National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill 2026
Senate Submission: NDIS Amendment - Securing the NDLS for Future Generations)
I thank you for the opportunity to submit this submission albeit such short time frame. As an older mother of my son who has Cri du Chat syndrome at age forty years old, she lives with supported accommodations located Reservoir Victoria. The condition is characterized by severe intellectual disabilities speech delays hypotonia cognitive impairments anxiety obsessive-compulsive features feeding difficulties gastrointestinal issues constipation wandering needs lifelong active supervision and support. Prior implementation of the NDIS she managed his social community participation funds attending band weekly Northcote Support Services five days per week overnight weekend camps People Outdoors utilizing volunteers as support workers which were deemed respite participants living families but ineligible once implemented due SIL accommodation. Despite restrictions imposed by NDIS I have taken him on annual holidays fully paid although exhausted without funded support worker assistance.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1509 does now (1 staff member to 3 residents), and the workers enjoyed taking the participants out. He was able to go swimming, out for lunch and a number of other activities either on his own or with the other Residents InThe House as the Workers could work flexibly And The house had its Own bus Under NDIS With Contracting Out To Accommodation Providers IN THE Community the roles Of accomodation Support Worker AND community Support worker have been separated independently funded into two buckets i.e SIL social AND community participation This means that j’s accommodaion workers no longer take Him Swimming Or the Residants On picnics As this is role OF the communitiy worker Given That J Only has 3 hours OF community suppor tA week He does not get OUT AS much AS he did nor AS Much AS others INthehouse who Have A larger allocation OF community support .As result I continue TO TAKE him ouTTo see a band every Sunday so THAThe gets a weekend outing I suspect there are very few parents in the community Who need to spend Every sunday Taking their40 year old son OuTto apub OR music venue While I appreciate THat HE NOW Has speech ANd occupational therapy neitherOf which Was Funded before NDIS both His sil AND Social ANDcommunity Participation funding HAVE BEEN reduced rather than increased over time. Thelatest wasinHis plan lastyear June25June6,IN what WAS euphemistically called “step down Plan”i e cutTO his day program Funding.To quote:AS THIS IS step-down PLAN with base-ratio adjustment T13 InSIL and SDA The baseratio for Group Activities will also be adjusted ForThe first weeks of THEplanTHEGroupActivitiesbase ratio Will Continue To Be 1/2 AndFor secondweeks itWillbeadjustedtO 1 /3.
CurrentFunding: j’s ndis plan covers SILfunding ata Ratio (previouslywas as mentioned above) except fortwo hoursaday assist AsHe cannot shower or dress himself Or take Him totentaland doctor appointments.The socialAND Community participation budgetforhisdayprogram is FOR days(previouslydays)a week ataRatio(previouslyasmentionedabove),withoftime so he can attend a cooking Program.Hiscommunity accessbudget only allows fora hourwhich providesA support worker to takethemTo see aband one nightaweek.ItWashours; were taken away Sohe could have during the day programs’cooking activity.
Why I’m concerned about this Bill:
J lives in supported accommodation because His Support needs Cannot besafely met With me AS A single parent who Is now retired AND HeIs OF an age where HE should Have HIS own home ANd relationships within his local community. Thenns are intended TO provide bothaccommodationandsocialANdcommunity activities enabling himto live independently OfHis family.These two things work together particularly given The role that accomodation workers HAVE become SO restricted IN and theyCANNOT safely TAKE high-need residents out with a staffing ratioThe proposed bill would cut Social AndCommunity Activity In halfWith no Planin place To replace This essential component for those WITH complex Needs.
- 50%socialAndcommunityparticipationcut: a 50 % CutTOtheSocialAnD communitYparticipatiOn budget will halve thenumber of days jcanattendthedayprogram from4towhile hesloses contactwith manyoftherelationshipshewas involvedIn differentactivities heParticiPatesIN.His existing Accommodaion provider Will not be able to sustaintheservice atreduced funding,AND Jwould spend additionaldaysinhisAccommodation without structuredactivity or adequate staff support Given theexistingstaffratioWithoutstructured activitysto occupyhimHe quicklybecomesboredand canengage in arangeOfat-risk
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1509
Provider viability and thin markets
Providers who support people such as J in day programs operate in what the NDIS calls ‘thin markets’. They serve small numbers of high-needs participants, many of whom require 1:1 or higher staffing ratios. A 50% cut to the funding that pays for day program attendance will push many of these providers to the point where the service is no longer financially sustainable. If his day program provider exits and J loses his placement, there may be no alternative provider in his area. His accommodation SIL provider may also withdraw service, leaving J potentially homeless or having to go to a less-than-adequate placement.
No right to challenge the cut
Proposed section 34A gives the Minister the power to make this cut by legislative instrument, with no requirement for individual assessment and no right of merits review for the participant. I will have no mechanism to challenge the cut, even where the impact on his safety and well-being is clear and well-documented.
The Royal Commission contradiction
The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability found that segregation increases risk and called for people with disability to be supported to live in the community. Day programs and individualised community access are what make community living meaningful. Cutting the funding that enables community participation for people in supported accommodation runs counter to the Royal Commission’s recommendations.
What I am asking:
- Reject the proposed 50% cut to social and community participation funding and oppose the amendment to s.34A.
- Ensure that people living in supported accommodation who have no informal daytime support are explicitly exempt from any blanket reduction to the social and community participation budget.
- Require the Minister to conduct an individual impact assessment before any support determination takes effect on a participant’s plan.
- Make all support determinations subject to merits review.
- Require an assessment of provider viability before implementing cuts in thin markets. Yours sincerely, redacted