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

Submission 130

Submission to Senate Enquiry re:

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

We have a 29 year old daughter who lives with us at home and her disabilities include cerebral palsy, on-verbal, epilepsy, severe intellectual impairment, swallowing difficulties, chronic reflux and severegastrointestinal issues related to her chromosomal deletion from birth. She is totally reliant on 1:1support for feeding, toileting, showering, dressing, mobilising in her wheelchair and access tothe community in her wheelchair modified van.

The NDIS has significantly transformed her life for the better and is allowing her to remain in the familyhome where her parents (63yo & 69yo) can continue contributing to her care. Her parents continuinginvolvement improves her life and well-being while saving the NDIS some funds at the same time.

We are very worried about the impact of some of the proposed changes. Particularly, the open-ended powersit gives for future governments to make arbitrary cuts, without apparent safeguards or limitations, specifically…

Schedule 1 Access and planning measures Part 4 Support determinations Proposed Section 34A

Under the current old framework planning, participants have been given plans that include reasonable& necessary funding.

When new framework planning eventuates, participants will undergo a Functional Capacity Assessmentthat will be combined with an algorithm or some similar process that predetermines the participantsoverall funding allocation.

To have either of these comprehensive funding processes further diluted by an arbitrary MinisterialDetermination is both dangerous and high-risk. It opens the funding process to unjust outcomes thatwill predictably have unforeseen consequences on participants physical and mental health and evenuntimely deaths. It will also adversely impact the health and ability of the persons informal supports(aging parents in our case) to continue contributing to the care of their adult child.

This section would allow the Minister of the Day to make determinations that cut funding to any or allpart of participant’s funding without any realistic limitations.

Recommendations:

• That the Ministers powers in this section should be limited to a maximum percentage of 15%per support category and the cumulative effect of any or all such Determinations in force at anytime cannot exceed 10% of the total of a participant’s plan.
• That this section should have a Sunset Clause of 30th June 2030 to ensure a proper review intothe effectiveness, responsible use and the ongoing need for such Determinations are properlyscrutinised by Parliament. (Having a mandated review should assist in ensuring anyDeterminations are made in a responsible and less impulsive manner)

Thank you.