National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1459
Submission on the NDIS Amendment Bill
Name:
I am a: ☐ Disabled person ☐ Family member / supporter ☑ Clinician ☐ Other: ___________________
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My connection to this issue I work as a psychotherapist in private practice with clients from diverse circumstances and communities. Many of my clients are only able to access my services due to NDIS funding, and receive other necessary and life changing supports through NDIS. I have seen first hand how accessing NDIS has affected their wellbeing, as well as how cuts and changes to their funding has impacted them negatively.
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My overall view of this Bill I have concerns about the diminished supports being made available to people with autism and other psychosocial disabilities. Many of my clients are in this category and rely on NDIS providers for support and access in many areas of their lives. To have these supports stripped away suddenly is not only a very difficult and abrupt change for people who often struggle with change, but also further stigmatises their disability by implying that they are not worthy of support or should be able to function without it. Many of them have received this message over and over and it is very damaging to have it reinforced by NDIS policy.
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My main concerns
☐ Communication and accessibility ☐ Administrative burden ☑ Loss or reduction of supports ☑ Community participation ☐ Crisis situations / “not contactable” rules ☐ Children / families / early intervention ☑ Eligibility or assessment changes ☐ Other: ___________________
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1459
I am concerned about the impacts that losing access to support workers, psychotherapy, occupational therapy and community participation programs will have on current NDIS participants. I am also concerned about the lack of clarity and the unpredictability that this introduces into the lives of people who depend on these supports. People with disabilities should be centred in the design and implementation of these policies, rather than at the mercy of legislators.
Automation of decision making removes human accountability from the system, and risks introducing errors of the type experienced in the Robodebt scandal. This is not a sufficiently nuanced manner in which to make decisions about the wellbeing of human beings with disabilities trying to improve their circumstances.
- What this looks like in real life Many of my clients have complex trauma related to experiences of marginalisation, discrimination and mistreatment because of their disabilities, including at the hands of medical practitioners, service providers and those implementing policies. Not only do these changes risk retraumatising those people, it cuts them off from access to psychotherapy and other services which help them to manage and deal with the mental health impacts.
These individuals are often vulnerable and isolated without supports that allow them to access the workforce, education and/or social and community participation. It is extremely short-sighted to attempt to cut costs by removing supports which will likely worsen the health, productivity and community participation of the thousands affected.
- What I want the committee to understand Removing eligibility for participants with autism without establishing robust alternatives is stigmatising, short-sighted and risks damaging the lives and wellbeing of thousands who are deemed not disabled enough to deserve support, but who struggle to thrive without it.
Disability is not static, and many have support needs and capacities that shift over time. The complexities of their lived experience cannot be captured adequately by administrative labels that seek to categorise their support needs in absolute terms.
And shifting to an automated decision making model is likely to produce terrible outcomes for some number of people. Appealing NDIS/NDIA decisions is hard enough
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1459
for many participants when there are human beings involved, but removing this human element makes it virtually impossible.
- My position on this Bill I ask that the government withdraw this Bill.
Changes to the NDIS must be grounded in the rights and wellbeing of the participants first and foremost. I urge to government to reconsider the changes to eligibility criteria, the processes for decision making as well as appeals and review, and the changes to the kinds of supports that are included and excluded.