National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1176
NDIS Submission – Stop the Cuts
My 5-year-old child has Cerebral Palsy and receives NDIS support. I have no informal support network in Australia, and as a single mother I manage his care entirely on my own. He has significant disability-related needs and requires assistance with every part of daily life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I feed, dress, change, and move him, complete home exercises, attend appointments, manage his schedule, and monitor changes in his disability and medical needs. I also support him emotionally as he copes with the trauma of his disability and the distress of feeling different from his friends, while also managing my own declining health, mental strain, and social isolation.
The proposed changes, which are already affecting families like mine, are devastating. My son’s plan was cut just last week. If these cuts continue, we will be confined to our home and unable to leave the house. At present, we have no community access, and because my son weighs 25 kg and his equipment weighs more than 50 kg, I cannot manage outings on my own. If his funding remains reduced, we will be completely cut off from the outside world.
The proposed changes have not been clearly explained to the community. This has created confusion and left too much room for inconsistent interpretation by NDIS delegates and the public.
If these changes become law, I fear the consequences for my son and me will be devastating and life-threatening.
If his Capacity Building funding is reduced further, the progress my son has made over the past five years will be lost, and his quality of life will suffer greatly. He risks significant regression, which would place an unsustainable burden on me as I try to maintain his functioning and wellbeing.
This kind of treatment would not be considered acceptable for any other marginalised group in society. I wish it were an exaggeration to say these changes could lead to death, but I believe that is the reality my son may face. How can a monetary value be placed on a person’s life?