National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1187
Dear Committee,
I write to you regarding the proposed NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. It is heartening to see that our government is placing a focus on the longevity of the NDIS, and that they are committed to working alongside the disabled community to improve the Scheme.
As a sibling to an adult with cerebral palsy; with a parent in the healthcare system; and a partner whose career is based in disability support, I am sharing my concerns regarding sections of the bill that will impact the lives of those closest to me, as well as the disabled community at large.
Sections of this bill have left me feeling concerned that the individualised approach to supports are being reduced, and at times removed, from consideration. I say this particularly in regard to the shift to block funding. This funding method restricts the ability for disabled individuals to have control over the care they receive, which infringes upon a fundamental human right. Everybody has the right to autonomy, especially when it applies to the people entering their homes daily to provide them with essential, life-dependent care.
The NDIA being required to consider the sustainability and equity of the Scheme, when this means grouping participants who share similar needs and circumstances together, has the potential to cause great harm both across the real-world effects of block funding, and as a distanced, impersonal way of viewing participants of the NDIS.
Schedule 1, Part 6 - Reasonable and necessary supports
I have understood one of the core functions of the NDIS to be its provision of individualised reasonable and necessary supports to each participant. Sections 73 (1K), (1G), and (1H) under Part 6 state that the CEO will prioritise strengthening informal supports and community networks before considering funded supports. It is valuable to strengthen informal and community supports, but positioning informal supports as the blanket preference reduces the potential for individualised assessments of a participant’s needs, which goes against a foundational purpose of the NDIS.
It is essential to maintain that every participant lives with unique circumstances and requires a unique balance of supports.
Part 8 – Tightening meaning of permanence to reduce access where an impairment can be treated
I am deeply concerned about the requirement to undergo treatment that may potentially alleviate a person’s condition, regardless of whether or not treatment is a suitable option based on a variety of factors including physical, emotional and financial. There are health risks involved in having this requirement without a guarantee that treatment will be fully effective and that it will not negatively impact a person’s quality of life. The decision to undergo treatment is not one to be made lightly, and I fear that people will feel like they have no choice if it means a chance at receiving the support they need.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1187
Part 4 – Support determinations & Schedule 3, Part 1 - the Commonwealth Minister is the decision maker on NDIS pricing
As a member of our democracy, it is troubling to discover that there will be a sole decision- maker, the Commonwealth Minister, for pricing and funding cuts within the Scheme. One of the greatest privileges we share in Australia is our parliamentary system of government, and appointing just one person to such a significant position within the NDIS challenges the system of government that we all rely upon.
Cuts as significant as 30-50% for social and community support will have a massive impact on the lives of NDIS participants. Living in isolation without the kind of social lives most people take for granted is directly harmful to mental and emotional health. Community is human connection, and it is often found in places that many disabled people do not get the opportunity to enter (workforce, sport clubs and similar). It is important to build upon social and community spaces and supports and ensure that this necessity remains available to all.
There are many changes in this bill that pose great risks to the people of this country. With a small window to provide feedback, I have not had the opportunity to touch on everything that concerns me in this bill, such as strains on the healthcare system and families. I am hopeful that with careful consideration, the lives of our disabled communities will continue to be supported on an individualised basis with support that is reasonable and necessary for every participant.
If this bill passes, I am left wondering: if these changes and restrictions are required of the disabled community, should my concern also extend to the future legislation regarding other vulnerable groups?
Everyone deserves the right to their independence, control over decision-making, participation in community spaces, enriching social bonds, and satisfactory quality of life.
Thank you for considering my response to the proposed NDIS amendments.
Sincerely,