Media Release by The Hon Jenny Macklin MP

Next steps for DisabilityCare Australia in SA

Joint Media Release with:

  • Tony Piccolo MP
    South Australian Minister for Disabilities

A clear pathway for people with disability to access DisabilityCare Australia, the national disability insurance scheme, in the South Australian launch area was announced today by the Australian and South Australian Governments.

Minister for Disability Reform Jenny Macklin and South Australian Minister for Disabilities Tony Piccolo said the agreement between the two governments is an important step towards the launch of DisabilityCare Australia on 1 July this year.

Around 5,000 children with disability are expected to benefit from the launch stage of the scheme in South Australia.

Children with disability in South Australia will start to move into DisabilityCare Australia from 1 July 2013. Children currently in disability support programs aged from birth to two years will be the first group to access the scheme, with children up to five years entering the scheme before July 2014. From July 2014, the age limit will be extended to 13 years and in the third year of launch all children up to 14 years.

Children in the age cohort who are not currently receiving disability supports can access DisabilityCare Australia throughout the launch period.

The Australian and South Australian Governments have also agreed how funding for disability service providers will move across to the scheme and how existing quality and safeguards arrangements will be maintained after participants and services transition to DisabilityCare Australia.

DisabilityCare Australia, the Australian Government and the South Australian Government will work closely with providers and people with disability, their families and carers, to ensure their smooth transition into the scheme. A number of programs will continue under existing funding arrangements through the duration of the launch.

“DisabilityCare Australia will give people with disability choice and control over the care and support they receive,” Ms Macklin said.

“This agreement ensures that participants receive the support they require both during the transition and into the future, through a gradual introduction across to DisabilityCare.”

“Importantly, the support people receive through the current system will stay in place until they have their individual plans and support arrangements with DisabilityCare Australia in place,” Mr Piccolo said.

“This is a significant milestone, because people with disability, their families, carers and service providers now have the vital information they need to prepare for the launch of DisabilityCare Australia in our state.”

From July 2013, people will be able to contact DisabilityCare Australia directly or use the My Access Checker tool (available on the website from June 2013) to help inform their access to the scheme.

DisabilityCare Australia will also launch from 1 July this year in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. The scheme will launch from July 2014 in the Australian Capital Territory and in the Barkly region of the Northern Territory.

The Australian Government has delivered $1 billion to launch DisabilityCare Australia and the South Australian Government is providing $59.1 million.

The Gillard Government and South Australian Government recently reached a significant agreement that will deliver the full roll out of DisabilityCare Australia, the national disability insurance scheme, in South Australia by July 2018.

The full roll out will provide around 33,000 South Australians with disability choice and control over the care and support they receive over their lifetimes.

For more information about DisabilityCare Australia, the rollout of the scheme from 1 July 2013 and specific information for service providers:

To stay up-to-date with the rollout of the scheme, visit www.ndis.gov.au and click ‘sign up now’.

To view the arrangements in the South Australian and Commonwealth Government Bilateral Agreement, visit

http://www.ndis.gov.au/ndis-launc/intergovernmental-agreement/

To view fact sheets on how people with disability and providers will be supported in the transition to DisabilityCare Australia, visit:

http://www.ndis.gov.au/resources/fact-sheets-and-publications/