Mr  Pallas (Tarneit) —  I note with concern the callous changes  made by  the Napthine government to disability housing costs. The 2013 state budget  revealed that a fee increase to  be paid by those already living in Department of  Humans Services-managed  disability  accommodation  services  will be used to  fund  anexpansion of individual support  packages. The fee  increases, which are in  the order  of 50 per cent  and more, will  make supported accommodation unaffordable for residents. This directly impacts on Declan Lennan, who  lives in residential care in the city of Wyndham. Due to the  recent increases Declan and his  family will struggle to afford basic necessities such as taxis to and from hospital and doctors’ appointments, with the coalition  government’s  increased  fees  set to take up to 75 per cent of his disability pension.

Many people  who were  hoping to stay in supported accommodation or to apply for supported accommodation  in  the  future  simply  will not be able to afford it. Rather  than  supporting  the  principles of universality  behind  the  national disability insurance scheme, this government  has  betrayed  those  residents by raiding their disability pensions. The government needs to urgently backtrack on its plans and provide real support  to  Victorians  with  a disability and their families.

See Tim’s speech in Hansard here.