National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1345
Submission Regarding Proposed NDIS Reforms
What does the NDIS mean for you right now?
I am writing this submission as an NDIS provider working within the community and disability sector, supporting highly vulnerable people with profound disabilities, psychosocial disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, acquired brain injuries, schizophrenia, chronic health conditions, and other complex care needs.
I also have lived experience as a person with disability and care for my partner, who also lives with disability. We manage this without NDIS funding, and I can say from firsthand experience that life can be extremely difficult at times.
Through both my professional and personal experience, I have seen firsthand how essential the NDIS is in preventing homelessness, hospital admissions, mental health crises, carer burnout, family breakdown, abuse and neglect, and the loss of dignity and independence.
Without the NDIS, many of the people who need support the most will fall through the cracks.
The work I provide includes community access, assistance with daily living activities, emotional support, companionship, and cleaning support for people whose disabilities prevent them from maintaining safe and healthy living conditions. The support workers and providers in this sector are not simply “taking people for coffee” or “doing basic cleaning.” We are often providing emotional regulation, physical support, advocacy, safety monitoring, crisis prevention, and helping participants engage with society in ways many people take for granted.
How do you feel about the proposed changes to the NDIS Act?
I feel extremely concerned about many of the proposed changes to the NDIS Act.
While I understand there is some fraud occurring within the sector and I agree that reform is necessary, I do not believe these reforms are addressing the real problems. Instead, they appear focused on reducing supports, increasing barriers, and limiting participant choice and autonomy.
The government has portrayed the NDIS in a very negative light, as though participants are exploiting the system. This narrative has influenced people in the wider community who have no understanding of disability or the realities participants face every day.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1345
People without disabilities can usually complete ordinary daily activities without assistance. However, for many NDIS participants, something as simple as leaving the house to buy groceries or have a coffee may take hours of emotional preparation due to severe anxiety, agoraphobia, autism, psychosocial disabilities, or physical limitations.
I previously supported a participant where a four-hour support shift could involve spending three hours helping them emotionally and physically prepare just to attempt going to the shops. Sometimes we never even made it out of the house. That support was still valuable because it reduced isolation, built confidence, and maintained connection to the community.
The public narrative surrounding the NDIS ignores these realities and contributes to shame and stigma for people with disabilities.
Do you feel these changes have been explained clearly enough?
No, I do not believe these changes have been explained clearly enough, particularly for participants, carers, and frontline workers who will be directly affected.
Many people are confused and fearful about what supports they may lose, whether they will still qualify for funding, and how the changes will affect their daily lives.
I am especially concerned that the government has not adequately consulted with the people most impacted by these reforms, including participants, carers, nurses, allied health professionals, disability support workers, and people with lived experience of disability.
Meaningful consultation with the disability community should occur before implementing reforms that may permanently harm vulnerable Australians.
What would these changes mean for you, your family, friends, carers, or community?
The proposed changes would have devastating impacts on many of the people I support.
One major concern is the proposal requiring all providers to become registered providers. While qualifications and accountability are important, forcing all providers into a registration system that is expensive and difficult to access will reduce participant choice and continuity of care.
I had a client with schizophrenia whom I cleaned for weekly. Due to her disability, if her unit was not cleaned regularly it would quickly become unliveable. Over time I built trust and rapport with her, which is incredibly difficult for someone living with severe mental illness and paranoia.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1345
When her funding plan changed to NDIA-managed, I could no longer provide services because I am currently unregistered. Since then, she has repeatedly contacted me asking when I will return. Each time I have to explain that I am no longer allowed to support her.
This reform has removed her autonomy and her right to choose who enters her home. It has also disrupted a trusted therapeutic relationship that directly supported her safety and wellbeing.
I also support another participant with an acquired brain injury and severe hoarding behaviours. Many cleaners refused to enter the home because of the risks involved, but I chose to continue supporting this participant.
This work involves far more than cleaning. It requires building trust, providing companionship, conducting ongoing risk assessments, and supporting the participant in a respectful and non-judgmental way. The progress this client has made has only occurred because I took the time to develop a relationship with them.
If participants lose access to trusted providers due to registration requirements, many high-risk individuals may lose supports entirely. In this participant’s case, they have already been threatened with removal from their housing due to the condition of the property. Losing support could ultimately result in homelessness.
These reforms will not only affect participants. They will also increase pressure on hospitals, mental health services, housing systems, carers, and emergency services.
What would happen if your social and community supports were reduced or removed?
Reducing social and community supports would significantly increase isolation, mental health deterioration, crisis situations, and disconnection from society.
Many participants already experience profound loneliness, shame, anxiety, and exclusion. Community access supports often provide the only safe opportunity participants have to engage with the outside world.
For some participants, support workers act as emotional regulation, advocacy, and safety support when navigating everyday situations. Without these supports, many people would become housebound, isolated, and increasingly unwell.
One of my clients with complex chronic health conditions has already had funding for important therapies reduced. They now struggle to afford physiotherapy, psychology appointments, and essential medical supports. Because of the reduction in support funding, they are becoming increasingly isolated and unable to participate in the community.
This isolation has enormous impacts on mental health, physical wellbeing, independence, and overall quality of life.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1345
What would happen if your capacity building supports were reduced or removed — or if you never had access to them in the first place?
Capacity building supports are essential for maintaining independence, improving quality of life, and preventing long-term crises.
Without these supports, many participants would lose the ability to manage their health, engage with their communities, maintain housing, attend appointments, or develop the skills needed to live independently.
I currently support a participant with chronic and complex health issues who requires ongoing assistance to attend physiotherapy, psychology appointments, and medical appointments. Despite clearly needing these services, funding for many of these supports has already been reduced.
The participant also requires a wheelchair and other mobility aids, but due to delays and changes within the NDIS system, they have been unable to access reassessment funding and are being forced to pay out of pocket for essential equipment.
As a result, they are struggling financially, becoming increasingly isolated, and unable to access the community safely and independently.
The proposed changes to the definition of “permanence” are also deeply concerning. Many disabilities are lifelong. Requiring participants to trial every possible treatment before being considered eligible for support is unrealistic and harmful.
Many treatments are expensive, inaccessible, unavailable in regional areas, medically unsuitable, or emotionally exhausting. People should not have to repeatedly prove their disability when their conditions are already well documented by specialists.
Reducing capacity building supports will not make disability disappear. It will simply shift people into crisis-driven systems that are already overwhelmed, including hospitals, homelessness services, mental health systems, and emergency care.
Final Comments
The NDIS is not perfect and reform is needed. However, reform should focus on improving accessibility, reducing fraud appropriately, increasing transparency, supporting skilled providers, and strengthening quality of care — not reducing essential supports for vulnerable people.
Disability does not disappear because funding is reduced.
Removing supports will increase suffering, homelessness, carer burnout, family breakdown, hospital admissions, and long-term costs to other government systems.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1345
People with disabilities deserve dignity, safety, inclusion, autonomy, and the opportunity to participate meaningfully in society like every other human being.
The government must listen to participants, carers, support workers, allied health professionals, and people with lived experience before implementing reforms that risk undoing years of progress in disability rights and community-based care.