National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1474
I am a:
- ☒ Family member / supporter
- ☒ Other: Person living with chronic illness
My main concern about this Bill is:
That it will strip life-changing, and in many cases life-saving, support from some of Australia’s most vulnerable people, including autistic people and those with complex chronic conditions, in order to meet a budget target. Cost-saving should never be the primary lens through which we view disabled people’s right to live with dignity and safety.
This Bill may affect me / people I support because:
- Several people I love are disabled and rely on, or are seeking access to, the NDIS for support with daily living, mental health, communication, and safety
- I live with a chronic illness myself and understand how quickly a person’s capacity can deteriorate without adequate support structures in place
- Proposed eligibility changes (particularly those targeting autistic people) would remove support from individuals who cannot safely manage without it
- Many autistic people currently on the NDIS are there because without support, they face serious risk: inability to maintain housing, employment, relationships, or safe self-care
- Tightening access does not make people less disabled, it just makes them less supported. That gap is filled by crisis services, emergency departments, and families pushed beyond capacity, especially in the midst of housing and economic crisis that is affecting millions of Australian families.
- The people most likely to lose access under tighter criteria are often those least able to advocate for themselves through appeals and review processes
One example from my experience:
A friend of mine is autistic. Their NDIS funding covers support coordination and housing assistance. It is not a lot. But it is the difference between them being able to manage appointments, keep their home safe, and stay connected OR and complete collapse. They have been houseless before, cuts will mean they face being back on the streets. They do not look visibly disabled to a stranger. They would almost certainly fail a narrowed eligibility assessment. And without that support, I genuinely do not know if they would be okay. That is not an exaggeration. That is just the truth.
What I want the committee to understand is:
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1474
Disabled people are not a budget problem to be solved. The NDIS exists because Australia made a commitment, a moral and legal one, that disabled Australians deserve to participate in life on their own terms. Cuts dressed up as “sustainability reforms” break that commitment. When you remove support from someone who needs it to survive and function, you do not save money. You transfer the cost to hospitals, to crisis services, to exhausted family members, and sometimes, when things go terribly wrong - and they will- to coronial inquiries. I am asking you to sit with that reality before you vote. The people affected by this Bill are not abstractions. They are my people. They deserve better than this.
People will die from these cuts.
My position on this Bill:
- ☒ I have serious concerns
Because: The proposed amendments risk causing direct and measurable harm to autistic people and others with disability by narrowing access to support they depend on for their health, safety, and basic quality of life. I urge the committee to reject or substantially revise any provisions that reduce eligibility without robust, independent evidence that those people’s needs have genuinely changed, because they have not.
Please accept this as my submission to the NDIS inquiry Sent from my iPhone