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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/01/means-test-disability-pension-and-toughen-eligibility-rules-commission-urges

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Means test disability pension, slow NDIS rollout, audit commission urges Means test disability pension, slow NDIS rollout, audit commission urges
(4 months later)
Disability Disability assessments will be tightened and tougher eligibility and means testing should be imposed on carers, according to the Commission of Audit, while the National Disability Insurance Scheme should be slowed down to control the cost of the scheme.
assessments will be tightened and tougher eligibility and means testing should The commission would tighten disability assessment and participation criteria for disability support pension recipients who are not assessed under the new tests introduced in 2012, particularly those under 35 with some work capacity. This pension costs $15.8bn per year.
be imposed on carers, according to the Commission of Audit, while the National It would also impose sustainability requirements on NDIS by slowing down the phase-in, even though it would require re-negotiation with the states. The scheme is projected to cost $22.1bn by 2019-20.
Disability Insurance Scheme should be slowed down to control the cost of the The commission would also amend NDIS governance by creating a prescribed agency with a chief executive officer and imposing contracting arrangements in disability services to force competition in the NDIS.
scheme. Payments to carers will cost $7bn this financial year and the number of carers is growing at 12% a year, outstripping population growth.
The The commission would impose an income test on 560,000 people who receive the carers allowance.
commission would tighten disability assessment and participation criteria for It would also limit Carers Payment – currently received by 220,000 people - to those whose work capacity is affected by their caring responsibilities. It would also limit annual carer supplement payment to one per year.
disability support pension recipients who are not assessed under the new tests
introduced in 2012, particularly those under 35 with some work capacity. This
pension costs $15.8bn per year.
It
would also impose sustainability requirements on NDIS by slowing down the phase-in, even
though it would require re-negotiation with the states. The scheme is projected
to cost $22.1bn by 2019-20.
The
commission would also amend NDIS governance by creating a prescribed agency
with a chief executive officer and imposing contracting arrangements in disability
services to force competition in the NDIS.
Payments
to carers will cost $7bn this financial year and the number of carers is
growing at 12% a year, outstripping population growth.
The
commission would impose an income test on 560,000 people who receive the carers
allowance.
It
would also limit Carers Payment – currently received by 220,000 people - to
those whose work capacity is affected by their caring responsibilities. It
would also limit annual carer supplement payment to one per year.