2024-25 Federal Budget key points

On Tuesday 14 May 2024, Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the Federal Budget for 2024 with a range of key elements affecting people with disability. Read the 2024 Federal Budget here. Key points include: 

NDIS & the disability sector  

• $468.7 million for the scheme over four years, which includes:  

• $214 million over two years to fight fraud and to co-design NDIS reforms with people with disability.  
• $160.7 million to upgrade the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's information technology.  
• $45.5 million to establish a NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee.  
• $20 million to start consultation and design on reforms to help NDIS participants and people with disability navigate services. 
• $129.8 million over two years for consultation work to respond to the findings of the NDIS review. 
• $2.6 million in additional support for the continued delivery of the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline and the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service. These will provide a channel through which people across Australia can confidentially report abuse and neglect of people with disability and raise concerns or make complaints about Australian Government funded disability services outside the NDIS. 

Easing cost-of-living pressures 

• $3.5 billion for $300 in energy bill relief to all Australian households which means from 1 July 2024, more than 10 million households will receive a total rebate of $300 and eligible small businesses will receive $325 on their electricity bills throughout the year. 
• Extending the freeze on deeming rates for 876,000 income support recipients until 30 June 2025 to support social security recipients manage their budgets.  
• $138 million to boost funding for emergency and food relief and financial support services for Australians facing acute and urgent financial pressures, to meet high demand for emergency relief, food relief and financial support services. 

Housing  

• $6.2 billion housing investment.  
• An additional $1 billion to help states and territories build more homes including for connecting essential services such as water, power, sewerage and roads.  
• $16.5 billion additional funding for infrastructure projects to connect our cities and towns.  
• $1.9 billion to increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance by a further 10%. 

• An extra $423 million for the National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness. 
• Additional $1.9 billion in concessional finance for social and affordable homes to support delivery of new social and affordable homes under the Housing Australia Future Fund and National Housing Accord. 
• An additional $16.5 billion for new and existing infrastructure projects across Australia over 10 years. 

Health and aged care 

• $2.8 billion to strengthen Medicare, including a further 29 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. 
• $2.2 billion to improve the aged care system. 
• $888.1 million to help people get the mental health care they need. 
• $825.7 million to continue to test for and vaccinate against COVID-19. 
• $141.1 million for research and services for people living with chronic conditions, including bowel and skin cancer, diabetes and dementia. 
• $3.4 billion for new and amended listings on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, meaning that no pensioner or concession card holder will pay more than $7.70 (plus any applicable manufacturer premiums) for up to five years. 

Employment  

• $227.6 million for a new specialised disability employment program to support Australians with disability to prepare for and find work and invest in a modern digital platform to deliver better supports to providers and participants. Eligibility will be expanded to include volunteers outside the income support system and those with less than eight hours per week work capacity. 
• $23.3 million in funding over four years to establish a Disability Employment Centre of Excellence. The Centre of Excellence will build the capacity of employment service providers to deliver higher quality, more effective services. The Centre will be established to share innovation and best practice and lift the capacity for a wide range of employment services providers. 

Domestic and family violence 

• $925.2 million for victim-survivors leaving violent intimate partner relationships. 

Infrastructure & disaster preparedness 

• $2.2 billion to enhance connectivity and increase accessibility and reliability of South East Queensland transport networks. 

• $138.7 million to improve Australia's response and resilience to natural hazards and disasters including funding for the National Emergency Management Agency to supply communities with vital goods, equipment, and temporary accommodation during an emergency, aerial firefighting capability, and mental health support.