National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1622
I am writing this submission in response to the changes to the NDIS being introduced. I write this submission in the capacity of being the parent of a 30 year old participant and also a NDIA registered provider of support coordinator.
I will dot point my concerns as a parent
My daughter is very disabled having multiple comorbid impairments that she was born with. I was one of the parents regularly in focus groups prior to introduction to the NDIS and the original scheme was about choice and control. The changes will be removing choice and control. The original scheme was about disabled people reducing isolation by having access to mainstream experiences and opportunities. The changes will be reducing this. The original scheme was about supporting people just like my daughter so that her parents can grow old and not worry what is going to happen to my daughter when we die. I have NO DOUBT that if the changes come in that families will feel so isolated and distressed that what happened in WA where the whole family was found deceased after the parent/s took matters into their own hands will be re- occurring. At the time the NDIS said that the family should have reached out for help….this is a disingenuous cop out as families are reaching out now but still having funding slashed. Disabled people and their families will die because of the severe cut backs and I don’t trust the NDIA to know the difference between those that are genuinely disabled like my daughter and those who should not be on the scheme. My daughter has been supported for 25 years of her life via support packages pre- NDIS. This is why she is doing what she is doing with her life now. She Suddenly she is at risk of losing the levels of support she has needed for 25 years (and at an age where I am getting older – not to mention I have my own impairments now). How can the NDIS provide levels of support for 25 years and then suddenly decide she no longer needs support? Removing the support after it has been in place for 25 years is negligent and should anything happen to my daughter who cannot go without supports the NDIA will have responsible and the vehicle of such negligence. The NDIS is about continuity of supports and should my daughter’s funding be cut she is at high risk caused by losing continuity of supports. The changes are sweeping all participants with the same broom. There should be 3 groups. Group 1 being the participants who the NDIS was set up for. This group should be sent correspondence that they need not fear the changes and that their supports will remain in place. This takes the fear I am currently experiencing away. Group 2 would be made up of those participants who should be supported under different schemes whether that be thriving children (which I agree with), most psychosocial conditions for example. Group 3 would be all the “grey” areas that need further information and investigation to decide if they fall into Group 1 or Group 2.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1622
The announcements and media are causing unnecessary distress for families like ours and life is hard enough without this unnecessary messaging. The government needs to come out and re-assure families like ours living with significant life long and permanent disability that we are not the ones who the government will be cutting funding for from the scheme. My daughter works 14 hours a week in the perfect job (indeed the only job she is capable of). In regards to slashing community participation funding my daughter would lose her job if her plan is slashed by community participation. Losing her job would be an appalling outcome especially as she has been working in this job for over 10 years. How does one explain this to my daughter (who I assure you does not understand even simple concepts or ideas)? Slashing community participation forces disabled people back 40 years and will mean we have learnt nothing from history. Disabled people who need support when engaging in mainstream activities (particularly) will be forced to only socialise with each other ….. and not mainstream society which is something the NDIS has done and in a big positive way. My daughter has a wide range of carers and all of these carers are tax payers. By cutting supports, less carers means tax paid will decrease. When the scheme was originally set up calculations were made on how many people will be employed because of the scheme and the tax that would be paid/the welfare that won’t be necessary because people have jobs! I don’t believe that the government are calculating this loss in tax-paying $$$ and the carers/providers who have lost employment due to the cutting of funding. I get very angry that just because a percentage of people are engaging in fraudulent activity that those like us doing the right thing get caught up in that argument. Go out and chase the fraudulent activity and don’t tarnish us with that brush. The NDIS is causing a big part of the problem by asking for reports etc that are not necessary. Last week someone posted on social media about how she needed a $200 replacement piece of equipment for her physical disability. It was knocked back and she was told she needed an OT report which cost $1000. Then the equipment was approved……but at a cost of $1200 not $200. The NDIS is causing a big part of the problem by asking for reports with people like my daughter who for her whole life is non verbal, incontinent, intellectually impaired, has physical disability, socially challenged etc…..but the NDIS keeps asking for reports that say the same thing as for the last 30 years. Now that is a waste of money. The NDIS featured my daughter in an advertising campaign on the NDIS because she is a real NDIS success story…..still very disabled but doing good. Suddenly she is at risk of going backwards. How does that work where she is put forward as an NDIS success story ….. will the NDIS publish her story if and when the NDIS takes away this success?
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1622
As a parent I want the scheme to go back to what it was originally set up for ….. that Group 1 of participants and any others who have a permanent, likelong impairment. My daughter’s health and wellbeing is in jeopardy because the NDIS has made lots of dumb decisions since its implementation. My daughter’s life will be severely effected by NDIS cuts to her plan. The barriers that have been removed will be reinstated. The risks that have been minimised will return to causing her harm. My daughter would become even more vulnerable. She will become isolated and less independent. I wish to add as a support coordinator I worry about the families who cannot organise supports for themselves. I know first hand that disabled people who do not have parents with the skills to organise things for themselves will be disadvantaged from a young age and as such enter the welfare system which they will be stuck into for life. Whereas the NDIS is about growth and functionality. As a support coordinator I am extremely concerned that the NDIS is already implementing the changes before the legislation has even gone through parliament. This week I worked pro bono on a review for a person with intellectual disability. Despite the single parent not able to speak, write or communicate in English the family was not given support coordination and was given NOT A SINGLE DOLLAR FOR DAILY LIVING OR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION (when it had been in his last plan). When asked why we were told this is because of government changes!!!!! The legislation is not through parliament so how can this happen? Imagine what will happen if and when it does go through parliament! Also as a support coordinator I wish to use myself as an example of what is good about the NDIS. I charge just $20 an hour so that the funding in a person’s plan stretches as far as it can. Not everyone is interested in rorting the scheme. Many like us are acting positively and achieving outcomes. Please do not tarnish us all with the same brush.
Finally, I implore the NDIS to understand that while there does need to be some reform, that this reform should be sensible, just, fair, measured, balanced and well considered on a case by case basis. The NDIS has set my daughter up to succeed at life. Other than me she has no other informal supports. What is going to happen to her when I pass? This is a constant worry as I hit retirement age and have my own health issues to contend with.