Western Australia joins the NDIS

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) reaches a new milestone as Western Australia becomes the final state to officially join the federally administered Scheme. 

From 1 July 2018, the National Disability Insurance Agency will assume responsibility for the delivery of the NDIS in WA, as is the case in every other state and territory. 

WA NDIS participants will transfer to the federally administered NDIS between 1 April 2018 and 31 December 2018. People receiving state or Commonwealth disability supports, as well as new participants, will continue to transition to the NDIS from 1 July 2018. 

Minister for Social Services Dan Tehan said the Commonwealth and WA Governments would fully cooperate to implement the transition to the NDIS. 

"The NDIS will be life-changing for Western Australian participants, by supporting people with disability, their families, and carers to play a greater role in their communities,"
 Mr Tehan said. 

“The Scheme will fund reasonable and necessary supports for people to help them live an ordinary life. It will also deliver profound economic change, creating new markets, new employment and new investment.” 

WA Minister for Disability Services Stephen Dawson said the NDIS was expected to support about 39,000 people in WA with permanent and significant disability by July 2020. 

“This will mean a significant increase in funding and services, and will deliver an unprecedented availability of support for people, many of whom have not been able to access anything of this kind before,” Mr Dawson said. 

“I remain engaged at all levels of this transition with good working relationships with the Disability Reform Council, the Federal Social Services Minister Dan Tehan, the National Disability Insurance Agency Chief Executive Officer Rob De Luca, local leaders in the sector, and people with disability. 

“I have also announced the establishment of a Sector Transition Fund, with a commitment of $20.3 million over the next two years. This fund will support the disability sector to transition to the Australia-wide NDIS and ensure that quality providers, particularly those who support people with highly complex needs, can maintain their standards of service.” 

For more information on the WA rollout, including timeframes, visit the NDIS website. ENDS