Don’t struggle alone
Many readers may have noticed an increasing number of stories of people, including carers, who are having trouble negotiating the NDIS paperwork in order to join up to the scheme.
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As I have already related, there are many pitfalls involved in this, including the fact that if you use community transport you will from now on have to pay full private taxi fares. Also you must allow 20 minutes travel time for every service you receive.
So if you do not include this in your plan a 30 minute lunch service will be reduced to 10 minutes! You will also no longer receive a mobility allowance if you currently get one.
I have already exceeded my annual allowance for wheelchair repairs in just one month and will be able to do only one U – turn the wheel presentation at either Picton or Goulburn and then have to stop doing any more as I will have no travel allowance left.
If you are seriously disabled, good luck if you are trying to get your current services covered. Unfortunately the goals of the plan seem to have changed quite a bit to make sure that the government is no longer in any way responsible and that rather than helping clients, private businesses are encouraged at the expense of those who use government funding to help disabled people. But then perhaps I am being too cynical.
Remember that you can leave your email with this paper if I can be of any help. Stephen Jones, my local MP for Whitlam, has also been very helpful to me and I'm sure he would be pleased to receive any request for help.
There are so many elements to the NDIS, which is in itself in huge turmoil on all levels, that are not clearly explained.
At the very least, don't believe the government's propaganda campaign about how well things are going and don't feel left alone and try to struggle on without help.
Bruce Mumford
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