El Gibbs provides a summary of the impact of the 2014 Federal Budget on people with disability.

The 2014 Federal Budget brings big changes for people with disabilities across a range of areas, from health to housing to welfare, but funding for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is secure.

The agreed funding for the NDIS remains the same, with no changes to the roll out at this stage. All disability groups have welcomed this commitment. John Della Bosca, from the NDIS campaign Every Australian Counts, says, "With this budget, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has become the custodian of the NDIS. He has given the NDIS the stamp of approval and committed to every Australian to roll it out in full."

However, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, which is responsible for hearing any legal issues related to the NDIS, will be merged with other tribunals. Legal aid has also had funding reduced. "When people have legal problems, it can impact their health, housing or safety dramatically. The Budget is a missed opportunity to take the urgent action required to address the needs of people who cannot afford private lawyers," says National Association of Community Legal Centres National Convenor, Michael Smith.

The Budget contains big changes to the social security system, particularly for younger people. Anyone under 35 on the Disability Support Pension, who started payments between 2008 and 2011, will have their eligibility reviewed. If found able to work more than eight hours a week, people will be put on a 'participation plan', which may include Work for the Dole. There will be penalties for people who do not stick to their plan, although what the penalties are is unclear. People with a severe disability will be exempt from this reassessment.

Matthew Wright, CEO of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations, says, "Cutting people off the DSP won't create jobs. Employment of people with disability has declined over the past decade, so moving people off the DSP won't lead to employment, it will just lead to poverty,"

The National Welfare Rights Network (NWRN) is deeply troubled by the proposed changes and wants them implemented with care. "The real problem for people under 35 with disabilities," says President Maree O'Halloran, "is the lack of employment opportunities and the reality that employers - and even the Government - are unwilling to take a chance and give them a start in life. What employer or business will give a person under 35 a go if some elements of the tabloid media have already labelled people on the Disability Support Pensions as lazy shirkers and scroungers?"

Frank Quinlan of the National Mental Health Council is also concerned about the impact of this change. He says, "While we are keen to find ways to encourage people with mental illness, including those with a psychosocial disability, to seek employment, implementation of any new system should not see people removed from the Disability Support Pension without an achievable plan for their transition into work - including mental health treatment and support programs, skills development and training, and workplace reform." Other mental health programs, such as headspace and Better Access, remain in place.

People with disability under 25 will no longer be eligible for Newstart. Instead they will be transferred to the lower rate of Youth Allowance. People under 30 will have to wait six months until they can access Newstart unless they are in education, the primary carer of a child, or have a partial capacity to work.

"Reassessing people without jobs to go to will mean they are tossed onto Newstart or Youth Allowance and into greater poverty. People with disability are more likely to be out of paid employment than other people of working age, with a labour force participation rate of 54 percent versus 83 per cent. Forty five per cent of people with disability are also near or below the poverty line," says Craig Wallace, President of People with Disability Australia. "If young people with disability can't get employment now, what hope will they have if they wind up homeless and unable to afford rent, medication, transport, clothes or GP visits?"

The way that increases to pensions and allowances is calculated will change, with payments to increase in line with the Consumer Price Index, instead of the higher Average Male Weekly earnings. This change also affects the Carer Payment. Ara Cresswell, CEO of Carers Australia, says that "by reducing the real value of the Carer Payment and penalising many young people who have taken on a caring role, the government is failing to recognise that caring is contributing."

The Pensioner Education Supplement has been cut and funding for States and Territories to provide concessions has also been removed. Further funding for financial counselling and emergency relief is not certain.

Damian Griffis from the First People's Disability Network says, "While it is positive that the Budget hasn't made any changes to the NDIS, we are very concerned about the impact of the Budget on the most vulnerable people in the community. Disability is inherently expensive - people with disabilities have to make multiple trips to the doctor, and if you are on the DSP, this will take a huge part of your impact. The co-payment for GP services could have a potentially devastating effect on our members who already live in extreme poverty."

Changes have been introduced to the Medicare system, with co-payments of $7 to apply to GP visits, pathology and other diagnostic testing not done at a hospital. This will apply to everyone, including children and people with a concession card, although for those groups, it will only apply for the first 10 visits in a year. Prescriptions will be $5 more expensive (80c for concession card holders).

The National People with Disability and Carers Council has been disbanded, to be replaced with a
Ministerial Advisory Council for Disabilities and Carers. The Disability Discrimination Commissioner will not be replaced when Graeme Innes finishes his term in June. The role will go to one of the other Commissioners.

The National Affordable Rental Scheme will be wound back and Hearing Australia is set to be privatised. Funding to the States and Territories for health and education has been reduced considerably, although the impact that will have on services is not known at this stage.

The promised disability loading for education funding has not been included in the Budget. Stephanie Gotlib, Executive Officer of Children with Disability Australia (CDA) says, "A typical school experience for students with disability involves limited choice of school, discrimination, bullying, limited or no funding for support and resources, inadequately trained staff and having to contend with a culture of low expectations. These failings have become entrenched in the education system and the urgency of delivering system wide solutions is now acute. It is crucial that we have adequate funding to implement the necessary reform."

Dr Cassandra Goldie from the Australian Council of Social Services says, "The real pain of this Budget - crushing and permanent - will be felt by people on low incomes, young people, single parents, those with illness or disability, and those struggling to keep a roof over their heads. These are the groups doing the heavy lifting for the Budget repair job."

El Gibbs is a freelance writer with an unhealthy interest in Senate Estimate Committees. She's on Twitter as @bluntshovels and blogs unpredictably at AusOpinion and bluntshovels.