Recommendations for National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1277

Recommendations for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill

These recommendations aim to improve the sustainability, fairness, transparency, and effectiveness of the NDIS reforms while protecting the rights and independence of participants.

1. Protect Participant Rights and Appeals • Guarantee independent merits reviews for funding reductions and access denials. • Require human oversight for all automated or standardised assessments. • Provide access to advocacy and legal support during reviews. • Require participant impact assessments before major funding changes.

2. Improve Co-Design With People With Disability • Establish formal co-design panels including participants, carers, and disability organisations. • Publish draft rules for public consultation before implementation. • Include people with lived disability experience on oversight bodies.

3. Clarify ‘Reasonable and Necessary’ Supports • Publish a clear framework outlining included, excluded, and conditionally funded supports. • Maintain flexibility for therapy, assistive technology, transport, and psychosocial supports. • Prevent arbitrary exclusions without evidence-based review.

4. Ensure Functional Capacity Assessments Are Fair • Use multidisciplinary assessment approaches rather than relying on one scoring system. • Recognise fluctuating and invisible disabilities. • Allow supporting evidence from treating professionals. • Pilot assessment tools before national implementation.

5. Strengthen Fraud Prevention Without Punishing Participants • Focus enforcement efforts on fraudulent providers and organised abuse networks. • Increase provider registration auditing and compliance measures. • Avoid excessive reporting burdens on participants and families.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1277

• Increase penalties for deliberate provider fraud.

6. Preserve Choice and Control • Maintain participant flexibility in choosing providers. • Protect the autonomy of self-managed participants. • Avoid rigid funding controls unless justified by risk assessments.

7. Support Online Non-Registered Providers With Oversight • Allow legitimate online non-registered providers to continue operating within the NDIS system. • Introduce proportionate oversight measures including transparency, complaints processes, and safety standards. • Require basic identity verification and service accountability for online providers. • Ensure participants can continue accessing innovative and flexible online supports without unnecessary barriers.

8. Mandatory Training Requirements for Providers • Require all new providers seeking NDIS registration to complete 80086 hours of training before supporting people with disability. • Require existing registered NDIS providers to complete the same training requirements while continuing to support participants. • Ensure the training covers all NDIS Commission standards, participant rights, safeguarding responsibilities, complaints handling, abuse prevention, restrictive practices, and professional conduct. • Introduce ongoing refresher training and compliance reviews to maintain high-quality disability support standards.

9. Build Foundational Supports Before Tightening Eligibility • Ensure community and foundational disability supports are operational before stricter eligibility changes occur. • Prevent participants from falling through service gaps during reform transitions. • Strengthen agreements between Commonwealth and state governments.

10. Increase Transparency and Accountability • Require annual independent reporting on funding outcomes, appeals, and participant wellbeing. • Publish data on plan reductions and demographic impacts. • Create ongoing parliamentary oversight of reform implementation.

Overall Recommendation: The Bill should achieve long-term sustainability through better administration, provider accountability, and targeted fraud prevention while preserving participant rights, choice, independence, and access to essential supports.