Media Release by Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield

NDIS 4th Quarterly Report released

The fourth Quarterly Report to the COAG Disability Reform Council on the National Disability Insurance Scheme is now available online at http://www.ndis.gov.au/document/754.

The Report confirms that staff at the National Disability Insurance Agency have put in a herculean effort over the past year to get the initial four NDIS trial sites up and running.

Key points from the Report include:

  • The average time taken to determine a potential NDIS participant’s eligibility has been reduced from 29.7 days in the first six months of the Scheme to 13.3 days in the second six months.
  • The average annualised cost of individual packages has risen from $32,200 to $34,600.
  • The average length of time from application to commencement of services was 94 days (down from 101 days).
  • As at 30 June 2014, there were 7,316 participants with approved plans, which is 78% of the bilateral targets.
  • Participant satisfaction levels are very high, which is a great credit to the hardworking staff of the Agency.

It is important that the NDIA be a continually learning organisation that can listen to feedback and make adjustments as necessary. This is how we will ensure that the Scheme can be the best that it can be.

It is to be expected that there would be important lessons to be learned following the first year of the operation of the trial sites. This is why the Productivity Commission recommended that the Scheme be rolled out in this manner.

The Board of the Agency and all governments remain committed to monitoring trends within the Scheme closely.

The Commonwealth remains firmly committed to the NDIS and is working closely with our state and territory counterparts and the NDIA to deliver the full national rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.