National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1674

Dear Committee,

I have been an unpaid carer for my son for almost 20 years. Over that time, I have been part of multiple carer groups and have also worked within the disability sector.

I am writing to express my deep concern about the proposed NDIS legislation, especially the reduction of social and community participation budgets for all participants.

When NDIS supports are cut, the need does not disappear. Instead, it shifts directly onto unpaid carers - most often women - who are already carrying an enormous load. The consequences are severe: women leaving the workforce, carers burning out, families reaching breaking point, and in the worst cases, people experiencing suicidal distress. Unpaid carers already have some of the lowest levels of financial, social, emotional, and mental wellbeing in the country. Many of us have been caring not for a few years, but for decades. The NDIS finally gave us a chance to reclaim small parts of our lives, to participate in our communities, and to rebuild our wellbeing. We are people too, and we deserve the chance to live ordinary, dignified lives.

I strongly support reforms that address fraud, waste, and poor practice. However, I am deeply concerned about Australia’s ongoing over-reliance on unpaid carers. Parent-carers, in particular, did not choose to become lifelong carers. We chose to become parents. Typical parents have easy and immediate access to mainstream services such as childcare, after-school care, and the expectation that their children will grow into independent adults. This allows them to maintain careers, friendships, and social lives. For many parents of children with disability, this is simply not our reality.

We miss out on mothers’ groups, playgroups, and the informal social networks that sustain most families. Our children often cannot safely play with others, meaning we cannot share supervision or enjoy the natural support of a community. The isolation is profound. And unlike carers of elderly people, whose caring role is usually time-limited, parent-carers may be providing full-time support for 25 to 30 years before the NDIS will even consider funding supported accommodation. That is an entire adult life spent caring. I hold a PhD, yet I have never been able to work full-time since my son was born. Only after the NDIS was introduced was I able to work part-time while he was in high school.

If NDIS budgets must be reduced to ensure Australia’s ongoing financial security and the continuation of the scheme, I urge the Committee to consider alternatives that do not place even more responsibility on unpaid carers. We cannot be expected to absorb further cuts. If Australia cannot afford to continue paying registered support workers at current rates, then we must explore broader community-based solutions - for

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDI$ for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1674

example, a mandatory community service program where every taxpayer contributes a small amount of time each year to supporting people with disability.

Unpaid carers are not an unlimited resource. We cannot simply be “turned up” to fill the gaps left by system cuts. If Australia cannot afford a fully funded disability support system, then as a society we must build a supportive community structure that shares the load, rather than placing it entirely on the shoulders of exhausted families - especially unpaid, mother-carers.

Thank you for considering my submission.