Labor offers to delay NDIS autism changes if states agree to hospital and disability funding deal

Exclusive: The $2bn Thriving Kids scheme, due to start on 1 July, would instead start in October, after states said they were not ready yet Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government has offered to delay the start of a new program for early intervention autism services and provide budget top-ups for smaller states, part of efforts to secure an overdue deal on hospitals and disability funding. Premiers and chief ministers look likely to agree to the deal at Friday’s meeting of national cabinet in Sydney, after Anthony Albanese and the health minister, Mark Butler, offered to push back the start of the new $2bn Thriving Kids scheme to October.