National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1265
Dear Senators
I am writing about the proposed changes to the NDIS.
I have a friend who has a 22 year old son with autism as well as mental health challenges. His challenges are enormous, and his life is very hard, which makes my friends, and her family’s life hard as well.
My friend loves her son very dearly. She would do anything to ensure his safety and well-being.
I have watched my friend and her family care for their disabled child only wanting him to have as normal a life as possible, and to have a quality of life that the rest of us, as non disabled people, take for granted.
My friend has has had to reduce her work hours, then give up full time work completely because of the level of support her son needs, even with the current level of support her son receives from the NDIS.
I hear about how my friend and her family are constantly juggling caring for their so. between them. It’s a 24/7 job for my friend and her family. But she doesn’t complain.
I heard about how difficult this became last year when she was also caring for her mum who had dementia.
I know my friend worries about what will happen to her son when she and her partner, who are now both getting older, are no longer around to care for him. She worries about the burden this will place on her other child. Again she worries about all of this with the current levels of NDIS they get.
I understand first hand how important the NDIS is to my friend’s son and his family. The NDIS gives them small breaks to come up for air and reset from their caring responsibilities. It means that they can continue caring for their son.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1265
Knowing my friend’s experience of caring for someone with a disability, the things that worry me about the proposed changes to the NDIS are:
- That the Minister will have the power to cut participant’s plans at will, despite plans being approved by the NDIA;
- That the 30% proposed cuts to social and community supports will shift more responsibilities and work back onto families, especially women, and that this will make their lives so much harder when they are often already running on empty;
- that the proposed cuts to these supports will make her son’s life much more isolated, smaller and less fulfilling. The things that will be lost with the cuts will be the things that make him happy - particularly doing social activities, catching up with friends and accessing new opportunities to make new friend.my friends son also wants to live independently from his parents but this will not be possible if these supports are cut;
- there has not been proper consultation about the proposed changes with the people - participants, carers and service providers
- who will be affected.
- That the proposed changes will undermine the provision of early intervention, and that this will be much more costly in the long run for the community. The needs will not disappear - they will just manifest in demands for other services: mental health services, hospital services, and probably juvenile justice and corrections as well. Early intervention is a cost saving expense in the long term. Also the States have indicated they will not be able to replace NDIS services with ‘like for like’. What this means is that there will be no individualised supports for children based on their needs.
That the proposed changes signify that the government now considers the NDIS like an income support scheme (welfare) rather than as a support system that people with a disability need to live in our communities, and lead dignified and independent lives.
Thankyou for considering my concerns.
Your faithfully,