federal budget

Our policy team have been working hard this week following the Senate Estimates Hearings to find out more details surrounding some of the recent budget announcements. We also send our congratulations to Michael Burge and Alan Rosen who both received awards in this year’s Australia Day honours.

This document provides a summary of answers to key questions from the June Senate Estimates hearings from the portfolios of Health, Human Services, the NDIS and Social Services.

We have been learning more details about the recent Budget announcements and this week’s update gives you a run down on some that will impact on our stakeholders. Also discussed is the NDIS Capacity Building Project, our change to name to become Mental Health Australia, the launch of Perspectives and the release of two Advocacy Briefs from the National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum.

The Mental Health Council of Australia ( MHCA ) has today released a Key Issues Brief containing key facts about people on the Disability Support Pension ( DSP ) to address a range of misconceptions in relation to mental illness. “Contrary to some recent commentary, DSP recipients with mental illness are most likely to be people who want to work, but due to stigma and discrimination, and a range of significant and debilitating conditions, can’t.” MHCA CEO Frank Quinlan said.

The MHCA has today released a key issues brief that provides some key statistics about the Disability Support Pension and outlines some of the challenges that people with lived experience of mental illness face both in trying to access income support payments and meeting the costs of living. This is followed by a summary of the key measures in the 2014/15 budget and their likely impact on people with lived experience of mental illness.

In this week’s update read about the Federal Budget, the Day to Day Living Program and the Mental Health Conference Funding Program.

Tonight’s budget has seen the Government meet its pre-election commitments to mental health, but it has also seen some very substantial changes to programs which, over time, are likely to have a very direct impact on people who experience mental illness. We will do more analysis as the week progresses and will be included in the Friday update, but here is our initial summary of the budget night announcements as they stand.

The MHCA was tonight encouraged to see the Commonwealth Government meet its pre-election commitments to mental health. “We welcome the expected funding commitment to youth mental health, Headspace, the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Programme, and the 12 month extension of funding to the Personal Helpers and Mentors Programme. “We are concerned about some of the measures, and the long term impact they may have on the mental wellbeing of the nation – especially young people. “During this period of substantial reform we must ensure that existing services are maintained or new services established, so that vulnerable people are not left without support while systemic change is implemented.

The MHCA ’s 2014-15 budget submission proposes a range of no-cost, low-cost and long-standing recommendations that will help build an Australian mental health system that is holistic, integrated and that delivers better support for people with a lived experience of mental illness and their carers.

The Mental Health Council of Australia has described tonight’s federal budget as a missed opportunity to continue to build on much needed investment in mental health reform.