National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1033
Dear Committee,
I am writing this letter as a House Manager, support worker, carer, family member and friend of individuals with disabilities whom I love, care for and support in both my personal and professional life.
The proposed changes to the NDIS represent some of the most significant reforms to the scheme since its introduction. While I understand and support the importance of strengthening safeguards, improving accountability and addressing fraud within the system, I am concerned about the potential impacts these changes may unintentionally have on participants and their access to supports.
I have had the privilege of supporting many individuals with disabilities across a wide range of needs, diagnoses and circumstances. Through both my work and personal life, I have seen firsthand the difference the NDIS can make in helping people access opportunities, develop independence, engage with their communities and live meaningful lives. I have also seen the impact that inadequate support can have, not only on the participant themselves, but also on families, carers and the people around them.
Functional capacity assessments
I am concerned about increased reliance on functional assessments within funding and planning decisions if they are not considered alongside information from participants, carers, families and the people involved in an individual’s day-to-day life.
People with disabilities, including physical, cognitive and psychosocial disabilities, often experience fluctuations in their presentation. Individuals can have both good days and bad days, with support requirements changing significantly depending on physical symptoms, emotional wellbeing, behavioural presentation and environmental factors. I regularly support individuals whose needs can vary substantially from one day to the next.
On one day a person may present as calm, independent and highly engaged, while on another they may require significant prompting, emotional support, assistance with daily tasks or implementation of behaviour support strategies. My concern is that if support needs are not considered in a broader context, assessments may not fully capture the realities of an individual’s day-to-day life.
Recommendation: • Ensure functional assessments remain one component of decision-making rather than the sole determining factor. • Continue incorporating information from participants, carers, support workers, families and treating professionals to create a more complete picture of support needs.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1033
Framework planning process
I understand the goal of increasing consistency within planning and funding decisions. However, I am concerned that increased standardisation could unintentionally reduce flexibility and individualisation.
Throughout my work, I have supported many individuals with similar or identical diagnoses. Despite similarities in diagnosis, I have never supported two individuals with exactly the same needs, goals, behaviours, strengths or support requirements, as diagnosis alone does not define a person’s experience or support needs.
For individuals with higher support requirements, behavioural presentations or complex needs, individualised supports are often essential to maintaining safety, wellbeing and quality of life.
Recommendation: • Maintain flexibility within planning processes and ensure individual circumstances continue to remain central to decision-making.
Eligibility/ Permanent disability
I am concerned about how treatment and permanency considerations may be interpreted when determining eligibility for supports. I understand the intention of ensuring supports are provided appropriately, however, I have concerns about how these requirements may affect the people living with disabilities who rely on the NDIS.
I am concerned that eligibility considerations relating to treatment and permanency could unintentionally create pressure for individuals to pursue treatments, interventions or therapies they may not want, before being able to access supports.
People with disabilities should retain autonomy over decisions relating to their own healthcare and treatment options and should have the right to make informed choices regarding their own bodies and medical care without feeling that access to support may depend on those decisions.
Not all treatments are simple decisions. Some interventions may be physically demanding, emotionally difficult, financially costly, uncomfortable, carry risks, or simply not align with an individual’s preferences, beliefs or goals. I am concerned about how these expectations may affect participants who choose not to pursue certain treatments, or who have already experienced significant challenges through previous interventions.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1033
I also worry about the broader impacts this could have on participants and families. Pressures surrounding treatment decisions may create physical, emotional, psychological and financial strain in addition to the existing challenges many individuals already experience.
Supports should exist to improve quality of life and promote independence. I do not believe individuals should feel placed in a position where they perceive they must undergo unwanted interventions in order to access the supports they require.
Recommendations: • Ensure eligibility processes preserve participant choice and control regarding healthcare decisions. • Ensure access to supports is not perceived as being dependent upon pursuing unwanted treatments or interventions.
Community and social supports
I encourage whoever is reading this letter to consider what life would look like if you were unable to leave your home, engage with your community, speak with friends, participate in activities you enjoy, or even complete simple daily activities such as grocery shopping or going for a walk. Would you feel isolated? Lonely? Confined? Disconnected from the world around you?
For many people with disabilities, community participation supports are not simply social outings or optional activities, they are often essential in maintaining independence, wellbeing, social connection, emotional health, confidence and meaningful engagement in life.
As a support worker, I have seen participants develop friendships, improve communication skills, increase confidence and build independence through community participation and social supports. I have also seen the effects of isolation and reduced engagement. People can become withdrawn, disengaged and experience significant impacts to their emotional wellbeing when opportunities for participation become limited.
Recommendation: • Ensure participants continue to have access to supports that promote social and community engagement.
Funding and Levels of Support
I am concerned about the possibility of limitations being placed on funding or support levels without sufficient consideration of individual circumstances.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1033
Through my experience as a support worker, I have supported participants with significant behavioural presentations and complex support needs where staffing ratios and support structures play an important role in maintaining safety for participants, staff and others around them.
I have personally seen situations where reductions to support ratios have created increased safety concerns and contributed to injuries occurring to support workers and others involved in providing support.
When support structures do not align with actual needs, this can create risks not only for the participant receiving support, but also for families, carers and support workers responsible for maintaining safety and wellbeing.
Recommendation: • Funding decisions should remain responsive to individual support requirements rather than broad assumptions regarding support categories.
Changes to reasonable and necessary
I am concerned about how changes to the interpretation of what is considered “reasonable and necessary” may impact participants and families.
Through my work I have supported families, young children, teenagers and adults who have benefited significantly from the supports provided through the NDIS. These supports have not only benefited the individual participant, but have also had meaningful impacts on family wellbeing, relationships, independence and overall quality of life. Every person’s circumstances are different. People have different needs, goals, presentations, family structures, living situations and levels of informal support available to them.
Families and carers already provide substantial emotional, physical and practical support every day, often well beyond what people see from the outside. I am concerned that increased expectations surrounding informal or family supports may unintentionally place additional pressure on families who may already be managing significant responsibilities.
I have seen how appropriate supports can reduce stress within households, strengthen relationships and allow individuals to develop independence and choice in their own lives. I have also seen situations where families become physically and emotionally exhausted when support needs exceed what they are realistically able to provide.
No individual should ever feel like they are a burden because they require support. People with disabilities should continue to have access to supports that promote independence, choice and control over their own lives.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1033
Recommendation: • Ensure changes to “reasonable and necessary” continue to recognise individual family circumstances and differing capacities to provide informal supports. • Ensure families and carers are not relied upon as a substitute for essential supports.
Suspending participant plans
I am concerned about how participant plan suspensions may affect individuals who experience barriers to communication, mobility, comprehension or engagement with administrative processes.
Through my work, I have supported individuals who rely heavily on family members, carers or support workers to assist with appointments, communication, paperwork and responding to important correspondence. Missing communication or failing to respond within a required timeframe does not necessarily mean a person is choosing not to engage. There are many reasons this can occur, including difficulties understanding information, delays in receiving correspondence, communication barriers, mobility limitations, cognitive disabilities or reliance on others for support with daily tasks.
I am concerned that if plans are suspended too quickly, some individuals may lose access to essential supports because of barriers outside of their control. For some participants, interruptions to support may have significant impacts on wellbeing, daily routines, emotional regulation, community participation and overall safety. I think additional efforts should be made to contact and engage participants before suspension of supports is considered.
Recommendation: • Implement multiple methods of contact before suspending plans, including phone contact, email and engagement with nominated supports where appropriate. • Ensure reasonable flexibility exists for participants who experience barriers in responding to correspondence.
Provider Accountability
I support stronger provider accountability measures, particularly where individuals may be at increased risk of abuse or exploitation.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1033
As someone whose long-term goal is to establish a disability support company, I strongly believe that accountability requirements should sit with providers and systems rather than creating additional burdens for people living with disabilities. Registration requirements, oversight and stronger safeguards have the potential to improve participant safety, quality of care and service standards.
Thank you for considering my feedback and concerns.
I respectfully ask that the experiences of participants, families, and carers continue to remain central to decisions surrounding the future of the NDIS.
I would be happy to provide any further information or clarification if required. I am happy for this submission to be shared.
Kind regards, Jorja