Social and economic participation often requires access to transport. Trial site experience shows tensions between individual payments for transport, use of sector vehicles and coordination of community transport. Due to limited community transport options, many providers operate their own fleets. However, the funding included in individual plans is often insufficient to cover the operational cost of this service.
The Commonwealth Mobility Allowance payments formed the basis of the three levels of transport support in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) The Commonwealth is rewriting the Mobility Allowance rules to make it aligned to the NDIS eligibility and rolling it into the NDIS ($46.5 million was provided in extra support through the NDIS to help those receiving it). The new rules mean new claimants must have a significant or permanent disability which prevents them from using public transport without substantial assistance.
About 60,000 people are currently eligible for the mobility allowance with 18,000 eligible for the NDIS. Of these about 4,000 will be over 65 year of age and not eligible for the NDIS. Changes to the mobility allowance will also exclude people with disability who choose not to be part of the NDIS.
Mobility Allowances are set at a maximum $3,456 as a full annual component within support plans. Providers cannot charge for daily transport costs associated with the delivery of support services to a client until the allocated monies in plans are fully expended. Funds allocated for transport cannot be traded off for other supports by NDIS participants.
What NDS is seeking
Participant transport funding that reflects individual needs.
Clarity on the guidelines for allocating different levels of transport funding.
Recognition that transport offered by a provider can be an effective option for a participant and cheaper than taxis.
A coordinated transport pilot to test different models, drawing on local knowledge and resources.
Status
NDS has requested information about the NDIA Transport Project.
David Bowen announced at the NDS CEO Conference in December 2016 that the NDIA is reviewing participant transport.
NDS has received reports that the transport allowances levels are being inconsistently applied.
NDS has raised concerns with the NDIA about the risk of the sector devolving transport assets due to inadequate transport funding.
From 1 January 2017, the Mobility Allowance is only available to new customers who are: under 65 years of age with a significant or permanent disability; engaged in work or vocational training, and not able to use public transport without substantial assistance. This means that Mobility Allowance recipients who are assessed to be eligible will receive NDIS support rather than the Mobility Allowance, once NDIS is available in their own locality.
The NDIS Price Guide 2016/17 clarified some of the arrangements for participant transport by providers as follows;
Transport falls into the core category of NDIS supports. Participants will have the ability to choose how they spend the funds in the core category.
Transport allowances increased by 1.53 per cent in July 2016, in line with the increases to the Commonwealth Transport Mobility Allowance.
Where a worker is accompanying a participant on a community outing and/or transporting a participant from their home to the community, the workers time can be claimed at the hourly rate for the relevant support item for the total time the worker provides support to a participant(s), including time spent accompanying and/or transporting the participant.
Where a provider is transporting two or more participants on the same trip, the workers time should be claimed at the appropriate group rate for the relevant support.
If a provider incurs costs, in addition to the cost of a worker’s time, when accompanying and/or transporting participants in the community, they may negotiate with a participant to make a reasonable contribution towards these costs. A participant’s plan may include funding for transport supports and this funding can be used to meet these types of contributions.
NDS submitted a position paper to the NDIA and Governments in July 2015 on participant transport support options, the future market and accessible transport, based on member feedback to an NDS discussion paper.
Issue
Continuity of support
Intergovernmental agreements for the trial sites guarantee continuity of support for people deemed ineligible for the NDIS who are currently receiving disability support services until mid-2016. The Bilateral Agreements for full scheme implementation detail continuity of support arrangements for people currently receiving funded support but do not meet NDIS eligibility requirements, or are receiving support that does not meet the definition of ‘reasonable and necessary’, and their program/service ceases with the introduction of the NDIS. These agreements signal how continuity of support will roll out in other jurisdictions.
Some people with disability are concerned that they will receive less from the NDIS than they do in the current system, even though governments have promised that people will not be disadvantaged by moving into the scheme.
What NDS is seeking
Renewal of the continuity of support guarantee during full scheme implementation.
Clarity around the funding allocation for people with disability (including people aged over 65 years and those who are not permanent Australian residents) receiving continuity of support arrangements and assurance that the funding will be adjusted according to individual needs.
Clarity around the Continuity of Support arrangements for people who are employed in an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) or who receive support from the Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) program but who are ineligible for the NDIS.
Status
The Federal government has released the Commonwealth Continuity of Support for specialist disability services for older people (people over 65 years) Programme Guidelines (July 2016) and Programme Manual (December 2016)
The Federal government outlined a new Commonwealth Continuity of Support program for aged care and specialist disability services for people aged 65 years and over, and indigenous Australians aged 50 and over.
NDS are awaiting further information on continuity of support arrangements for people under 65 who are ineligible to access the NDIS and are in programs that transfer across.
The bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and the states/territories outline Continuity of Support arrangements for each jurisdiction, with the aim of ensuring people are not disadvantaged during the transition to the full roll out of the NDIS.
