EBL_Newsletter_Summer_2021_DIGITAL | Page 15

Delivering the NDIS : maturing scheme continues to deliver during COVID-19

Media release from the Minister 17 February 2021 New data has revealed how the

National Disability Insurance Scheme ( NDIS ) continued to support more Australians during 2020 — a year full of unprecedented challenges from the devastating bushfires in January through to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Not only did the NDIS need to adapt to these challenges , it needed to support the NDIS community through a very stressful time . It achieved this by adding or refining supports available to participants and providers , improving outcomes for participants and growing the Scheme .
The data , drawn from the latest NDIS Quarterly Report ( Q2 2020- 21 ) released today , demonstrates not only has the NDIS adapted , it continued to deliver for people with disability .
With the complete picture for 2020 now available , the data shows :
• 98 per cent of first plans are approved for participants aged 0-6 within 90 days , compared to 85 per cent a year ago . For participants aged 7 and above , 92 per cent of first plans are approved within the 70 day timeframe , compared to 64 per cent a year ago .
• review timeframes have significantly improved with 100 per cent of decisions to undertake a participant requested review made within 21 days , compared to a year ago where 56 per cent of decisions to undertake a participant requested review were made within 21 days .
• on 1 July 2020 , the NDIS was available nation-wide . After seven years of hard work , the Scheme became available to all Australians , a wonderful milestone to reach .
Equally critical to supporting participants achieve better outcomes is the continued development of an innovative , engaged provider sector .

“ for is not

out there ,
What I am looking
it is in me .
– Helen Keller
• we welcomed an average of 24,800 people into the NDIS each quarter in 2020 .
• we are now supporting over 430,000 people with disability , an increase of more than 93,500 participants since December 2019 .
• the number of younger people in residential aged care has reduced by 22 per cent over the past two years .
• 100 per cent of access decisions are made within the 21 day timeframe . In June 2019 we were taking an average of 42 days to make an access decision .
In a recent provider sentiment survey , nearly 60 per cent of providers said they felt optimistic about the health of the NDIS market , an increase of 12 per cent from the previous survey in September 2019 .
The provider market grew in 2020 :
• providers were paid over $ 20 billion to deliver participant supports throughout 2020 .
• averaged payments per participant increased by 9 per cent in 2020 , from $ 47,800 to $ 52,300 .
• registered providers grew by more than 12 per cent over the past year .
( Continued on page next page )
EBL QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 15