Disability organisations say budget cuts will force them to wind back services
Disability groups say federal budget funding cuts will leave them less able to support vulnerable Australians as the government rolls out widespread changes to services and supports.
The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) says some of the groups it represents are on “life support” with their funding cut to $143,000 per organisation each year, which staff say is not enough to continue advocacy and education work.
AFDO has received $1.718 million over two years, across six organisations, but that will result in an almost $60,000 cut in funding each year when split across the consortium.
Some of the federation’s members — which include Blind Citizens Australia, Deaf Australia, and Brain Injury Australia — have had to make staff redundant and are considering further job cuts as they try to work out how to divide the smaller pool of funding between organisations.
The federal government has separately dedicated $10.6 million over the next two years for 11 disability representative organisations including AFDO to co-design changes to the NDIS.
But organisations say their work goes well beyond the scheme.
Last year’s disability royal commission heard that unreliable, fluctuating funding to disability advocacy groups was leaving unmet demand and suggested funding be increased.
The federation includes 37 organisations, but only six are funded via the consortium with others attracting funding elsewhere.
In response, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the grants round was competitive and merit-based, with several groups in the consortium receiving separate funding.
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