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

Submission 1882

Submission to the NDIS amendment bill 2026 inquiry

I am the mother of a child with a disability that significantly affects his mobility. Consequently, I am deeply concerned that the proposed changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will adversely affect not only my son but also all individuals with disabilities who rely on the scheme to function. While I have concerns about many aspects of the bill, I am most alarmed by its authoritarian provisions. Specifically:

• The Minister’s new power to cut funding without appeal (Section 34A).

• The reliance on automated decisions and algorithms with no provision for individual appeal.

• The stricter unscheduled reassessment rules and the erosion of review rights.

Caring for a disabled child is a full-time commitment. My son requires assistance with all self-care needs as he is unable to ambulate independently. He also requires intermittent catheterisation every four hours, a procedure for which only my husband and I are trained. As my husband works full-time, the brunt of this care falls on me. Additionally, I care for two other children, leaving me with very little time for non- essential household tasks, let alone my own self-care.

Currently, the NDIS provides funding for a support worker to visit for a few hours, twice a week. This support allows me to attend to neglected household tasks and manage the bookkeeping for my husband’s business. Crucially, it enables me to remain in the workforce and provides essential respite from the round-the-clock care my son requires. If this funding is removed, I risk further social isolation and burnout, which would effectively diminish the level and quality of care available to my son and our other children.

The fundamental issue with this bill is that these authoritarian measures subject families to perpetual uncertainty. Every time a new Minister assumes office, our support could be jeopardized. If the Minister decides to remove our funding, the removal appears to be permanent under the proposed rules. If my interpretation is incorrect, it merely highlights that the bill contains excessive ambiguity, which is equally unacceptable.

Recommendations:

I urge the Committee to recommend the following amendments to the bill:

• The removal of the Minister’s arbitrary authoritarian rights to cut funding at their sole discretion.

• The removal of automated decision-making processes for plan determinations.

• The reinstatement of the right to appeal decisions and access independent review.

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

Submission 1882

• The clarification of all ambiguous terms and assessment tools mentioned in the legislature.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my submission. I write this on behalf of not only my son but also all disabled people who are unable to advocate for themselves.