Some Tasmanians on the National Disability Insurance Scheme are being left without support because of delays in their plans as they roll over into this financial year. Support plans expire on June 30 each year as the National Disability Insurance Agency reviews each plan to ensure their adequacy. National Disability Services state manager Will Kestin said the constant review of plans had produced backlogs in assessments and had placed providers in a situation where they could not provide services to clients. Mr Kestin said a promise these reviews would be seamless and would not affect NDIS participants had not been realised. He said it would be better if reviews took place every two or three years as people on plans were unlikely to have dramatic changes to their needs over a 12-month period unless the disability they lived with drastically turned. Mr Kestin said the agency in theory was due to assess a plan and see whether it needed to be changed, with assistance from a provider, three months out from its expiry. "The idea of a plan having to renew every year doesn't work in conjunction with the reality of people dealing with a disability," he said. "If the plans are delayed then the funding stops until the plans are reinstated. "This causes problems for somebody with a disability and for providers because a provider does not receive payment when a plan is in review." Mr Kestin said a person could avoid falling into the gap of being without support by having the administrative burden of plan management handled by a provider or the NDIA itself.
Some Tasmanians on the National Disability Insurance Scheme are being left without support because of delays in their plans as they roll over into this financial year.
Support plans expire on June 30 each year as the National Disability Insurance Agency reviews each plan to ensure their adequacy.
National Disability Services state manager Will Kestin said the constant review of plans had produced backlogs in assessments and had placed providers in a situation where they could not provide services to clients.
Mr Kestin said a promise these reviews would be seamless and would not affect NDIS participants had not been realised.
He said it would be better if reviews took place every two or three years as people on plans were unlikely to have dramatic changes to their needs over a 12-month period unless the disability they lived with drastically turned.
Mr Kestin said the agency in theory was due to assess a plan and see whether it needed to be changed, with assistance from a provider, three months out from its expiry.
"The idea of a plan having to renew every year doesn't work in conjunction with the reality of people dealing with a disability," he said.
"If the plans are delayed then the funding stops until the plans are reinstated.
"This causes problems for somebody with a disability and for providers because a provider does not receive payment when a plan is in review."
Mr Kestin said a person could avoid falling into the gap of being without support by having the administrative burden of plan management handled by a provider or the NDIA itself.
