NDIA Accountability Project

Complex PTSD diagnosis due to caring for child with complex needs

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

Submission 2143

This submission addresses the proposed legislative changes to the NDIS Act, specifically focusing on the short-sighted nature of cutting core disability and capacity-building supports. It highlights a stark economic reality the government is ignoring: cutting early intervention and family support does not save the state money. Instead, it systematically breaks down family structures, forcing children into state-funded Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) at an astronomical cost to taxpayers.

As a primary carer who has developed Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) directly from the intense demands of my caring role, I am living proof that informal care is currently propping up the state system. If our NDIA supports are reduced, the family unit faces complete collapse, and the financial cost to the government to step in will far exceed the cost of keeping our family supported.

The Human and Financial Cost of Shifting the Burden to Caregivers

The proposed NDIS changes seek to tighten definitions of eligibility and restrict access to essential capacity-building and social supports. However, reducing these resources actively accelerates caregiver burnout.

  • The Reality of Caregiver Trauma: Caring for a child with complex neurodivergent and disability needs without adequate structural relief has left me with a diagnosis of CPTSD. This is not a lack of parental love or commitment; it is the physiological impact of managing profound care needs 24/7.
  • The Role of the NDIS: Currently, NDIA-funded supports function as a critical pressure valve. They are the only thing preventing a total breakdown of my health and our family unit. If these supports are stripped back or restricted, the state effectively removes that valve, making it impossible for traumatised, burned-out parents to safely continue their roles.

The Economic Illusion: NDIS Costs vs. Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) Costs

If the government successfully reduces my family’s NDIS capacity, they will not save money; they will simply shift a significantly larger bill to the state child protection and foster care systems.

The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (ROGS) and state department pricing frameworks outline the real cost to the government to raise a high-needs child in Out-of-Home Care:

  • Standard Foster Care Baseline: Simply placing a child in basic foster care costs tens of thousands of dollars annually in basic allowances alone.
  • Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC): Because my child has significant, complex disability and neurodivergent needs, standard care is not an option. Government schedules show that an Intensive Therapeutic Care Significant Disability package costs upwards of $187,000 to $520,000+ per child, per year depending on the specific residential model.
  • Residential and Commercial Care: If a specialized foster placement cannot be found due to systemic shortages, the cost of specialized residential care routinely spikes to between $560,000 and $1.1 million per child, per year.

Investing a fraction of that amount into our NDIS plan preserves our family, keeps my child safely at home, protects my health, and prevents a multi-million dollar liability for the state child protection sector across their childhood.

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

Submission 2143

Feedback on the Proposed NDIS Amendments

  • The Risk of Redefined “Permanence”: Forcing families to exhaust every single theoretical “available” treatment before accessing or maintaining NDIS funding ignores regional shortages, waitlists, and out-of-pocket costs. It delays critical early intervention and puts more pressure back on the household.
  • Lack of Transparency: These changes have not been clearly communicated or co-designed with the families who will bear the brunt of the impact. Decisions are being made based on balancing spreadsheets rather than assessing human outcomes.

Conclusion

I urge the Senate Committee to reject amendments that restrict access to vital capacity-building and family supports. Cutting NDIS funding from vulnerable families is an economic illusion. When the NDIS fails an informal carer, the child protection system has to pick up the pieces—and the financial cost of raising a child with complex needs in state care is exponentially higher than providing proactive, compassionate support to a family at home.

Please protect the funding that allows parents to remain parents, rather than forcing us into positions of systemic collapse.