Question without notice | Disability Unmet Need
03/12/2014
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Disabilities questions about the unmet needs list in South Australia.
Leave granted.
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: When I was first elected to this place some four years ago, one of the early issues I raised in question time was the public monthly disclosure of the growing unmet needs list for disability services and support in South Australia. As of January 2012, that information has indeed been available on the website of the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion and, while it has been shifted about, through website upgrades and changes, I am fortunate that I am still able to find it via Google.
While this transparency by government is positive and welcome, and indeed should be required, the figures being reported each month tell a less happy story and there continues to be a growing source of constituents calling my office in crisis and/or close to crisis as they struggle across the four services of accommodation support, community support, community access and respite.
Despite all of the increases in disability funding and the rhetoric that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be the panacea that solves all problems in disability, the numbers being reported on a monthly basis show otherwise. In January 2012, category 1 reported unmet need of 1,217 services across 995 clients. In February 2014, the most recent report available, the same category 1 figures show that there is unmet need of 1,818 services across 1,504 unique clients. This is an increase of 50 per cent in both cases—unmet need and unique clients. Remember, this is just in category 1 (critical need) meaning clients are homeless or at immediate risk of harm to self or others. My questions are:
1. Is the minister aware of the ballooning unmet needs list in disability services?
2. What will the minister do to prevent the unmet needs list growing further and reduce the clients and services going unmet each month in South Australia?
3. Does the minister agree that, given the NDIS (all going well, and we’ve no guarantee that it will) is still six years away from full rollout, claiming the NDIS will solve this problem is not good enough?
4. Does the minister agree that the 1,500 South Australians on the category 1 unmet needs list are not having their basic human rights met under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?
5. Is the minister concerned that in this case we are in breach of the convention and optional protocol of the United Nations convention, and is he concerned about our reputation at a national and international level, given this?
In reply to the Hon. K.L. VINCENT (8 May 2014).
The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) : The Minister for Disabilities has advised: (3 December 2014).
1. Reported unmet need represents the additional services that clients would ideally receive. The vast majority of clients who have an episode of unmet need recorded are already in receipt of some level of funded supports.
The South Australian Government recognises the demand pressures on disability services and will continue to work consistently and constructively to address unmet need.
2. State government expenditure on disability services has increased from $124.4 million in 2002-03 to a budgeted $421.3 million (excluding ‘Other NDIS’ expenditure) in 2013‑14. The South Australian Government has provided injections of funds over the last couple years, to assist people with disability requiring a range of accommodation support, community support, community access and respite services. In particular:
a. The 2012-13 Budget provided an additional $212.5 million over 5 years.
b. The 2013-14 Budget provided an additional $107.8 million over 5 years.
3. The South Australian Government has strongly supported the establishment of the NDIS and is committed to the full implementation of the NDIS from 2018, for all people with disability under the age of 65.
4. No, I do not agree.
5. No. The South Australian Government has demonstrated significant commitment to doing all within its capacity to protect and promote the rights of people with disability, in line with UN Convention.
