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The Hon. Scott Morrison MP
Minister for Social Services
Senator the Hon. Mitch Fifield
Assistant Minister for Social Services
JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT
Tuesday 12 May 2015
2015 BUDGET TO SUPPORT NDIS ROLL-OUT, DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT
AND CARERS
The 2015 Budget is part of the Commonwealth Government’s plan to build a strong, safe and
prosperous future for all Australians.
The Government will deliver support for the full roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
(NDIS), improve employment services for people with disability and increase assistance for Australia’s
2.7 million carers.
The 2015 Budget initiatives are part of the Government’s commitment to full delivery of the NDIS and
acknowledgement of the important work carers perform in communities across Australia.
Supporting the full rollout of the NDIS
The 2015 Budget commits $695 million for the NDIS for the next financial year, in line with the
Government’s commitment to continue the trial sites and to prepare for the full rollout of the Scheme
from July 2016.
The NDIS is already supporting more than 10,000 Australians. At full roll-out more than 460,000 people
with disability will benefit from the NDIS.
Importantly, the 2015 Budget will provide $143 million for a new Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) system to support full delivery of the NDIS.
The current ICT system does not provide the full range of capabilities required for full roll-out nor was it
intended to service the Scheme long term.
The new system will support over 460,000 participants and service providers, deliver enhanced data to
federal, state and territory governments and streamline the process for people with disability.
The Government will facilitate early transition to the NDIS for young people in Penrith and the Blue
Mountains.
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This will bring the NDIS to 2,000 people, aged 0-17 years, from 1 September 2015 – 12 months earlier
than planned. The New South Wales Government will also contribute funding to support this measure.
More support for Australians with disability
The 2015 Budget continues the Government’s strong record of supporting employment opportunities
for people with disability.
The Government is investing $17 million for business development initiatives to improve the
sustainability of Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs).
The initiatives will be delivered from 1 July 2015 until June 2019 to ensure ADEs are ready for the full
roll-out of the NDIS in 2019. The funding will allow ADEs to access professional services to help them
build organisational capacity to meet anticipated increased wage costs over time.
This measure complements the Government’s announcement in August 2014 of $173 million for the
development of a new productivity based wage tool for use across the sector, in conjunction with wage
supplementation.
Disability employment package
The 2015 Budget also delivers $25 million over four years to start to shape Disability Employment
toward a new model in 2018.
The package includes $9 million over three years to create the JobAccess Gateway for people with
disability and employers.
JobAccess Gateway will be a new online service centre for people with disability and employers,
complemented by a range of in-work supports to help people with disability to develop appropriate
skills and lead them to finding and keeping a job.
The Gateway will streamline services and programmes and create a virtual disability employment
marketplace through a new digital and client relationship service centre.
Other measures in the 2015 Budget to support disability employment include:

$2.2 million investment from 1 July 2015 over four years to allow young people with
disability to receive up to six months of Disability Employment Services (DES) support
while participating concurrently in state and territory post-school employment or
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transition to work programmes, giving them the extra support they need to get into the
workforce.
$14 million from 1 January 2016 over four years to allow eligible people with disability
employed in ADEs to access the support of a DES provider for up to two years to help
them secure employment in the open labour market, while maintaining their ADE
employment. Currently, people with disability must resign from their ADE to receive
assistance from a DES provider.
The introduction of a new employment benchmark that will ensure DES participants
who have been assessed as having the capacity to work between 23 and 29 hours per
week are supported to do so. Currently, DES providers only need to find a job for 15
hours per week to receive an outcome fee for people with a 23-hour benchmark.
Supporting Australia’s carers
The 2015 Budget delivers important measures to support Australia’s carers.
Carers will benefit from easier access to critical information and services. $33.7 million will be invested
in the Integrated Plan for Carer Support Services (IPCSS), which will streamline and coordinate services
for carers and deliver a national carer gateway.
Carers are currently searching for support and services through a number of often confusing pathways
across the disability, community mental health and aged care sectors.
This carer specific entry point will comprise a national telephone contact centre and a website to help
carers find support and services, regardless of the need or the age of the person they care for.
We know that not all carers access formal support, so this carer gateway will give them information to
all forms of support.
An Expert Advisory Group has been established to assist development of the carer gateway with
membership drawn from service providers, peak bodies and individuals who have carer-specific
expertise. Chief Executive Officer of Carers Australia, Ms Ara Cresswell, has been appointed as Co- Chair
of the Group, along with a Department of Social Services representative.
(ENDS)
Further information: Minister Morrison- Julian Leembruggen 0400 813 253 Kerri Griffiths 0417 617 482
Minister Fifield- Lydia Paterson 0409 792 081
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