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Budget Direct

The 2019-2020 Budget has allowed the Coalition to send another direct hit to people with disabilities. 

With the Liberal Government choosing to reallocate between 1.6 and 3 billion dollars that had been earmarked for NDIS it has caused much anxiety within the disability community. 

It is no secret that disability services have been underfunded by at least 30 million dollars per annum for the last two decades and with the government choosing to take away this funding from disability services the gap is only going to get wider. 

The Morrison Government claims that the funding is being reallocated due to the slower than expected roll out of the scheme but if you ask me that is a sign the government should be putting more money into the NDIS and not less.

I have been a recipient of government funded services for the past 36 years however with the NDIS roll out I am experiencing more funding insecurity than ever before. 

Disability services are not like renting a car or taking out house and contents insurance. It is not something that can be handled with a cut price budget. 

People with disabilities are not asking for a blank cheque but we do ask for our government to give us the funding we require to live lives of equal dignity to the rest of our fellow Australian citizens. 

Waiting up to two years for vital pieces of equipment creates a budget direct hit not only for the individuals with the disability but for government funded services that need to support us. 

So to all the politicians in our country please remember to budget for the human cost not just the bottom line. 

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