A comparison of the characteristics of people with disability in Australia according to whether they received NDIS funding
Previous research has shown a lack of investment in services and supports for people with disability who are not NDIS participants, with around three-quarters of people with disability aged under 65 years not receiving NDIS support. This lack of investment has a significant impact on people with disability and families, including significant financial costs. People with disability who are not NDIS participants rely heavily on informal supports and that research also showed that those informal supports currently being provided are not sustainable. These financial impacts and the unsustainability of informal supports place pressure on the NDIS because the NDIS is the primary place to access government funding for disability-specific services and supports that are essential for preventing a worsening in functioning. Following the recommendations of the NDIS Review, the Commonwealth and State and Territory governments are currently designing disability supports outside the NDIS (referred to as foundational supports).
Surprisingly there has not been a thorough description of the characteristics of the population of people with disability who are not NDIS participants or how they compare to people with disability who are NDIS participants. This information is critical for future planning.
Improved understanding of the differences between people with disability who receive NDIS funding and those who do not receive NDIS funding will:
- Identify the supports needed by people who are not NDIS participants, who will now be eligible for foundational supports.
- Shed light on potential inequities between population groups in terms of NDIS participation that result from people with disability either not applying for the Scheme or being assessed to be ineligible after they applied.
The overarching aim of this project was to compare the characteristics of Australians citizens or residents with disability aged under 65 years who were NDIS participants with those who did not receive NDIS funding. Comparisons were made according to age, sex, socio-economic characteristics, geography, type of disability, level of functioning and support needs.
Read more about this project, access the findings and recommendations for further research below:
 A comparison of the characteristics of people with disability in Australia according to whether they received National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding Read the full report: |
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Research funding
This project was supported by a Seed Funding grant from the Melbourne Disability Institute at the University of Melbourne. Additional support was provided by funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (1116385: Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health) and the Australian Research Council (IE230100561).
Authors and affiliations
- Dr Glenda M. Bishop, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
- Professor Anne M. Kavanagh, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
- Associate Professor Sue Olney, School of Social and Political Sciences
- Dr George Disney, Melbourne Disability Institute
- Associate Professor Zoe Aitken, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
Contact us
Associate Professor Zoe Aitken, zoe.aitken@unimelb.edu.au