National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1797
I am writing to share my personal experience as a parent and carer concerned regarding the proposed changes in this Bill. While I understand that the government is trying to make the scheme sustainable for the future, I am deeply worried that these legislative changes will make it much harder for real people to access the essential supports needed to live everyday life. The NDS has been a lifeline for me, providing the stability required to manage 18 yr old sons disability and participate in the community. When I consider the proposed changes to defining functional capacity and tightening the rules around permanent impairments, I feel a great deal of anxiety about whether his needs will still be recognized and met under the new framework. (1,2,3,4,5)
Based on my own journey, navigating the NDIS is already a very complex process that requires constant advocacy. Every person’s disability affects them in unique and fluctuating ways, and a system that tries to rigidly define or categorize functional capacity risks leaving the most vulnerable people behind. I know from firsthand experience how much effort it takes to gather the right medical evidence and assessments to show how an impairment limits his ability to function independently which he can not. If the new laws make it even harder to prove the connection between an impairment and the exact support required, I fear that many people who genuinely require assistance will fall through the cracks. The focus should always be on the practical, day-to-day reality of living with a disability, rather than on arbitrary measurements or trying to treat conditions in a one-size-fits-all manner.
Furthermore, I am concerned about the proposed changes to plan renewals, unscheduled reassessments, and the tighter rules regarding permanence. Living with a lifelong disability means the support needs are ongoing, and the constant threat of having his plan reduced or reviewed without clear cause creates immense stress. This was experienced in the past year and took over 6 months to correct causing much risk of harm and danger to him, the family and the community. Disruption to funding means disruption to his life, his care, and his independence. While I absolutely agree that the scheme needs safeguards against fraud and misuse, I do not believe the solution is to make the rules so restrictive that they penalize participants who rely on these funds just to survive and function. [1, 2]
I urge the Committee to carefully consider the human impact of this legislation.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1797
Before rushing these changes through parliament, I ask that the Senate ensure the voices of actual participants our families are genuinely listened to and respected. The legislation must be amended to guarantee that people with disabilities are not forced to constantly fight for the foundational supports they are entitled to. Simply put many do not have the capacity to dispute plans (fight decisions made by in some circumstances by unqualified ndis staff eg accountants as plan reviewers interpreting medical records) and it is left to the already overburdened carers to take on the lengthy cumbersome fight. Thank you for taking the time to read my submission and for considering the real-world consequences of this Bill on the lives of everyday Australians.
Kind regards