National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Bill 2024

Submission 277

I am the mother of , a 34 year old man with life long, permanent disabilities of Bipolar Disorder, Autism II, ADHD, OCD, learning difficulties and pragmatic speech problems. He obtained support through the NDIS scheme in 2021 The support has been life changing for both and our family. However, there has been a persistent resistance of the NDIS to review his plan despite several requests to the NDIA and subsequent complaints to the Minister’s Office. We keep getting reassurances that the plan will be reviewed but it never occurs. The need for the review is due to the error of an LAC to include bipolar diagnosis on his plan. This is despite submission of all necessary psychiatric evidence – AND because his condition had deteriorated requiring admission to a psych hospital. As a result, his current plan is underfunded and the therapies he needs aren’t covered in his budget.

I am old enough to have been one of those parents who campaigned with Every Australian Counts for the NDIS to be set up in the first place. Min Shorten’s exhortation that the NDIS would allow parents to sleep at night knowing that, after they died, their children’s needs would be met, has proven hollow now I read the proposed legislative changes. I acknowledge that the previous Liberal Government tried to gut the Scheme while simultaneously allowing fraud to flourish. I agree something has to be done to root out the corruption but not at the expense of those with disabilities. How about cutting the bureaucratic fat at the top end instead of trying to meddle with the flexibility of clients hiring their own carers? To see the NGOs once again empowered to hog the funding and provide limited services really gets my goat.

Here are my other concerns: Basically, I’ve spent over 10 years grappling with the inability of the system to deal with • comorbid conditions (NSW ADHAC Dept and now NDIA). People like with co- existing conditions don’t fit neatly into one ‘pigeon hole’. So it is with great concern that I read the new legislation will not address this situation but potentially exacerbate it given the government isn’t taking a ‘Whole of Person Approach’. The Bill lacks a clear way to appeal or replace a needs assessment. Given the obstruction • I’ve encountered recently to have a correct plan put in place, this is of grave concern to me. The limits on support and spending is worrisome as the Bill gives the NDIA a lot of power • to reduce participants’ choice and control over funding. is already encountering this with the restrictions placed on his existing, insufficient, funding. I was advised by email can’t have speech therapy even though this is directly related to his Autism. But, to my confusion, his Support Coordinator was assured by an NDIA complaints officer that his funding was flexible and could be used for speech therapy. So I am getting contradictory advice! With this in mind the power for the NDIA to apply punitive measures if they deem the funding has been ‘misused’ is outrageous. Finally – what in hell is the government thinking in introducing legislation that doesn’t • make it a legal requirement to implement co-design principles? Talk about prejudice and unfairness. But of course, the ‘abled’ government officials know best.

Based on the above, I would urge the government to amend the Bill to include the recommendations of Every Australian Counts.

Regards Elisabeth