Australian minister won't commit to delaying NDIS exit if supports aren't ready

The minister responsible for Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme, Jenny McAllister, avoided directly answering whether the government would delay participants' exit from the scheme if foundational support systems are not ready in time. McAllister said only that the government would not leave people "in freefall."

Concerns that the alternative support structures known as "foundational supports," intended for people leaving the scheme, will not be rolled out in time have been raised for weeks by disability advocacy groups and state governments. Critics say the transition could leave thousands of people at risk without a clear timeline.

The government is defending the reform process as part of efforts to keep NDIS costs sustainable. But opposition figures and disability rights groups say the minister's non-committal answers are raising anxiety among vulnerable households.