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

Submission 1684

27/05/2026

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the proposed changes and ongoing cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

For many Australians living with disability, the NDIS is not simply a funding program — it is the difference between isolation and inclusion, survival and stability, dependence and dignity. The NDIS provides people with the opportunity to participate in their communities, access therapies and supports, maintain relationships, build independence, and live meaningful lives.

In the past, the NDIS meant safety, opportunity, and quality of life for countless individuals and families. It supports people to attend appointments, access the community, maintain employment or education, develop life skills, and reduce the pressure placed on informal carers and family members. Without these supports, many people would be at significant risk of social isolation, declining mental health, hospitalisation, homelessness, or institutionalisation. We say we can’t rely on NDIS for these supports but lets face we all know it’s required!

One of the major concerns surrounding the proposed changes is the lack of clear communication and transparency. Many participants, families, carers, and support workers are confused and frightened about what these changes will actually mean in practice. The language being used around “reasonable and necessary supports,” reassessments, and funding limitations is unclear and has created enormous anxiety within the disability community. People are suffering!

People with disabilities deserve clarity, consultation, and respect. Decisions that impact the lives, safety, and well-being of vulnerable Australians should not be rushed or poorly communicated.

If social and community supports are reduced or removed, the consequences will be devastating. These supports are not “extras” or luxuries — they are often the very thing

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

Submission 1684

preventing isolation, depression, and deterioration in physical and mental health. Social participation builds confidence, connection, emotional well-being, and belonging. Removing these supports risks pushing people out of their communities and back into loneliness and exclusion.

Similarly, capacity-building supports are essential. Therapies, skill development, behavioural supports, psychosocial recovery coaching, support coordination, and allied government services help people become more independent and reduce long-term reliance on crisis services. Removing or limiting access to these supports does not save money in the long term — it simply shifts the burden elsewhere, including onto families, electricity services, hospitals, and already overwhelmed healthcare and housing systems.

For carers and families, cuts to supports can mean burnout, financial hardship, imotional distress, and reduced ability to continue providing care. Many unpaid carers already sacrifice employment opportunities, their own health, and personal well-being to support loved ones. Reducing NDIS supports increases this pressure significantly.

The disability community deserves reform that strengthens the NDIS, not changes that create fear, uncertainty, and reduced access to essential supports. Accountability and sustainability are important, but they must never come at the cost of people’s dignity, safety, and right to participate fully in society.

I urge the Government to genuinely listen to people with disability, families, carers, frontline workers, and advocates before implementing changes that could have lifelong consequences. As the mother of one child with ASD and another with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, as someone personally living with severe mental health challenges outside of the NDIS, and through my professional experience as both a former Local Area Coordinator and current Specialist Support Coordinator over several years, I believe I have a strong understanding of the realities faced by individuals, families, and communities navigating these systems every day.

The NDIS was built on the promise of inclusion, choice, and human rights. Those values must remain at the centre of every decision moving forward. Act now or many will suffer terribly!

Regards