National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1324
28/05/2026
Submission to Parliament Re: Inquiry into the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Personal Statement:
I am deeply concerned by the proposed changes to the NDIS, both for participants and providers such as independent support workers and small businesses, and I urge the committee to withdraw this bill or make serious amendments to the points that I will address as following. While I do not disagree that changes to the NDIS should be made – I believe that the proposed changes will be for the worse, disadvantaging the most vulnerable Australians, and I urge the government to consult with the disability community before proposing another bill.
As a personal example. I am diagnosed as ASD2, with co-morbid mental and physical health conditions such as C-PTSD, ME, and POTs. My functional capacity is very low without support – I struggle with daily living such as food and cleaning while alone, and I cannot travel alone, so require assistance getting to medical appointments necessary for my survival, as well as community participation. I do not have family support, so I am reliant on support workers for my day-to-day functioning. Before I had support, I was nearly non- functional, struggling, and deeply depressed to the point of suicidal due to inability to access community participation. Now, with support, I am not only able to function and survive, but I am able to volunteer at a part time job in Education, in re-engagement education for children with ASD and other disabilities that could not function in mainstream education, and I am now helping children that would have otherwise dropped out of school altogether to engage with education and go on to fulfilling careers. I would no longer be able to access this job without my support workers and care team, such as OT and psychologist, continuing to support my functioning, and I would not be able to afford self-funding this support system. The support that I receive not only benefits my life, and the income and lives of the independent and small business owners that I employ, but also the lives of the children that I am able to help due to this support. Having funding has meant the difference between death and functioning well enough to engage in meaningful employment for me.
It is also worth noting that disabilities such as ME, POTs, and many other dysautonomic and nervous system disorders are directly related to (read: may be brought on by) and made worse by stressors such as major life changes, financial instability and uncertainty, and lack of community support. These stressors are also high risk factors for self harm and suicide. Applying for the NDIS, as well as having major cuts and changes made to funding, are highly reported as deeply stressful and dysregulating events.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1324
I will address my concerns about the proposed bill as follows:
Non contactable and “participant engagement rules”, ability to suspend plans:
This clause is deeply concerning to me, and I urge it to be removed.
Many people I know with disabilities struggle with communication, and often experience situations such as being in hospital, experiencing mental health crisis and burnout, and housing instability. Applying participant engagement rules to people with disabilities would mean that the most vulnerable, and those that need this support system the most – such as those without adequate support to communicate or those in situations where they are unable to communicate – would lose their supports rather than being more adequately supported to communicate them. I have also experienced providers not using preferred contact methods, such as calling people unable to take phone calls, and am deeply concerned that this would then be filed as ‘non-contactable’, rather than addressed as a provider issue.
I personally experience burnout and inability to reply to messages, and I am deeply afraid that this would lead to me being cut from my funding.
Ministerial Determination:
This clause is also deeply concerning to me, and I urge it to be removed or reconsidered.
Firstly: the proposed cut of 50% to social, civic, and community activities, and 10% to capacity building, will deeply affect the ability for NDIS participants to adequately participate in activities that promote study and work, volunteering, positive mental health outcomes, and active participation in the community. This is also a funding pool that many support services and support workers rely on for income. This will mean less economic participation from both NDIS participants and their providers, as funding cuts would mean participants such as myself may no longer be able to access work, and my support system such as independent support workers may no longer be able to make a living wage.
My support worker is already struggling to find enough hours as a single mother to support herself and her child, and myself and other clients having less funding to hire her will only worsen this issue, as well as meaning that I am no longer receiving adequate support. My support worker is integral to my continued survival and participation in society, and I fear that she may need to change careers to make enough money should these changes come in to place. I find it very difficult to build trust and report with new people, or many people at all, due to my Autism and C-PTSD, so it was difficult for me to find a support worker that I was able to work with. I deeply fear having to find a new worker, as this would be incredibly stressful and difficult for me, and stress worsens my other conditions – such as POTs, a
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1324
nervous system disorder affected by nervous system activation – high level stress can worsen these conditions in a way where sometimes I never fully recover from those conditions worsening, leading to my becoming more disabled and less functional.
These cuts will also deeply impact my students, and their participation in study and future work. Every student in our classroom is NDIS funded, and I fear what cuts to their funding will do for our entire education model, and their ability to participate in classes and community.
Secondly: I highly urge there to be more oversight and restraints on ministerial power, or for this to be removed altogether – especially cuts and maximum funding caps without consideration of individual needs for support.
There are remarkably few restraints to this power to cut funding to NDIS participants, including the inability to appeal even if this leaves participants with inadequate support, maximum funding for levels of support despite individual needs, and a deeply confusing way and impractical way that this power is implemented in support plans. I am extremely concerned about any one body having this much control over financial support pivotal to the survival and participation in society of hundreds of thousands of Australians, and the incomes of those that support them. I am extremely concerned about the fact that this power can be used for all participants, or particular cohorts, and not implemented on an individualised plan-to-plan basis. Disabilities are often co-morbid and complex, and I fear that generalised cuts and caps can only lead to those that need support the most receiving inadequate support. This will absolutely lead to participants ending up with inadequate support.
Sudden cuts to funding can also be deeply stressful, confusing, and dysregulating to people already at high risk of mental heath issues, self harm and suicide, and developing or worsening stress related disabilities. I fear the impact that this will have on my mental health, and those that I care about, and care for, especially my students – the reported rates of self harm and suicidal ideation in our classrooms go down highly, and reported engagement goes up highly, with engagement with NDIS funding and supports and engagement with our neuro-affirming education model. If this funding can be cut at-will, or these students not given adequate supports, I worry about the mental health and continued societal engagement of our students.
Plan reassessments:
I urge the following changes: that support co-ordinators and plan managers are able to request plan reassessments.
Only participants, plan nominees, or parents being able to request plan changes will deeply affect the most vulnerable and those that need it the most – people with disabilities that
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1324
mean they are unable to put forward plan changes themselves, and that do not have a supportive nominee. This proposition will prevent plan managers and providers being able to support and advocate for the needs of those that require these changes. What is the role of a plan manager if not to help manage your plans and ask for required changes?
I personally do not have a nominee as I do not have a supportive family, and I often rely on my funded support system to advocate on my behalf. Having to request these changes myself or receive inadequate funding is a deeply overwhelming and stressful thought.
Changes to “Reasonable and necessary” supports, value for money, and effective and beneficial:
I highly urge these changes to not be made, especially in regards to reasonable levels of support provided by families, informal support, and communities.
The new specified list of supports that parents are expected to provide for a child, as far as I can tell, covers everything that a child may need support for – such as emotional and behavioural support, support with personal care, support with access and transport – even if a parent is unable to or chooses not to provide these for their child. These are all supports that children with autism desperately need early intervention for in order to become functioning members of society. Behavioural and emotional support is pivotal – and cannot always be provided by parents, especially if these parents have disabilities themselves. Many parents do not have external support systems, or adequate support systems, or are unwilling or unable to provide adequate support for their children. I am terrified of the implications of this leading to burned out single parents, higher rates of child abuse, and inadequate supports or early interventions for children that could have otherwise become functional adults. These children do not deserve to fall through the gaps.
There are also concerning implications on forcing higher levels of unpaid labor onto informal support systems, leading to more people needing to quit jobs or reduce work hours to provide informal supports, or go on carers benefits. I have had parents mention this to me if their childrens funding gets cut – that they will need to reduce hours at work or become full time carers.
Supports only funded if directly linked to eligible impairments:
I strongly urge for this to be reconsidered, and for the NDIA to still be able to consider ‘a variety of factors, including … the impact of another impairment’.
Many disabilities are complex and co-morbid with other conditions, and many conditions are difficult or inaccessible (such as financially inaccessible) to get diagnosed. Being unable to consider factors external to only diagnosed conditions will lead to funding going into
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1324
things that may not be as needed as other supports, but were the only supports available for that diagnosed condition. For example, a friends POTs, ME, and Fibro deeply affect their ability to participate and the supports that they require, however at current only their ASD2 is listed under the NDIS (as these other conditions are difficult to put onto the NDIS). Their Physiotherapist appointments may support and be pivotal to day to day functioning more than OT appointments would be, but OT may be the only thing they can access if other conditions cannot be taken into consideration, and the NDIA would spend more money on an OT than a physio for less functional capacity help for the participant.
Plan end dates:
I am concerned specifically that content of renewed plans will not be appealable, and ask for consideration of roll-over funding for those with fluctuating disabilities who may not require as much support at times, and much more support at others.
NDIS Access and eligibility:
I am deeply concerned by the fact that functional capacity assessment will not be able to take into account environmental factors and context such as home environment, finances, and access to supports. While knowing intrinsic ability is also important, environmental factors provide pivotal context to a persons overall needs and functional capacity.
I am also deeply concerned that every NDIS participant must undergo these new functional capacity assessments – applying for and being granted funding is an incredibly high stressor for people with disabilities, and often difficult, time consuming, or inaccessible for those with disabilities without heavy support. I fear how this may be rolled out and implemented and the effect that it will have on the health and lives of the already vulnerable and those such as myself who are finally able to participate in society and are alive due to these supports. My nervous system is already at its limit and the stress of potentially losing supports and having to go through assessment may make my conditions worse in a way where I will never fully recover. I also believe that some disabilities should automatically qualify for the NDIS, as some disabilities themselves are always considered permanent and highly functionally disabling and having these disabilities is a barrier to applying for NDIS funding. Applying for NDIS funding should not be so difficult for those that need it the most.
Permanent Disability:
I urge that the eligibility criteria maintain the current meaning of ‘appropriate’ treatments when considering permanence of disability. If treatments are ‘appropriate’ needs to include
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1324
context on if a person could realistically access them – I am deeply concerned that the eligibility criteria may change to mean that those that need support the most – those who cannot access certain treatments due to financial situation, geographic situation, or disability making access to treatments extremely difficult, will no longer be able to access supports that they need.
I am personally deeply concerned if a treatment supposedly supposed to help with a condition was available – but cost was inaccessible to most people – that the people with that condition but on low income would then become unable to access support.
Retention of records:
This is one of my major concerns. I urge changes to the expectation that NDIS participants maintain records, or receive debts.
Many people with disabilities have cognitive or intellectual functioning difficulties, and are functionally unable to do this. This is extremely concerning to me. I am barely able to keep records, and my disability affects memory and cognitive functioning. I was one of those kids with homework that got shovelled down the bottom of a schoolbag with juice spilled all over it and forgotten about, and then I lost the bag as well, and I haven’t improved much since then. I am deeply concerned that this will lead to needed supports turning into debts due to the nature of disabilities.
Reduced claim times will also affect those with organisational and cognitive functioning difficulties, or those without adequate support to submit claims.
Concerns around effects on providers and support workers:
I urge independent support workers to be protected under any new reforms.
The process to become NDIS approved is already known to be time consuming, difficult, and expensive. Many participants, such as myself, rely on independent support workers to assist with daily living, found for example through Mable, and many peoples jobs and income are directly linked to providing support work, or NDIS funding.
My support worker is not NDIS registered and instead currently works through Mable. My previous worker was independent and billed directly. These support workers changed my life, allow me to participate in society, and allow me go on to help others also. My support worker is incredibly important to my functioning, and I would struggle to find another suited to me. As mentioned, she is a struggling single mother and does not have the time, finances, or energy to become NDIS registered. I am afraid of what this means for my support system. Without my worker I am unable to leave the house, feed myself, clean, attend appointments, or work. I already have her for not nearly enough hours and only 1-2 days a
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1324
week, the impact of losing her entirely would be devastating, as would the impact on her to lose her income by not being a registered provider, or have it drastically reduced by cuts.
I am deeply concerned about the changes to plan managers also, and the impact on their incomes, especially smaller operators. These changes seem to disproportionately negatively affect independent and small business owners.
Automation of Administration:
In light of situations such as robo-debt, I urge that any automation not apply to refusing or cutting funding, not apply to any complex decisions, and that any automated processes are able and easy to place up for review by staff.
Conclusion and summary:
I am sure that I have other concerns, but I have run out of spoons and I am running out of time to submit.
I urge that this bill not go through, or that it is deeply reviewed.
I also urge more time for people with disabilities, their families, and their support systems to have their say about this bill.
The minister should not have so much unconditional power over NDIS funding.
Individuals needs and the whole situation of the individual are important to take into consideration for funding and support.
The fundamental issues that the disability community have mentioned about the NDIS – such as unreasonably high service prices, services not being provided as advertised, and extreme difficulty accessing support to make NDIS applications, do not seem to be addressed, and instead this bill seems to make participation with the NDIS much harder for everyone involved.
While I agree that the NDIS needs overhaul, this is not the way to do it.
I fear the bill as current will negatively affect those that need the funding the most, including those with intellectual disabilities, those without other supports, and small business owners and independent workers.
I fear that this will negatively affect many peoples economic participation, and I fear the run-on effect of this – I will no longer be able to work without support, nor will many people with disabilities. The children I support will not be able to access education or work without support. Many people will need to reduce work hours or go on benefits in order to support those with disabilities in their lives that are no longer receiving adequate support. Business built on models of NDIS support will struggle, and people will lose small businesses and jobs.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1324
If this bill is intended to save the government money, this is not the way to do it.
Please consider pausing the implementation of this bill, heavily reviewing it, or rejecting it altogether and listening to people with disabilities about the issues within the NDIS before a new bill is proposed.
I know this was a lot of text, so thankyou for reading and considering my submission.
Kind regards,
Anonymous.