Delivering a more inclusive Australia for people with disability

2024–25 May Budget

The Australian Government is committed to delivering better outcomes for the 1 in 6 Australians with disability, focusing on key reform areas including disability employment and the NDIS.

The Government is investing more than $5.5 billion to strengthen evidence-based approaches to disability support, driving quality employment outcomes, and ensuring people with disability can continue to seek independent advice and raise concerns or make complaints in relation to their supports.

Specialist disability employment program

The Government has announced an additional $227.6 million to implement a new specialist disability employment program commencing on 1 July 2025. The new program will replace the current Disability Employment Services program and help people with disability, injury or illness find and maintain sustainable employment by delivering high-quality, personalised services.

The new specialist disability employment program will focus on quality services and delivering better supports to people with disability. The new program will include an intensive and flexible service that will be tailored to individual circumstances.

Providers will assist more people with disability with their employment and career goals. Eligibility will be expanded to an estimated additional 15,000 people with disability per year, including those with less than 8 hours per week work capacity and volunteers who are not in receipt of income support.

The new specialist disability employment program will benefit employers with access to improved supports to hire people with disability and support them in the workplace. Employers will benefit from a new wage subsidy that will pay up to $10,000 for each participant to ensure they are well-supported in the workplace.

Disability Employment Centre of Excellence

The Government has also committed $23.3 million in funding over 4 years to establish a Disability Employment Centre of Excellence. The Centre of Excellence will develop best practice, evidence-based information and training to help providers deliver high quality effective employment services.

The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline and Complaints Resolution and Referral Service

The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline and Complaints Resolution and Referral Service will receive $2.6 million in funding to ensure service continuity and support people with disability to access fair, impartial and independent advice and to voice their concerns regarding the delivery of supports.

For more information on Disability Employment Services, visit the Department of Social Services Disability Employment Services website.

For more information about this measure and other Department of Social Services’ Budget measures, visit the Department of Social Services website (dss.gov.au).

For information about the 2024-25 May Budget, visit the Australian Government Budget(Opens in a new tab/window) website (budget.gov.au(Opens in a new tab/window)).