E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Topics: NDIS; NDIS fraud; Investment in Saver Plus.
JACQUI FELGATE, HOST: I do want to touch base now, though, on the NDIS, because I think it's a really important issue and it's one that a lot of victims in this case and a lot of people with disabilities and special needs that needed help under the last system didn't get it. It's now in the hands of Amanda Rishworth, who's the new Minister for the NDIS following the retirement of Labor MP Bill Shorten. So, for the first time on 3AW, she joins me now. Minister, really appreciate your time.
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Great to be with you.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, what it means in practical terms is that if someone has a permanent and significant disability, what they can do is go to see a planner at the NDIS and they will make an assessment and give you funding to buy in a whole range of individualised supports. So, that might be therapy supports like physiotherapy, it might be personal care or nursing. It might be equipment like a wheelchair. Previously to the NDIS, people just used to get allocated a wheelchair or told to go to a certain place and that's where they could get their physiotherapy. When the NDIS came in, you got funding in which the person with the disability could go and then find a provider and spend the money they were allocated to get that service. So, it provided a lot more control for people with disability. It has changed so many people's lives, but it's very individualistic, so it is what you need as an individual. And so it is quite complex at times and can be difficult to navigate, but it really has changed so many people's lives because it's provided an individualised support for people that need it.
JACQUI FELGATE: So, when you say complex, we do know the system has been fraught with problems to the point of alleged fraud as well. Last year, when we spoke to a lot of, particularly parents of young children, they felt like their funding had been reduced or cut unnecessarily. Are you going through all of those cases on an individual basis and can you reassure people that those who really need it are going to get the funding?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Firstly, I would say that as Minister, the NDIS review process happens independently for me. But I can say and give your listeners reassurance, there haven't been any changes around the rules in which young children are assessed. What there has been a change to is a list of what's in and can be funded by the NDIS and what's out of that list. And that was about making sure that the NDIS funds were actually used appropriately. There are a lot of things that were on that list that, you know, salt therapy was one of these things. There's no evidence for that. But when it comes to children, there have been no changes around access and what can be funded under the scheme. There's an individualised assessment to that and that's really important. But there haven't been any changes to what can be funded.
JACQUI FELGATE: And what about the rorts and the fraud? How can you guarantee that that won't happen in the future?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Look, some of the cases, particularly service providers that have been acting appallingly, was really shocking. So, we have, as under the previous Minister, set up what was called the Fraud Fusion Task Force, which actually brought together intel from a range of agencies, the AFP, the NDIA and a whole range of structures to deal with fraud. And so that continues do its work to make sure it's identifying dodgy actors in this and hold them to account. And we have a number of ongoing investigations and referrals for prosecution. But some of the other work that's been really important to make sure that this money gets used wisely is making sure people understand what can be funded and what can't be, particularly service providers. They need to understand and give the right advice. So, the other element I'm really keen on is driving up quality. So, this isn't just bad actors in the scheme, this is actually making sure that every participant, when they spend their NDIS money, get a high quality service, that there's appropriate safeguards and protections in place as well.
JACQUI FELGATE: So, how do you think it got to that point, though, where we heard the most ridiculous examples and we heard the most desperate examples of people who really needed help but couldn't get it? And then the rorts, like how did it allow over all these years, how did that get to that point, Minister?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, people just weren't paying attention. I mean, ultimately you heard stories the…
JACQUI FELGATE: The former Minister wasn't paying attention?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: The former government wasn't paying attention. I mean, when Minister Shorten came into this portfolio, he identified very quickly that there had been no checks and balances, that there hadn't been proper oversight over this scheme. It had been left just to meander and there hadn't been the appropriate protections put in place. So, Minister Shorten himself identified this very quickly and has stood up a whole range of oversight mechanisms to look at this. So, it really was the previous government...
JACQUI FELGATE: You can't always blame the previous government, though, you have been in power for nearly four years.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, you know about the challenges because we've identified them. You know about these cases that have happened over the last two years because they haven't got away with it. I mean, that's ultimately why, you know about these circumstances, why we've seen some of the articles in the paper, is because we have now got the oversight mechanisms to identify them and take them to court. So, we do need to maintain vigilance on this. It is critically important, but it's also important that people don't get dodgy service and there is quality services out there as well.
JACQUI FELGATE: Okay, so what's the Saver Plus program and how's that going to make a difference?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: The Saver Plus program is separate from the NDIS. This is a really important program where people that may be wanting to get a bit more financial capability to have matched savings with the ANZ Bank. We have just funded this program. It's been going for 21 years. We've now extended their funding for another five years. It's funded through the Brotherhood of St Laurence and really does support people become financially resilient and support them for really good saving habits. So, it's a really good program. And I’m really pleased that today we've announced extra funding for that.
JACQUI FELGATE: Amanda Rishworth is the Minister for Social Services and the NDIS. Really appreciate your time, Minister.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Thank you.