National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1750
Submission Against Changes to the NDIS
My name is Hannah Matthews and I am the mother of a young adult male with a life long intellectual disability. My son has had a very difficult life and the NDIS has changed it for the better in so many ways. My son Seb, is working towards being a fulfilling member of our community. He has grown in confidence with the support he receives and has started a small business that gives him purpose and something meaningful to do. I have watched him grow independence and feel so good about himself. He has made a friend through the social and community budget through an NDIS bowling group and this is so important to his mental health and wellbeing. Without this support he would be rotting away in his room staring at his phone.
He now wants to live independently and is working very hard with his amazing support workers to achieve this goal.
I am opposed to the Bill as it is going to change my son’s life in a negative way and all people with disabilities. The changes target participants and not the fraudsters in my opinion.
There has not been enough time for consultation and this feels extremely rushed. When SA alone spends in excess of $337.5 million to look after people in jail and yet we are taking funds away from people who need it and actually receive much less per annum than a prisoner then something is WRONG. There has not been enough time for disabled people, their carers and families to stand up to the proposed changes and cuts. My son will now have to prove he has an intellectual disability to an AI program each plan renewal which is inhumane and demoralising.
My son’s support workers are his lifeline and this is threatened by this Bill.
The relationship between a disabled person and their support workers is built on trust, consistency and safety. These are not just “service providers”. They become mentors, advocates, companions and in many cases almost like extended family. The thought of my son losing choice and control over who supports him is terrifying. He struggles with change and anxiety and forcing people with disabilities to constantly change providers or use only government approved providers strips away dignity and autonomy.
The social and community participation budget is not a luxury. It is not “extra spending”. It is what keeps people connected to society. It prevents isolation, depression and long term mental health decline. The bowling group may seem like a small thing to some people, but to my son it means friendship, routine, belonging and confidence. These supports are preventative supports. They stop people ending up in crisis. Cutting these budgets will cost society far more in the long run through increased mental health issues, family breakdown, hospitalisations and homelessness.
The NDIS has allowed my son to contribute to society instead of becoming completely dependent on it. He is trying to build a future, contribute to the community and gain independence. Why would we as a country want to take that away from disabled people who are genuinely trying their best?
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1750
I am deeply concerned about the increasing use of AI and computer based decision making in the NDIS. People with disabilities are human beings with individual circumstances. They are not data sets or algorithms. My son’s disability will never improve. Having him repeatedly prove his disability and justify his existence to a computer system is cruel, exhausting and degrading. Families are already burnt out from years of paperwork, stress and fighting for basic supports. These changes will make that even worse.
I am also concerned that these changes appear to place more emphasis on saving money than on outcomes for disabled Australians. Participants are not the problem. Fraudulent operators and poor oversight of the scheme are the problem. Families like ours should not be punished because the government has failed to properly regulate providers and fraud within the system.
If these changes go ahead many families will simply collapse under the pressure. Parents and carers are already carrying enormous emotional, physical and financial burdens. The NDIS gave many of us hope for the first time that our children could have meaningful lives after we are gone. These proposed changes take that hope away.
As a mother, one of my greatest fears is what happens to my son when I am no longer here. The NDIS has helped him start building the skills, relationships and confidence he will need to survive independently in the future. Reducing support now will undo years of progress and place vulnerable people at even greater risk of isolation, abuse and neglect.
Disabled Australians deserve dignity, inclusion, independence and choice. They deserve to participate in the community like everyone else. This Bill in its current form is harmful, rushed and deeply unfair and I strongly urge Parliament not to pass it.
Thank you
Hannah Matthews