COUPLE’S SAVINGS GONE AFTER ‘UNFAIR’ NDIS CUTS
SEVERELY autistic children are losing almost half of their funding under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) when they turn five, even if their intellectual capabilities are years behind their peers.
Parents have slammed “unfair” rules that slash funding when a child reaches school age without factoring in their individual needs.
Sydney couple Rachel and Taylor Savage’s five-year-old autistic son
Manaia had 48 per cent of his funding cut after his fifth birthday.
“I’ve been told when a child turns five, the NDIS washes their hands of you,” Ms Savage said.
Ms Savage and her husband have spent almost all of the house deposit they spent eight years saving up because they have to pay for his extensive therapy sessions out of pocket.
Without the therapy, Manaia has regressed and returned to not sleeping, wearing nappies, having emotional breakdowns and being disruptive.
Ms Savage’s younger son Keanu also has the same learning disabilities and autism and was finally accepted on to the NDIS after months of waiting.
“We had been saving for eight years for a house deposit, we’ve used all of it,” she said.
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has vowed to assess Ms Savage’s case, but did not commit to reforming the onesize-fits-all rule that is leaving families in financial distress. It comes as opposition spokesman Michael Sukkar questioned Mr Shorten’s claims that he could make the NDIS sustainable without funding cuts to individual participants.
“I’m not going to comment on this particular matter, but I have asked for detail from the agency,” Mr Shorten said. “I want to make NDIS decisionmaking more transparent and fair … and to ensure families like the
Savages have a better experience and can receive the supports they need.”