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

Submission 1997

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill 2026

To the Community Affairs Legislation Committee, I am writing this submission with the assistance of a support worker. I am an NDIS participant with psychosocial disability and I have been on the NDIS since approximately 2022. As someone with psychosocial disability, or an “invisible disability”, every step of the journey to applying for the NDIS and participating in the NDIS has been incredibly challenging. I have experienced NDIS providers, medical professionals, LAC’s and NDIA staff doubt, pushback and reject the idea that I have had disability or was in need. Everything has been a struggle. These proposed changes and cuts will undeniably make my day to day life and function measurably worse, they seem cruel and unnecessary. Cutting social/civic/community participation by 50% makes it clear that we are expected to effectively spend each day, every day, staring at a wall or television. Taking away 10% of our capacity building means less time for our OTs to help plan our day or work with our support workers to teach them how to help us. Our language gets worse because we can’t afford that speech therapist. The government has been convinced by ridiculous lies and exaggeration, that the NDIS pays for us to go to the movies, bowling or whatever other leisure activity despite knowing full well that the NDIS of course does not pay for these things. It pays for a support worker to hold our hand, act as a guide, protector, to help us participate in these things despite our difficulties and challenges. It is true that the total amount of participants on the NDIS is higher than expected, in part this is literally underestimated the percentage of Australians living with disability with insufficient support. The higher than expected costs of the NDIS is not because of rorting and fraud by participants, its because providers know they’re working with people with reduced capacity , people who don’t know or understand how to navigate these systems, people who can easily be taken advantage of. We are an easy target to blame, just like immigrants, people on welfare payments etc. But we are the victims, not the perpetrators. You could, and probably will, call this hyperbole, but it is not and the proof is in the pudding, put simply these changes will result in deaths. Participants will give up, slip through the cracks, their quality of life will drop to the point that ending their lives is more appealing than continuing to try. The previous liberal government had Robotdebt, it cost Australian tax payers and the Australian government over 2.4 billion dollars. If these changes go ahead in their unaltered state a future government, quite possibly this one, will be staring down a similar situation, dealing with a class action law suit, seeing crying mothers and fathers, friends and family fronting evening news talking about their child, their loved one who couldn’t cope anymore. It is clear that changes to the NDIS scheme are needed, that is not disputable, but measured fair changes, not this brutal cut. It is horrific that a Labor government, the party of the battlers, the people in need would be considering legislation like this.