We Weren’t Prepared. One Year Later, We Still Aren’t — NDIS And Covid-19

The NDIA should review existing NDIS Covid response mechanisms, and publish pandemic plans for the future.

This is the top recommendation in the latest NDIS General Issues report by the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme from December.

Right now, two things are clear: everybody, in every sector, is doing their best — but people are still falling through the cracks. 

Now, Australians living with disability face refreshed stressors, as tenancy security is impacted by a nation-wide trend of rising rent prices; and, upcoming eligibility changes to the NDIS continue to impose great clouds of uncertainty over participants’ capacity to appropriately future-plan. 

Western Australia is currently recording a high number of eviction letters being sent to residents, and, numerous community organisations and advice lines alike are reporting high receipts of calls pertaining to eviction matters.

This trend is continuing everywhere, regardless of participation status under the NDIS — but NDIS participants are far less likely to sufficiently support themselves through negotiation, dispute, and administrative procedures.

D-Stress Solutions can also reveal from first hand experience a number of local WA shelter facilities — often relied upon by tenants of diverse backgrounds experiencing conflations of homelessness and disability — are currently being forced to evict tenants. 

D-Stress Solutions Managing Facilitator Jonathon Davidson says the Western Australian government is damaging its own economic recovery.

“By failing to redirect homeless Australians into more productive circumstances, let alone those with disability, we are just guaranteeing future costs down the line in rehoming and re-engagement,” Mr. Davidson said. 

“It makes no economic sense. We know full well securing accommodation for those struggling now, and making that upfront cost now, leads to greater returns for everyone, and the community, in less than a decade.”

“We shouldn’t be afraid to say this out loud, over, and over, and over again: it makes no economic sense.”

Perhaps this is why, in December 2020, when the General Issues report was published, recommendations 7 & 8 of the document pertain specifically to NDIS engagement with Homeless Australians, and, Homeless Australians with an eligible disability, currently not covered under the NDIS. 

In difficult quarantine circumstances, coupled with a period of high mistrust and anxiety — unfortunately, by all parties — many liaison projects designed to do this are failing to satisfy desired outcomes.

In many parts of WA, those projects simply never hit the ground, leaving question marks lingering over annual spending responsibilities. 

What is happening in the small end of town can also be traced back up to the top end of town, too — tens of thousands of Australian businesses have gone under this year alone, and Insolvency applications have been streamlined by Australia’s corporate regulator to handle the sheer demand of workflow facing those departments over the coming twenty four months. 

Within the NDIS, too, a similar high-intensity workload is guaranteed to flow through state and federal departments for at least the next twenty four months to come. 

If you, or somebody you represent, are experiencing difficulties right now with the NDIS plan, you are not alone. 

For any NDIS concern, and any similar concerns such as rental or accommodation matters, you can contact D-Stress Solutions for cheap advisory information costing only $75 per hour. 

Call: 0410 537 245 
Email: dstresswa@gmail.com 
Or, find us on Facebook!