New forecasts show the rapidly expanding NDIS is poised to blow a $5.7 billion hole in Jim Chalmers’ second budget, with almost 200 Australians joining the program each day and participant numbers outstripping projections released only months ago.
The October budget revealed the scheme’s cost is growing at a faster rate than any other area of spending outside of interest on the national debt.
Federal and state governments will spend $35.5 billion on the NDIS in 2022-23, which includes $34 billion in participant costs and additional expenses associated with the administration of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), making the decade-old scheme more expensive than Medicare.
About 585,500 Australians are NDIS participants, including 10 per cent of boys aged between five and seven
The above from the AFR, big bold headline at the top to google if you want the story
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So we're spending more on the NDIS for than we are on medicare which covers every Australian.
How is it even possible that 10% of boys aged between 5 and 7 years old are disabled, let alone so profoundly disabled they require special govt funding?
Seriously, if the govt doesn't get this behemoth under control very soon we are screwed, it's very hard to take the lollies away after you've handed them out.
