Submission 2094

To whom it may concern,

My name is , I am a mother and full time carer of two additional needs sons, and I am also disabled myself.

I oppose the planned cuts to NDS, because the proposed cuts are at the detriment of disabled people, their carers, their formal and informal supports, their dignity, and their ability to function within the community.

NDIS provides necessary supports that allow people to improve their lives, their skills, and their ability to access the community, and gain employment, which contribute back to society and economy.

Having been through NDIS for myself and both children, and currently going through ART (tribunal), I can attest to the lack of supports that our plans have, and the impacts this serves on myself, both my children, my husband, and our family unit as a whole.

I have been in carer burnout for approximately 3 years, with very little support from any family or friends available. NDIS continue to push back saying that providing additional support to two children with additional needs is “parental responsibility” or “informal supports”, however, we don’t have informal supports, I am disabled myself, completely burnt out, and am going above and beyond that of standard parental responsibility every single day. It is exhausting. This makes my conditions much worse, and puts extensive negative impact on my ability to access community, work, pay taxes, and look after my own health and wellbeing. Further cuts will likely land me in hospital, with no one to care for our children, unless my husband also quits his self-employed job, and goes on centre link (costing the government in loss of tax payments income, and further carer payments paid, as well as paying to care for me in a government-funded setting.)

Requesting people like us to “exhaust all options before accessing NDS” is nothing short of harmful. We do not have the ability, the financial access, or the travel time, to be able to access most options for any other supports, and families with multiple children, already in burnout, need simplification, not to be running around to multiple GPs, multiple specialists 2hours from home that costs thousands, and doing their own home-based therapies without pay.

These cuts also risk my eldest (12yo) having little to no support, dropping out of school, isolating, and as a very real risk, committing suicide. This is truly terrifying!

Submission 2094

We live in , which is rural MM5. Our closest therapists are all approximately 1 hour away, and I am regularly driving to and from these appointments, which costs me extensive time and money, but are absolutely necessary. When therapists come to us, they are having to cover their time and fuel, often at their own expense because NDIS only pay 50% of their travel. However this is still 2hrs of billing for 1hr of therapy, meaning our NDIS plans that allow 24hrs of Occupational Therapy per year, only truly get 12hrs (or 1 session for month). This is not sufficient for reaching goals, or maintaining rapport or progress. Zoom is NOT an option due to my youngest sons age, and my eldest sons disabilities and disorders. Simply put, we need more options for closer therapists, not less.

I agree that NDIS need to reign in costs, but NOT at the expense of disabled people and their carers.

Instead, it should focus on reducing the need for people to access therapists from further area, particularly in rural areas, by encouraging MORE professionals with shorter wait times, in more areas, so less travel is required between clients/professionals.

It should focus on reducing the need for people to cost thousands on re-assessment, and reports etc, for life-long disabilities, when they have already proven their disability and impacts.

It should focus on funding people with sufficient plans, so that they do not need to be costing NDIS thousands upon thousands in internal and tribunal reviews, lawyer fees, staff communications and documentation reading and letter replying etc.

It should focus on training LACs to do a sufficient job, and extending their roles, so that support coordinators are not a necessary requirement (which they currently are needed, due to LACs lack of skill and effort in providing supports).

It should focus on reducing the ridiculous wages for the NDIA CEO and board members who are grossly overpaid.

None of these above things are being addressed, and none of them are within the disabled people’s, or carers, control.

We should not be penalized for the NDIS’ and governments lack of organizational skills.

Submission 2094

I oppose all proposed NDIS cuts, and strongly recommend that the budget is re-visted to instead try to reduce unnecessary expenses that do not harm the dignity, choice and control, or support levels of our most vulnerable people.