where the care and support a person receives depends on where they live and how they acquired their disability.

The Gillard Government has secured agreements for a full scheme roll out by July 2018 with the New South Wales, South Australian and ACT Governments. Agreements have also been reached with the Victorian, Queensland, Tasmanian, and Northern Territory Governments for a full scheme roll out by July 2019. These agreements are based on agreed funding and governance arrangements, with the Commonwealth contributing over half of the costs of the scheme once it is fully rolled out.

These agreements mean around 90 per cent of Australians will be covered by DisabilityCare Australia in the event they are born with or acquire a disability.

Under the terms of the agreements, the Commonwealth will pay for the full cost of participants who turn 65 (50 for Indigenous Australians) and choose to remain in the scheme. The Commonwealth will also contribute:

• Around $3.3 billion in 2018-19 to support around 150,000 people with disability in NSW;
• Around $2.6 billion in 2019-20 to support more than 100,000 people with disability in Victoria;
• Around $2.1 billion in 2019-20 to support around 97,000 people with disability in Queensland;
• Around $760 million in 2018-19 to support around 33,000 people with disability in South Australia;
• Around $245 million in 2019-20 to support around 11,000 people with disability in Tasmania;
• Around $175 million in 2019-20 to support more than 5,000 people with disability in the ACT; and
• Around $105 million in 2019-20 to support around 7,000 people with disability in the NT.

The Government will continue to seek the agreement of the Western Australian Government for a full national roll out of DisabilityCare so that all Australians with a permanent and significant disability, no matter where they live, can receive the care and support they deserve.

If all states and territories agree to the roll out of a national scheme, the Commonwealth will contribute $14.3 billion over the seven years to 1 July 2019 to DisabilityCare Australia. This includes a contribution to the cost of individual care and support packages, administration of the national scheme and other supports for people with disability, their carers and families. The Commonwealth will also cover the full cost of care for people who turn 65 (and Indigenous Australians over 50) and who choose to remain in the scheme.

This historic funding commitment to deliver a national scheme builds on the Government’s $1 billion investment in the 2012-13 Budget for the launch of DisabilityCare Australia, which will now be in six locations across the country. DisabilityCare will become a reality for thousands of people with disability, their families and carers from the middle of this year.