The abilityNEWS Daily
The Big Story
The UK pays carers for support (photo courtesy SeeAbility)
A Home, Not Just a Service: Rethinking Disability Support
Tax relief for live-in supporters could save $260 million and deliver better lives for people with disability.
It doesn’t sound revolutionary: one person with disability, one live-in supporter, living together in a home.
But this model (called Individualised Living Arrangements, or ILA’s) might hold the key to a more sustainable NDIS. It’s cheaper than group homes. It’s tailored to individual needs. And it helps build real, personal relationships—something no shift-based roster can replicate.
The trouble is, Australia hasn’t made ILAs easy.
A new report from KPMG, developed with input from the Summer Foundation, finds ILAs are being held back by bad incentives. Right now, live-in supporters face complicated, unclear tax treatment. They’re expected to keep detailed records and calculate partial deductions. Most people’s takeaway? Don’t bother.
KPMG wants that changed. Its report recommends adopting a UK-style safe harbour tax exemption for live-in supporters - effectively making modest payments tax-free. The benefits could be substantial.
According to the Summer Foundation, just 500 more people moving into ILAs each year could save up to $260 million over five years.
“More than 40,000 Australians with disability have high support needs. Only a tiny fraction are currently living with these arrangements. We think there’s plenty of room to grow,” Summer Foundation Head of Policy Change Jessica Walker says.
“This isn’t about handouts,” says KPMG’s Head of Tax Policy Alia Lum. “It’s about recognising the value of real human connection, and designing the tax system to support it.”
Right now, only 520 NDIS participants are living in ILAs. But with over 40,000 Australians with high support needs, there’s enormous room to grow.
Read more online for why it’s time to scale this model, and how tax reform could help.
The Briefing
Not just in North Queensland - Centacare will be closing across the state
Centacare Queensland’s withdrawal from NDIS disability services highlights urgent need for systemic reform
by Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
Centacare Queensland will stop providing NDIS-funded disability services, affecting around 700 participants and putting jobs at risk. AFDO says the move exposes persistent issues in the NDIS system and signals a pressing need for structural reform.
Thriving Autistic Advisory Project
by Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia
ASAN AUNZ has launched the Thriving Autistic Advocacy project to support autistic-led self and systemic advocacy initiatives. The programme is partly supported by funding from the South Australian Government's Autism Works in the Community Grant.
Supporting Women in Business
by PwD
Research highlights that people with disability are 40% more likely to be self-employed or entrepreneurial compared to people without disability (University of Technology Sydney, 2020). Self-employment offers an opportunity to build both personal and financial independence, while also creating flexible pathways that reflect individual strengths, lifestyle needs, and access requirements.
Disability Support Worker Salary: What You Can Really Expect to Earn in 2025
by ConceptCare
As of 2025, most disability support workers in Australia earn between $32 and $40 per hour, depending on their experience, location, qualifications, and the type of work they’re doing. That can translate to an annual salary of around $65,000 to $85,000 if you’re working full-time. But here’s the thing: many disability support workers work part-time or casually, which means your take-home pay might vary from week to week.
Partnering for progress – ResetRA
by Arthritis Australia
Arthritis Australia is supporting world-first research into immunotherapy that could halt rheumatoid arthritis without lifelong medication. Led by Professor Ranjeny Thomas, the RESET RA project aims for drug-free remission through immune system reprogramming.
Afford fave Elsie Croker on being a live music superfan and chasing her dream
by Afford
Elsie Croker, a wheelchair user with spina bifida, is a passionate live music fan and podcast host. Through her show Inclusive Groove, she’s highlighting ongoing challenges in music venue inclusivity and building a supportive community.
Elsie Croaker comes alive when live music plays
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The Wrap
Hundreds of families in limbo after long-standing Centacare ends disability services amid financial issues
by ABC
Welfare agency Centacare will cease its NDIS-funded disability services in south-east Queensland, citing financial pressures. The move will affect approximately 700 disability services clients and 600 staff. Centacare expects to close their disability services by the end of the year.
First Peoples Disability Network set to launch national survey to fuel sector reforms
by National Indigenous Times
The First Peoples Disability Network, in partnership with Jumbunna Research UTS, is launching a national survey to strengthen the First Nations Disability Sector. It will listen to Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations, ACCHOs, and both First Nations and non-Indigenous NDIS and disability service providers across Australia to understand "what's needed to deliver culturally safe, community-led disability support".
To achieve savings NDIS cost cuts must target all 650,000 participants
by AFR
The federal government’s plan to rein in the $52 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme will need to go beyond addressing children with autism and development delays by tackling the rising costs for all participants, new research shows.
The Diary
