Report reveals struggle in NDIS

DISABILITY service organisations are struggling to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme, leading to adverse experiences of those needing assistance from the system.

That is the view of the Tasmanian manager of National Disability Services, which is the peak body for non-government disability service organisations.

Will Kestin said Tasmanian findings in the NDS State of the Disability Sector report, released last week, had mostly mirrored those nationally.

Only 22 per cent of providers said operating conditions in the NDIS had improved. And only the same percentage felt the National Disability Insurance Agency had a high level of respect for service providers. Three-quarters of respondents thought there were too many unnecessary rules and regulations in the system.

Mr Kestin said this was a problem being felt in Tasmania.

“We are still struggling as a sector to navigate the red tape, and that is definitely impacting people who deal with a disability who are receiving NDIS services,’’ he said.

“It is still very complicated and there are still very large delays with payment from NDIS to providers.”

Mr Kestin said the centralisation of payments from Tasmania to interstate occurred last year and was “done in the name of efficiency”, but he claimed it was having the opposite effect.

The NDIA was asked about the structure of operations in Tasmania, with the agency saying it had a dedicated state manager to oversee service delivery of the NDIS.