For Immediate Release.
Budget 2016: We’ll be able to read our bills but can we pay them?
Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) today welcomes the federal government budget focus on aged care supports and a commitment to ensuring funding for the NDIS, but says reviews of DSP for 90,000 and cuts to power subsidies for new pensioners are of major concern.
“It’s great that the government has invested in the NDIS Savings Fund Special Account, and the My Aged Care consumer portal,” said BCA CEO Leah van Poppel.
“We’re concerned that 90,000 people may be taken off Disability Support Pension without a safety net or a jobs plan. We could see people getting the right equipment under NDIS to read their bills but if they come off DSP they won’t be able to pay them.”
“It’s also great that the government has recognized what our members are telling us: that information on My Aged Care is truly limited for consumers. We hope that the extra money will include work to make information available to people with disability about their access to My Aged Care in the formats they choose, like Braille or radio.”
We also welcome:
- $96.1m for Try, Test and Learn program for innovative approaches to those at risk of long term welfare dependency;
- $118m funding for students with disabilities
What’s missing:
- funding for national representation by disability specific disabled person’s organisations;
- A rights based approach for audio description on broadcast television;
- Funding to ensure no copayment for disability specific supports in My Aged Care.
Media contact:
Leah van Poppel CEO:
Tel: 0430 210 980