Labor has quietly established a razor gang to drive budget savings in the national disability insurance scheme, as it works to further rein in costs ahead of next month’s federal budget.
An NDIS Sustainability Taskforce was established within the health department earlier this year, with instructions from the federal government and national cabinet to advise on cost-cutting options for the $52bn program.
Led by the former Treasury official Anthea Long, the taskforce was not publicly announced but began work after the 30 January meeting between Anthony Albanese, state premiers and the health minister, Mark Butler.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/09/ndis-cuts-razor-gang-2026-federal-budget
20 Comments
Cut mp fringe benefits, never bring that up every budget when we struggle. Bullshit about being too busy we need an extra 40, yet one don’t fucking show up 47% of the time because too busy being flown on a private jet to do a speech in america about how grifting Australians needs to be funded so she can sell us out.
But yes, cut little Timmy’s funding who can’t walk…..no no hope your family had a good time at that major sporting event.
The big problem seemed to be a lot of the providers were LNP mates and they marked everything up massively to milk the scheme for every dollar. Not sure if that’s still an issue or not.
can they accomplish cost cutting by actually auditing and weeding out the sketchy providers?
the best way to cut costs is to increase funding to NDIS with more regulation.
cuts without the funding increases are going to just result in suffering
Good!
The ndis is 4 months behind on all of their six week plan review commitments. I’m currently homeless because of this shit.
But sure. Cut ndis.
Very good idea. The NDIS is rort-city at the moment but is seen as a sacred cow. A good decade of behind the scenes pruning should see the excesses of the past brought into line.
We need a sustainable NDIS.
CAN WE JUST TAX THE GAS GIANTS WITH A 25% TAX?!
Liberal Lite strikes again
Cutting the NDIS is crazy. They should be making it harder for people to abuse and recoup some of that money with massive fines.
I vaguely remember being told it’s imperative to keep the LNP out because they would cut funding to front-line services.
Cutting NDIS funding will only hurt the people using the NDIS system. As an NDIS user, it’s impossible for me to rort the system. But the corporations who provide services can rort it just fine. What we need is better oversight and regulations. Not cutting funding from Australias most vulnerable people. What a shame populism shapes political policy and not logic or reason.
Why is the media always blaming poor people? Why isn’t disability support seen as an investment? Anyone can become disabled at any time. You could have a stroke or a car accident tomorrow!
Why is creating jobs for doctors and specialists a negative thing? Is it wrong because that money could have been given to large corporations in tax breaks?
Disabled people need more support not less. Centrelink barely pays us enough to live, let alone enjoy life. But sure, remove our supports because you find it too inconvenient to police the corporations rorting the system. Why should disabled people have any enjoyment in life anyway?
Why is it when we need to make up some money in the budget it always comes from services that people in need use and never from taxing assets properly? Gee I wonder…
You’d easily cut down on the NDIS being $52B by just going after the fraudulent providers and even recipients trying to gaming the system.
If they actually targeted the sketchy providers maybe my disabled friend in constant pain could finally get a helper and not get denied again
Just to be clear, the biggest abusers are the providers. I have nothing but sympathy for those people who need disability payments to survive.
They’re already using the method of sitting on the submitted paperwork until they can deny a new wheelchair because the OT report is now too old.
Yeh let’s cut funding for the most vulnerable population
Let’s not tax oil and gas any higher or deal with negative gearing
I mean they could actually go after the dodgy providers and require all businesses receiving NDIS funding through clients to be registered so there’s not people charging $1000 for mowing a lawn or whatever.
Nah, easier to just cut funding and make the most vulnerable people suffer more. Classic australian government move
How will the owners continue to buy lambos if they cut ndis??