In The Media | 25 May 2016

Federal Budget 2016: NDIS fully funded with introduction of Savings Fund

THE NDIS has been fully funded in the Federal Budget with the government establishing a special savings fund to contribute to the cost of the $22 billion scheme.

The Federal Government must fund half the $22 billion cost of the scheme which becomes fully operational from July providing care to 460,000 people with a disability. The states pay for the rest.

A 0.5 per cent increase in the Medicare levy funds $3.5 billion a year of the Commonwealth’s share of scheme. It was already contributing another $3.4 billion in disability funding a year but from 2019-20 it will need to find an extra $4.4 billion, to make up the government’s $11.3-billion contribution.

Source: The Courier Mail