NDIS travel limits raise alarm for regional clients, says Gunnedah provider

Limits on National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) travel allowance claims has regional providers raising alarm for the future of their disabled clients.

The NDIS provides funding to eligible people with a disability. It is estimated to provide 500,000 Australians with funding for support and services.

As reported in the Gunnedah Times last week, changes were made to NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits starting on Tuesday, July 1.

The transport allowance has been a particular issue for regional areas, with limits for travel claim allowance in place. Among those affected by it was occupational therapist (OT) and Focus on Function owner Louise Whitton, who said staff have already seen the impact

A large proportion of clients at Focus on Function require mobile home service. She said these are for complex home modifications and assistive technology that cannot be completed remotely.

“We simply cannot afford to continue offering these mobile services under the current structure,” Ms Whitton said. “This affects some of our most vulnerable clients.

“Many live in regional or remote areas where there are no local providers.”

She said OTs will complete tasks such as assess bathroom and ramp modifications, custom power wheelchair scripting, pressure-relieving beds and safe access to bedrooms and bathrooms.

“These are not ‘nice to have’ supports — they are essential for safety, dignity, and independence,” she said.

“The majority of our occupational therapy services are delivered in the client’s own environment — their home, workplace, or community.”

She said this is to ensure safety, appropriateness and funding compliance.

“In regional NSW, where participants may live in small towns or on rural properties, travel is not a luxury — it’s part of equitable access,” she said.

She further stated the long term will hurt the community when the impacts on adults with permanent disabilities start showing.

These could be reliance on paid support, higher risk of injury and medical complications, greater strain on informal carers and more frequent errors in scripting and use of assistive technology.

“These are not just individual setbacks — they are system-wide risks that will affect the sustainability of community-based care,” she said.

She argued people will be more likely to experience issues such as; preventable falls and injuries that regular home environment and equipment reviews provide; delays or incomplete home modification; a loss of independence and; carer strain and burnout for informal carers such as loved ones.

She said the “cuts” will cause services to choose between “absorbing unsustainable costs, or stopping services altogether”.

“Sadly, for many participants who need home-based assessments, we now cannot provide these services under NDIS without full travel cost recovery,” Ms Whitton added.