National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill 2026

Submission 2168

Dear Committee Members, I am the carer of an adult NDIS participant with Down syndrome and complex care/high support needs. She is unable to remaininthehomealoneor tolave thehomeunassisted.She was transferredtothenNDISasanaadultfromtheadultNSW ADHCsystem. Thesechangeslegislationandannouncedcutsshouldnotbepassedbythe parliament.Therearemtoo many cuts anda theyaretocoachatic.Thereshavenoon proper,totoroughordetailedconsultationonthesechangesthichappearto undermineprinciplesoftheschemeandanattempttoreturftopailedsystems ofpast.Theproposeddecoupling then NDLS legislation from UNCRPD principles.Itisa bsolutely critical to understandthesizeignificanceofthispropose legislative changeanda crucialthatit isrejected.Thetdamagefrom this proposaledge cannot be overstated.GeoiaVanToornHelenDickinsonhavestatethattThe changes emphasisefinancialsustainabilitywhileremovingreferences United Nations disability rights principlescentred onpersonalisedsupport,choiceandindependence.(https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/05/the- government-plans-to-tighten-ndlseligibility-here-whatslikely-change) This proposed changemundersthefundamentalbasis of the whole scheme.I imploreparliamentreject these parts of th propoed legislatio TheseUNCRDP principlsa reonlysubstantial protections disabled people have frobeingsegregated andinstitutionalisedagain.This legistionalsitsin oppositiontothefindingsDisability Royal Commission 2033theisolationand segregationdisabledpeople. (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/23/albanese-government ndsllegislationcutschangesreform-australiansmoreisolated) Ageing Parents: The case for GrandfatheringThesechangewillhave severe impactsonboththenabledtheirage parents.AgeingparentsDownsyndromeadultssubjectpremature ageing shouldbe givenacarveoutfrommuchofthis legislation.Parentshave made personal financial decisions relating to care ourlovedones based over decade NDISbutnowworld being turned upside down.Why are not worthy same respect regarding grandfathering that is be shown property investors relation current changes CGT discount?Itwell documented unpaid carers poorer overall health outcomes than agedmatched peers I havemultiplehealthconditionsrequire daily managementifthesechangeare legislated as proposedincludingan

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment

Submission 2168

automatic funding cut by ministerial fiat, I will have more unpaid care thrust upon me. My life basically comes down to this: when my daughter does not have funded supports, I am her support.In other words,simply put,Iam forced to live under curfew conditions. Theseproposed changesare causingme incredible anxiety.Itfeels likefamilieswith adults WithDownsyndromelike minearesingled outand punished.ThatpeopleWith Downsyndrome standto losethe mostunderthese propostcuts,is completely unconscionable.The ideathat parentsshouldjust domore,after we’ve done so much for years ,is just indescribably overwhelming!

Whythe oldsystem was bad.Seriously,w e’ ve already been throughthethorros of state directed block funding(now rebranded as Foundational Supports).

That funding simply didn’t workfor peop le with disability and their families .Itwas routine forelarentsofa dult childrent o havetoforgowork ortheir own hard earned time in retirementtolook after thei r adultchildren.Block fund ed rationedsuppor ts used t ol ooklike th is(just one many,m an y examples):afamilywould apply f ore spite and providers would choose which applicants they w ouldsupport. The familyw ould then be informed ifthey were successfulornot.I n our casewe wererejected on a number occasions even though Iwa sasole parenta foateenager at them i ne.Why does there g overnm ent want to reverttosuch system whereproviders will undoubtedly engageinthes ame patternsbehaviour?Where provider getsto choosew ho they support? The aremany moreexamplesofof failuresblockfund ingThis wastheold ationsystemsupp ortsthatthenDISWast introducedto fix;it wa st he promise topeoplewithdisabilityan dfamilies thatsuch practiceswould cease. For what possible reasonisthe current govt trying torevert suchamodelthat wasaproven failure ?As Julia Gillard statedinherspeech introducingth eNDIS Bill:

Itwill bring end tragedy of services deniedor delayed and instead offer people with disability careandsupport needover theirlifetimes .’ Community Participation Funding Cuts:Thepursuitof lazy fiscal solutionrather than actualsolution problems scheme.Thes proposedcuts justlazy.They also represent hostility towards whole group participants in thescheme,namelyparticipants cognitive impairments,particularly Down syndromeand those significant sensory disabilit y(blind deaf).Does anybody Australia think these severest cuts MostAustralianswant seepeople

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

Submission 2168

with Down syndrome out and about, supported in and by their community, not targeted by the executive arm of government. See Guardian article https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/20/australians-with-downs-syndrome-among-those-to-suffer-most-from-proposed-ndis-cuts-government-analysis-says The above newspaper article identifies that these funding cuts will disproportionately affect people with Down syndrome because of the way the NDIA structures their plans. There is threatened reduction in SCCP support completely overlooked fact separation Daily Living funding and SCCP funding distinction without difference both core participant when someone cannot be left home alone leave house without support In other words such person really needs one category core support required facets life inside outside The division supports into Daily Living and SCCP arbitrary bureaucratic reality many interdependent families just terrified prospect limitations imposed massively reduced support Foundational children Thriving Kids doesn’t exist yet supposed up running before transferred scheme Yet for almost 400 adults receipt SCCP funding alternative identified government let ready accessed causing incredible distress anxiety community disability The SCCP allows people supported voluntary work meaningful engaged occupational activity study also covers maintain health wellbeing attend appointments undertake daily physical exercise suitable need design manage These cuts severely diminish participants subject them cut my Core Support overall which ability do things functioning recent public discourse tries to dimish SCP as kind frivolous leisure activity kinds attitudes statements truly strange unwelcome devalues people disability attempts create stereotype risks social cohesion this community family How start reform of SCCP funding: A Consumer’s point view system must easy navigate consumers So return hourly rate should include all on costs!

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

Submission 2168

Previously, the hourly rate was always considered to include all on costs. The government should return to this formula as this would empower participants by providing meaningful consumer protection measures while reducing inefficient bureaucratic administration costs. All these strip consumers’ capacity to negotiate further burden carers dealing overly complicated invoices from registered providers having line-items five-hour shift! All members committee read Carers Australia document https://www.carersaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Carers-Australia_Integrity-of-the-NDIS-submission.pdf?apcid=00685881ffbb16ae6c55b200&utm_campaign=cnn-150526&utm_content=cnn-150526&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ortto) If政府 wanted seriously address problems spending within CSSP category scheme it look at reducing cost added hour in category Government introduced billable items allow registered providers charge: * Centre Based Capital Costs - billed $ per hour even when participant not centre! ‘When support delivered partially a Centre and Community Center available times during if required then can claim price limit relevant Centre Cost item entire period of support.’ NDIS Price Guide p.36 In practice means that provider able full amount one minute whole shift simply because center was available Non-Face-to-Face Time just impossible work out value money Provider travel this currently being used by some for traveling participants home should be restricted provision services short duration example hour traditional understanding domiciliary visits facilitate multiple people day Non-Rebatable Material or Resource Fee On top above, some community supports also charging non-rebatable materials resources fees Surely provided activity program such material included considered normal business expense government needs clear about co-payments charged outsourcing scheduled activities. Experiences with Registered Unregistered Providers unqualified doesn’t mean

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill

Submission: Submission-2168

The following reflections pertain to the use of independent support workers compared with employees at registered NGO providers. Independent support workers are often sole traders who charge below market rates but do include some overheads charged by registered providers such as GST. In our family’s case this represents high quality service and extremely good value-for-money experience, The current experience is we have more qualified staff than any other provider sector where there were no minimum qualifications or even HSC level education requirements. The independent support worker provides many families greater flexibility and responsiveness.

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

Submission 2168 carers? An article by Tegan George estimates that the job losses caused by the proposed cuts would amount approximately $\mathbf{2}$ million: hits:https://thepoint.com.au/news/260521-need-does-not-disappear-advocates-warn- nidis-overhaul-risk-of-repeating-the-same-mistake/ is_low_confidence“: false, sources_ocr_made_changes“: true