Source: The Australian [Patricia Karvelas, Political correspondent]

DESPERATE people who front up to charities seeking emergency financial help will be given a broader range of assistance, including a nest egg of their own through structured or matched savings plans, under a Rudd government initiative to provide long-term change.

Family and Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin is due to unveil a plan to the Australian Council of Social Service's conference today to provide a more complete range of help to get people on their feet permanently.

Her department will restructure to form a financial management program incorporating emergency relief and financial counselling as well as support for long-term financial recovery.

"We need a new and better approach to providing financial support services," she will say.

"We need a service continuum that stretches from basic emergency relief to financial counselling and money management advice, to innovative approaches that help individuals build a nest egg of their own through structured or matched savings plans.

"Crisis assistance will always be an integral part of our support, but we need the flexibility to make the most of the enormous front-door capacity of emergency relief.

"One idea I want to pursue as we roll out these new and innovative programs is for the community organisations that provide these financial support services to use financial case management models to help the most vulnerable access the range of support they need."

Ms Macklin will announce $1.75million in funding to train 50 new financial counsellors, to be on the ground in three months. "We're also going to fund training for emergency relief workers so they can provide basic financial literacy and budgeting advice," she will say.

Her speech comes as Parliamentary Secretary for Disability Bill Shorten said yesterday the Government wanted to pursue a national disability insurance scheme. He said it was a good idea that deserved some "serious discussion".

Mr Shorten also conceded that the disability support pension would grow along with the global financial crisis.

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