The 2009-10 State Budget provides $86.9 million of new funding for disability services over four years. Of this, $41.6 million is allocated for spending in 2009-10. An additional $21.5 million is allocated for 2009-10 out of funding committed through the National Disability Agreement.[1] This new money contributes to a real effective change of 2.3% on the 2008-09 disability services funding target.[2]
Individual planning and support |
$7 million in 2009-10 ($30 million over four years) to provide 179 individual support packages.[3] |
Capacity-building for community sector organisations |
$3 million in 2009-10 ($12.5 million over four years) to assist community sector organisations to transition towards self-directed support. This is in addition to $4 million allocated in the Budget for spending in 2008-09. |
Transition to employment |
$3.9 million in 2009-10 ($16.7 million over four years) to assist young people with a disability leaving school to transition to employment. |
‘my future my choice’ |
$13.8 million over four years in capital funding for Stage 2 of the my future my choice initiative to develop 13 accommodation options for 58 young people living in, or at risk of entering, residential aged care. This is in addition to $5.6 million provided through State and Federal output funding for my future my choice. As capital funding, this does not contribute to the Residential Accommodation Support output target in the Budget.[4] |
Children and early childhood development |
$9 million over four years for system reform and early childhood intervention reform delivered through Department of Education and Early Childhood Development |
Redevelopment of community facilities |
$5 million over three years in capital funding to establish facilities in which disability support are integrated with other community services. |
VCOSS welcomes the increased funding for the initiatives outlined above. We particularly welcome additional capital funding to develop accommodation options for young people in, or at risk of entering, nursing homes, and funding to support disability services transition to the provision of self-directed services. Yet it is disappointing to note that no new money appears to have been committed in the 2009-10 Budget to create new supported accommodation places or to improve the provision of aids and equipment. Increases to funding and output targets in these areas appears to be largely due to contributions from the Federal Government through the Disability Assistance Package (now part of the new National Disability Agreement) and funds previously allocated under the 2007-08 Labor Financial Statement.[5]
For example, funding for Residential Accommodation Support fell by 0.6% in real terms since 2008-09. The 2009-10 Budget only provides for a target of 10 new shared supported accommodation places, an increase of just four places on the actual outcome for 2007-08. It is noted in the Budget that this target reflects additional Federal funding.
The provisional budget for aids and equipment is set at $31.6 million for 2009-10, which includes funding committed under the 2007-08 Labor Financial Statement for spending in 2009-10.[6] While the 2009-10 Budget provides for a target of an additional 510 clients accessing aids and equipment, funding to meet this target appears to have come from $1 million provided through the Federal Disability Assistance Package.[7]
Other disability-related measures in the 2009-10 Budget include:
There were some positive areas of investment in disability services in the 2009-10 Budget, particularly the creation of new accommodation options for young people in, or at risk of entering, nursing homes and funding to assist disability services transition to self-directed services. However VCOSS is disappointed at the lack of new investment in the critical areas of accommodation and aids and equipment. There has been no real increase in supported accommodation places in successive budgets, despite the well-documented critical shortage of accommodation options for hundreds of people with a disability in Victoria. In addition, the lack of a significant increase in recurrent funding for the Victorian Aids and Equipment Program means that many people with a disability will continue to wait months, or years, for vital items such as wheelchairs and communication devices, affecting their capacity for social and economic participation.
The Inquiry into Supported Accommodation for People with a Disability or Mental Illness and the redevelopment of the Victorian Aids and Equipment Program are both due to be finalised within the coming year. In light of the conclusion of these processes, VCOSS hopes to see significant investment in both of these areas in the 2010-11 Budget.
[1] Of this new funding for 2009-10, $5.6 million is committed to the ‘my future my choice’ initiative. The remaining $15.9 million is yet to be allocated to disability supports (personal communication with advisor to Minister for Disability Services, 13 May 2009).
[2] REC calculation.
[3] Minister for Disability Services, Lisa Neville, 2009-10 departmental budget briefing, 5 May 2009. (Note: the Budget notes that the output target of 563 additional clients receiving individual support reflects additional Federal funding provided through the Disability Assistance Package).
[4] Personal communication with advisor to Minister for Disability Services, 13 May 2009.
[5] The Labor Financial Statement in the 2007-08 State Budget allocated $26.8 million for disability support services for spending in 2009-10.
[6] Personal communication with manager, Assistive Technology, Disability Services, Department of Human Services, 11 May 2009.
[7] Personal communication with advisor to Minister for Disability Services, 13 May 2009.