The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) continues to have a positive impact on the lives of participants, their families and carers with recent data highlighting greater community inclusion and participation.
The NDIS is now supporting more than 630,000 participants, including 23,803 who entered in the previous quarter (to 30 September 2023), with participant outcomes data in the latest Quarterly Report demonstrating the positive impacts being delivered by the Scheme:
- Over three quarters of all participants aged over 15 years reported greater choice and control in their lives, exceeding the 2023-24 target.
- 42% of participants aged 15 years and older reported increased participation in community and social activities – a relative increase of 7%.
- Participation in work has more than doubled from 10% to 22% for participants aged 15 to 24.
- Half of all parents and carers are now reporting paid employment, reaching the 2023-24 target of 50%. This is a relative increase of over 8% since last quarter.
NDIA CEO Rebecca Falkingham acknowledged the progress the Scheme continues to make, and the need for constant improvement, in consultation with the disability community.
“This participant data reinforces the significant impact the Scheme is having on people with disability every day, in allowing them to participate in their community in more ways than ever before – whether that be through education, work or daily activities,” Ms Falkingham said.
The Agency remains committed to improving the Scheme experience, and is seeing encouraging results from work undertaken in recent quarters. Other highlights from the recent quarter include:
- Improved hospital discharge timelines and outcomes:
- The NDIA target of contacting NDIS participants within 4 days of the NDIA being notified of a participant’s admission remains high at 92% for the September 2023 quarter, an increase from 89% in the June 2023 quarter.
- The average days between a NDIS participant being medically ready for discharge and being discharged was 24 days in the September 2023 quarter, this has reduced from 27 days in the June 2023 quarter, and 30 days in the March 2023 quarter.
- An increase in the number of First Nations people accessing the Scheme, with 2,378 new participants joining in the last quarter. First Nations peoples now represent 10% of the total number of NDIS participants, an increase from 9.9% last quarter.
- The NDIA has reduced the number of participants waiting for an external review through the implementation of an alternative resolution process, which has also reduced the number of new cases going to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
- 90% of the 4,501 legacy cases waiting to be heard by the AAT by May 2022 have now been resolved.
View the latest Quarterly Report.