Disability Care and Support

Public inquiry

This project is completed. The final inquiry report was delivered to Government on 31 July 2011 and released on 10 August 2011.

The Australian Government asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a public inquiry into a long-term disability care and support scheme.

Amongst other things, the inquiry examined:

how a scheme should be designed and funded to better meet the long-term needs of people with disability, their families and carers
how to determine the people most in need of support, the services that should be available to them, and service delivery arrangements
the costs, benefits, feasibility and funding options of alternative schemes
how the scheme will interact with the health, aged care, informal care, income support and injury insurance systems
its impacts on the workforce
how any scheme should be introduced and governed
what protections and safeguards should be part of the scheme.

The Government has established an Independent Panel of people with expertise and knowledge of disability issues to advise the Productivity Commission during the course of the Inquiry (external link)
Australian Government to consider new approaches to Disability - Joint media release from the Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services (external link)
About the public inquiry process