[dbaust] Re: Federal Budget announcements - blindness and vision impairment focused
- From: Gina Pontelandolfo <ginapontelandolfo@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "dbaust@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <dbaust@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 9 May 2012 18:48:10 +1000
Hi
That is my name Gina . Your email is no clean . Please you send a again clean
to me . Thanks you . Gina .
Sent from my iPad
On 09/05/2012, at 2:18 PM, Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jessica Zammit <jessica.zammit@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 1:17 PM
> National: Federal Budget announcements - blindness and vision impairment
> focused
>
>
> Dear Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) members,
>
>
> Below is a summary of the key announcements of the Federal Budget which are
> of direct relevance to people who are blind or vision impaired. BCA will be
> seeking further information regarding some of the below initiatives and will
> circulate more information once it is available to us. There have been no
> proposed changes to the status of the DSP Blind that we have been alerted to.
>
>
> National Disability Insurance Scheme
>
>
> $1 billion has been committed over 4 years to start rolling out the first
> stage of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
>
>
> The first stage of an NDIS will begin in mid-2013 and will provide care and
> support to around 10,000 people with significant and permanent disabilities
> in up to four locations across the country. From mid-2014, the reach of an
> NDIS will be expanded to bring the total number of eligible people up to
> 20,000.
>
>
> These individuals will have their needs assessed and be supported to develop
> individual plans to deliver ongoing personalised care and support over their
> life-times.
>
>
> The Government's commitment includes:
>
>
> . $342.5 million over three years from July next year for individually funded
> packages for people with significant and permanent disability.
>
>
> . $154.8 million over three years from July next year to employ Local Area
> Coordinators to provide an individualised approach to delivering care and
> support to people with a disability.
>
>
> . $58.6 million over three years from July next year to assess the needs of
> people with a disability in the launch locations.
>
>
> . $122.6 million over four years to start preparing the disability sector for
> the new way of delivering disability services, particularly in the launch
> locations in the first stage of roll out.
>
>
> . $240.3 million over four years to build and operate an NDIS information
> technology system.
>
>
> . $53 million over four years to establish a new National Disability Launch
> Transition Agency to coordinate implementation and manage the delivery of
> care and support to people with a disability and their carers in launch
> locations from 2013-14.
>
>
> The Australian Government's initial investment will cover the total
> administration and running costs for the first stage of an NDIS. States and
> territories that host the initial locations will also be required to
> contribute to the cost of personal care and support for people with
> disability. The NDIS is being delivered a year ahead of the timetable set out
> by the Productivity Commission.
>
>
> Changes to the Disability Support Pension
>
>
> The amount of time individuals can travel overseas while continuing to
> receive their income support payments will be reduced from 13 weeks to six
> weeks, effective from 1 January 2013.
>
>
> This change will affect the Disability Support Pension, Parenting Payment,
> Carer Payment, Carer Allowance, Widow B Pension, Wife Pension, Widow
> Allowance,
>
>
> Partner Allowance, Youth Allowance (Student), Austudy, Mobility Allowance,
> Telephone Allowance, Pension Supplement, Utilities Allowance, Seniors
> Supplement, Clean Energy Supplement, Low Income Supplement, Pharmaceutical
> Allowance, Rent Assistance, Pensioner Education Supplement, Family Tax
> Benefit A, Family Tax Benefit Part B, Single Income Family Supplement and
> Paid Parental Leave and concession cards.
>
>
> This is unless (a) it is a part of a course of study or (b) the person has a
> manifest disability and no forecast capacity for work. This will be assessed
> under new rules which will take effect from 1 July 2012. Blindness is
> currently considered to be a manifest disability.
>
>
> Trial of Audio Description on ABC
>
>
> $1.5 million has been committed for a trial of audio description on ABC1
> which is great news.
>
>
> Employment
>
>
> Australian Disability Enterprises will receive $59 million over four years to
> sustain their sector in 2012-2013. This ongoing investment brings total
> Australian Government funding for ADEs to more than $210 million a year.
>
>
> From 1 July this year, the Government are introducing further reforms to
> encourage greater participation in the workforce by DSP recipients, including:
>
>
> a.. Introducing new participation requirements for recipients under the age
> of 35 with some capacity to work;
> b.. Providing more generous rules to allow all people receiving the DSP to
> work up to 30 hours a week and still receive DSP, subject to income and
> assets tests; and
> c.. Supporting employers to take on more DSP recipients through new
> financial incentives.
>
>
> The Government is delivering a range of new employer incentive initiatives
> across Australia to encourage businesses to employ long-term unemployed and
> people with disabilities. New initiatives include Wage Connect which enables
> employers to offset the costs of wages and training for the first six months
> a person is employed. This commenced on 1 January 2012.
>
>
> The Disability Employment Broker program is a $1 million discretionary grants
> program will start from 1 July 2012 to fund up to 10 projects to improve
> employment outcomes for Disability Employment Services participants. The
> projects will target small-to-medium employers in regional locations and
> build relationships with employers and industry groups.
>
>
> The Government is also supporting the Australian Chamber of Commerce and
> Industry to deliver the 'Think Outside the Box Campaign' and is providing
> funding for Disability Employment Australia to raise awareness with employers
> of the benefits of a diverse workforce.
>
>
> National Disability Agreement
> The Commonwealth disability funding to the States under the National
> Disability Agreement rises from $1,208.7 m to $1,277.6 m in 2012-13. This
> will be in addition to the funding for the NDIS.
>
>
> Australian Bureau of Statistics
> The Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers
> will be expanded and will now be conducted every three years, rather than
> every six years, from 2014-15.
>
>
> Joint Standing Committee on Migration Report
> Responding to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration report on the
> migration treatment of disability, the Government will make changes to the
> health criteria that applicants must meet to obtain an Australian visa. Under
> current arrangements, visa applicants are refused entry to Australia where
> the estimated costs of treating a pre-existing health condition are above the
> Significant Cost Threshold set at $21,000. This threshold will be raised to
> $35,000 and will be removed for offshore Humanitarian Visa applicants from
> July 2012.
>
>
> Education
> The Review of School Funding has been mentioned, with $5.8 m to be provided
> over two years to conduct further policy and technical work around the
> recommendations of the review with further stakeholder consultations. $1 m
> will be directed to support the implementation of the National Partnership
> for More Support for Students with Disabilities. There has been no mention of
> the outcomes of the review of the Disability Standards for Education.
>
>
> Accessibility
> $2.6m to improve accessibility at Parliament House
>
>
> Kind regards,
> Jessica Zammit
> National Policy Officer
> Blind Citizens Australia
> Ross House, Level 3, 247-251 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
> Phone: 03 9654 1400
> Mobile: 0437 355 985
> Fax: 03 9650 3200
> Toll free: 1800 033 660
> Web: www.bca.org.au
> Email: <jessica.zammit@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
> ABN: 90 006 985 226
>
>
>
Other related posts:
