More than 15,000 Australians living with disability will be directed to better performing job providers following a major review.
About six percent of the national Disability Employment Services program affecting 52 underachieving providers will be discontinued.
Eight will be closed altogether.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said 15,550 disabled Australians will be transitioned to more suitable close-to-home services, giving them the best opportunity to obtain sustainable and meaningful work.
This represents about five percent of current DES participants.
The consolidation comes ahead of Monday’s Disability Employment Roundtable in Canberra and the government’s September Jobs and Skills Summit.
Rishworth said assessing the performance of DES providers means only the most effective will continue to receive commonwealth funding.
“Poorly performing DES providers were given every opportunity to put measures in place to improve and were aware of the formal review process,” she said on Sunday.
“It is vital that funding is directed to organisations who have proven they are delivering the best support to participants.”
The review was initiated following evidence to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
The inquiry was told some providers were not achieving long-term outcomes, with some job placements ending abruptly or only lasting for the duration of government subsidies.
To support participants through transitions to new providers, mutual obligations for the 15,500 impacted will be suspended for the next two months starting on Monday.
Almost 2.1 million people living with disability are of working age in Australia.
However 93 percent of unemployed people aged 15-64 with disability experience difficulties in finding work.
The unemployment rate for people living with disability is more than double that of working age Australians.
Disability employment and reducing barriers to employment is set to be a key stream in the government’s September summit, which will bring together more than 100 people from various industries.
