Medicare levy hike to pay for the NDIS :(

[nero_bolt]

THE average worker could be hit with an increased Medicare levy of about $300 a year in next month's budget to help pay for the national disability insurance scheme.

The federal government is seriously considering increasing the Medicare levy from 1.5 to 2 per cent after Prime Minister Julia Gillard warned "urgent and grave" decisions were needed to cope with a $12 billion hit to tax revenue.

The Daily Telegraph understands while the higher Medicare levy would be presented as a reasonable form of "insurance" to protect families from the huge costs of coping with a disability, no final decision has been made whether to include it in the May 14 budget.

Ms Gillard will face attacks that it is another broken promise after she last year ruled out increasing the Medicare levy to pay for DisabilityCare

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/medicare-levy-hike-to-pay-for-the-national-disability-insurance-scheme/story-e6freuy9-1226631862091

[izabsmiling]

Nero Wolf, You highlighted the extra tax..

would you prefer she just dropped the NDIS ?

[the_hawk*]

The poor tax payers having to pay money to help the disabled.How hard that must be .

The tax payer already does pay for the disabled, its called welfare, not sure why a second system is required  

[rosieglen]

So tell me what would you do?  Leave our young disabled in the situation that they are now with no where to go when their parents die. There is little housing available and few services. Or worse a young person becomes disabled and is left to rot away in a nursing home.  There are few services for these people.

What should the government do then?

when families are so desperate they can hardly function.  The grief and guilt they feel when they know they are leaving behind their children in a world that can't relate and won't support them.

Quite frankly most people spend more on coffee a year. It's a small price to pay to see our most vulnerable cared for.

I agree absolutely.

I have no problem with paying an extra $300 a year towards the NDIS.  As long as that is what the money is used for and is not syphoned off elsewhere.

[rosieglen]

The tax payer already does pay for the disabled, its called welfare, not sure why a second system is required  

Until you have a family member with a severe disability I doubt anyone realises the real cost to the family.  "welfare" pays for very little in the way of support.

[catsnknots]

Well apparently Gillard is looking to tighten the definition of disability to make it harder to get onto a disability pension.... 

So there is going to be more money available but less people will qualify. 

[rosieglen]

  apparantly? 

[lakeedge]

New tighter criteria for disability support pensions.

This has been a refuge for Labor because if a person is on disability  then they can't be counted in the unemployed stats.

This is the reason why Labor has not done anything to remedy this rorting of the unemployment figures.

They will start to address this now because they are not going to be around to face the music & it's much better if they can bash the Libs re high unemployment.

Also the belated intervention of the ABC & Julian Burnside on Refugees & offshore problems.

Nothing has been said or done for 6 years whilst the borders have been open to rorting & the countrey is flooded with refugees at the cost of $5 billion a year to taxpayers.

This failure & wasted money which Labor has presided over has been ignored by the ABC & the canberra press gallery, the hard questions have never been asked.

This is just one of the reasons why this Labor party is now so on the nose that nothing they do now can save them.

[twinkles**stars]

Just because you may be recieving a disability pension does not mean you can't be employed in some way.

[izabsmiling]

as far as cost in $'s (if we are to only look at that) ...it would could far more if the help that is needed for in home care isn't provided.Building and funding Institutional type care would be a huge financial cost.

as far as needing the NDIS /needing more 

have a read ....if you are really interested that is.

http://yoursay.ndis.gov.au/yourstory

Your Story - share your stories and experiences

NDIS Your Story is an opportunity for you to share your own story and tell us how you can expect an NDIS to meet your most important needs.

People with disability, their families and carers must be at the centre of this reform. Your stories, experiences and aspirations will help reform disability care and support in Australia.

[newstart2380]

I have no problem with paying an extra $300 a year towards the NDIS.  As long as that is what the money is used for and is not syphoned off elsewhere.

[/quote]

Agree but therein lies the problem, how can we trust the present government to put the money towards the NDIS ? when so many other promises have been broken.

I know a family with a child with a disability and they struggle, they have other children as well. The help would be so appreciated if only a small amount because the cost of raising a child with a disability is enormous and only those who are involved with this dilemma can fully appreciate the costs.