National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1051
- Who you are and why you care about the NDIS.
I am and I am a participant of the NDIS who lives in Rural South Australia.
There is less opportunity to obtain specialized care and supports for Brain Injury.
Eg. Physiotherapy, psychology,
Therefore I have to travel 2 hours to the city to get this help, I would have liked to have been able to use a carer who knows me rather than some random carer who couldn’t care less about me (minimal care to me). NDIS does not cover my carer as he is considered to be “to informal a carer’.
- Whether you support or oppose the Bill (or support with changes)
I support the Bill in principle, but you need to look at all the ways money is being wasted in unnecessary forms of management, when the consumer has been able to manage their own situation very effectively. Ie. Weekly claims for pilates lessons instead of 1 claim for a block of 20 lessons.
- One issue from the list below that matters most to you, and why.
Self-management — making sure my workers don’t have to register.
I was self managed up until last year, when NDIA decided to remove this from as I had spent $4,000 incorrectly. I had provided 100% of all documentation requested by NDIA. NDIA decided that this was not good enough, so this now means that the Government are having to pay a random plan manager from Queensland (I live in SA) which means the services I will receive during this plan are reduced. I still have to find my own workers, the Plan Manager is providing with Minimal or little support, still getting paid for this.
- A short story from your life that shows what the Bill would mean for you.
If the NDIA hadn’t paid a claim to me in the first place, I would not have made a similar claim again. But because they did process the claim, I thought I was processing this correctly. I received a couple of very stressful phone calls from the NDIA which informed me 3 months after the first claim (Which they paid) it didn’t qualified under my plan. I feel that if NDIA had rejected my first claim I would not have continued with future claims. Therefore I don’t feel it is my fault.
There needs to be a better system of verifying claims submitted so that participants are not finding out months later that claim does not quality and putting them under undue huge stress.
- What do you want the Committee to recommend?
Not all disabilities are obvious at first observation/assessment. Therefore I need a support worker who knows me very well, who is flexible with how I am, and knows me well and can work out if I am understanding the options available at the time.
Just keep practising
Positive Attitude
Never Give Up
Empower Others