Because we almost immediately jumped off into an election campaign, the massive ($50 billion dollar plus) spending plans of the budget - particularly relating to disability - almost completely escaped scrutiny. Most accounts simply looked at the bottom line before rushing off to comment.

But it’s important not to simply wave through these massive spending plans without analysing what they mean for disability.

Special Correspondent Melissa Marsden has been wading through this detail, working out who’s got a smile and who’s lost out from the new budget allocations.

Four Budget Papers, one special Statement, nine media releases, and 20 Portfolio Budget Statements - the budget isn’t available to read one simple, easy-read document.

This is one reason it made sense for Advocacy for Inclusion to express mixed reviews anout last week’s Federal budget.

In a post-budget web conference, leaders from across the disability sector were keen to point out their main takeaway - although some positive steps were made, people with disabilities remained “largely invisible.”

“We welcome continuing the Information, Learning and Capacity (ILC) grant program as a bridge, noting that it is currently problematic,” Advocacy for Inclusion said.

“Many of us had proposed strongly that the disability advocacy sector is ready to start working around foundational supports given the gap in supports of the NDIS.”

El Gibbs, the Co-Chair of the NDIS Reform Advisory Committee, said that although they estimated it would cost $1.7 billion a year to adequately meet the needs of people with disabilities outside the NDIS there was a lack of support offered by the federal government.

“We’ve been working with Minister Rishworth [but] we’re nowhere near that in this budget.”

“It’s well below what we proposed in the NDIS review to meet tier two.”

Gibbs said that there were serious questions around how the government was going to implement positive change around the NDIS without people on the ground.

“In the forward estimates, cuts are on the table for the Department of Social Services and the NDIA.”

“How are we going to implement the recommendations of the Disability Royal Commission without any staff in the public sector to do that?”

Gibbs said there remains a lack of consistency around the stability of support offered to people with disabilities. “There is a divide between general foundational and specialised supports, particularly for children”, she added.

“I am worried about the timelines and that the lack of development supports will mean people with disabilities will fall through the cracks.” Gibbs called on people with disabilities to lobby the government for what people with disabilities really need.

She said there was a perceived difference between the foundational support people with disabilities need and the broader community. “There’s an understanding with treasury that I don’t agree with that this is a new cost on the budget” Gibbs says.

“We’re the same people who use your hospitals and your shops. “We’re not different people.”

Gibbs said that it was increasingly hard to get across the message that people with disabilities are just like everyone else. “We’re seen as people with disability and talked about as a burden for a long time,”.

With an election now called for May 3, the government appears to be moving the focuss away from the NDIS and disability as an election issue.

Opposition NDIS spokesperson Michael Sukkar quickly moved to quell concerns a Coalition government would mean further dismantling of the program.

“The Coalition is focused on ensuring the NDIS remains fit for purpose and sustainable for future generations to come,” said Sukkar.

El Gibbs has, however, restated that much of the political discourse around the NDIS and disability remains concerned with viewing disability as a cost rather than an investment.

“A lot of this is about money”, Gibbs said. “While the NDIS has continued to grow it has been difficult to make the case to treasury that new spending on people with disabilities is a good idea.”

People with Disability Australia (PWDA) President Trinity Ford was previously quoted raising concerns that people with disabilities are being “pushed deeper into poverty”.

“Income support payments like JobSeeker and the Disability Support Pension are too low to cover the basics”, said Ford. “Living with a disability comes with extra costs like medication, treatment and accessible housing, but our income support system doesn’t take this into account”.

Other commentators from the sector pointed out the budget was “lacking” in income support for people with disabilities, particularly those in the low-income bracket. “There’s been no increase to disability support pension or jobseeker despite the many calls,” said one person who preferred not to have the comments directly attributed to them.

Currently, the maximum rate of Disability Support Pension for singles is $1,051.30.

In February, Greens Senator and Spokesperson for Disability Jordan Steele-John, said not enough was being done to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

"From the cost of housing to groceries to transport and healthcare - disabled people, our families, and support workers are being pushed to the brink right now. We need cross-government action to improve the lives of disabled people across the urgently country”, said Steel-John.

“Something has to change; we need better leadership. Ideally, this role should be held by someone with lived experience of disability.”

And just in case you were wondering, Steele-John just happens to fit that description himself.

As do many other people.