By KATH GANNAWAY
POLITICS aside, the beneficiaries of bi-partisan support for a national disability insurance scheme, and a levy to help fund it, are people with a significant and permanent disability, their families and their carers.
The announcement last Wednesday by Prime Minister Julia Gillard of a half a percentage increase to the Medicare levy to lock in funding gained bi-partisan support from Opposition Leader Tony Abbott before the week was out, and from Victoria over the weekend.
For the Healesville parents of two disabled adult children who have been lobbying for a national insurance scheme for decades, the response was circumspect.
They say they will wait until they can decipher what it all means for them and others in rural towns, and when they see services delivered … and red tape cut.
Melba Support Services CEO Glenn Foard admitted some patience would be needed but said having funding guaranteed was a huge milestone.
MSS has provided support services to people with physical and intellectual disabilities in Yarra Ranges for more than 40 years and Mr Foard said after 15 years in the top job lobbying for change, they see real reason for celebration.
“Politicians of all political persuasions have understood that the establishment of a disability insurance scheme was the right thing to do,” he said.
This followed the announcement by the Prime Minister and Victorian Premier Denis Napthine that they had reached an agreement that would guarantee the full roll out of DisabilityCare in Victoria by 2019.
“They have acted in the spirit of bi-partisanship to ensure that people with severe and profound disabilities get the support they need and deserve,” Mr Ford said.
Kathleen Cameron, whose adult daughter Margo requires 24-hour care, said after wading through 40 pages of information, she had been unable to establish whether Margo would fit the criteria for the scheme.
“What I hoped was that people who needed it most would be picked up, the seriously disabled, and it’s fabulous that it is on the agenda … that’s a breakthrough,” she said.
Judy Flaherty also has a disabled adult daughter. She has battled the bureaucracy of elegibility criteria for Chantelle and for herself as a carer and says she has little faith in the ability of bureaucrats to deliver the programs and support that is needed.
“Lots of money goes into infrastructure and not to the people who need it,” she said of her three decades of experience with the system. “If they are going to be black and white like Centrelink, I’m not hopeful,” she said.
Mr Foard however remains hopeful. He said there is legislation now that spells out who is eligible and that it is not greatly different to the existing legislation.
“If someone is eligible under state legislation they will be eligible under DisabilityCare,” he said.
He said it was the guarantee of funding that would make the difference.
“There are thousands of people on the disability register in Victoria along, currently waiting for support and funding to become available. “That’s imposed incredible hardship on individuals, their families and carers and left them without the assistance they need,” he said.
“DisabilityCare will give all Victorians the peace of mind that if they have or acquire a disability or have a child with a disability needing daily care and support, that they will get the support they need when they need it.”
