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

Submission 217

My name is and I am a single mother, full-time carer, advocate, emotional support person, and safe person for my 12-year-old son, . has Autism Level 3, ADHD, significant anxiety, and severe school trauma. I have 100% care of him, and he is with me inpersonfor almost allofthe week.Everypartourdailyliferevolvesaroundensuringhefeelssaferegulatedsupportedandabletoparticipateintheworldaroundhim.

  has been on the NDIS since 2019.Hecurrentlyreceivessupportthroughoccupationaltherapybehaviouralsupportspeechpathology,supportworkersandsocialengagementfunding.Thesesupportsarenotluxuries.Theyarethereasonhewasanylevelof independence safetysafetyconnection,andfutureatall.`

We live ina rural area where servicesandoportunities arealreadyextremelylimited.There arenoappropriateschoolingalternativesavailableforthelocally,nopeergroups ,an veryfewcommunitysupports.Due to hisexperiencesunmetneedsandtrauma within mainstream schooling, istnowhomeschooled.WithoutthenNDIS,hewouldbe completelyisolated.

The supports funded through then NDISO make it possible fortheto leavehouse safely participateincommunity learnlife skills ， an slowly build confidenceandindependence.Hissuppor t workers provide not only practical support but also theregularsocial connection h ehaswithpeopleoutsideofo myself. He hasnofriendshisownage.The se relationships matter deeplyto him and have become essentialtowellbeing . TheNDSIalso provides something that is rarely spoken about honestly enough: survival supp ort for carers.As ’ s full-timecarer， I carrytheemotionalphysical mental load everyhour ofeveryday.When is with hissupport workersthe cancompleteessentiallifetasks recoverment ally andhavebriefmomentswhereImnotoperatingin crisis management mode Withoutthat suppo rthereisaveryrealriskseverecarerburn out.

I amdeeplyconcernedabout severalprovisions inthis Bill becauseIdonotbelieve they reflecttheralityfacedby familieslikemy． `

Thesuggestedparentalpresumption provisions under sections 34(1G)-(1J) are especially alarming Thethatassumptionsparents will naturally absorb“substantial careandsupport” ignores theenormousandofteninvisiblelabouralready being carried by familie Parents like meare already giving everything we havemotionallyfinancialyphysically ， an psychologicallyThe idea thiscan simply be expanded further without consequence ist unrealistic anda ngerous Families notan unlimited resource.

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

Submission 217

The proposed changes around funding supports below total cost under section 34A also concern me greatly. A “cheaper alternative” may appear acceptable on paper, but disability support is not one-size-fits-all. The cheapest option is not always effective, safe, or appropriate. For children like redacted, consistency, trust, specialised understanding, and relationship-based support are critical. Replacing effective supports with cheaper substitutes risks undoing years of progress and stability.

I am also deeply worried about section 25B(4), relating to “alternative supports.” In rural areas especially, these alternatives often do not exist in any meaningful or accessible way. Families may be directed toward systems that are underfunded, unavailable, waitlisted, or incapable of meeting complex needs. A support cannot realistically be considered an “alternative” if it does not actually exist for the person who needs it.

The proposal to allow automated decision-making under section 59B(4) is another serious concern. Families like mine already struggle to feel heard within the system. The idea that decisions involving human complexity, disability, trauma, and daily functioning could be made by algorithms rather than people is frightening. redactedis not data.He ist a childwithcomplexneedswhoselifecannotbeunderstoodthroughautomatedassessments.

If oursupports werereducedorremoved,theimpactwouldbedevastating.

Redacted would lose opportunitiesto build independenceandparticipateinthe community.Hewouldlikelybecomeisolatedathome,disconnectedfromthetoutside world,andlosethesmallamountofautonomyhehasworkedsohardtodevelop.Hise motionalwellbeingandfutureprospectswoulsuffersignificantly.* For me personally, the consequences woul also besevere.I live with bipolar disorder ,an dther currentsupportsystemplaysamajore role inhelpingm maintainstabilitywhilecaringformysonfull-time.Withoutrespiteorpacticalsupp ort,mymentalhealthwoulb heavily impacted .Iwooldhaveonomeaningfulbreak fromcaringsresponsibilities an verylimited abilitytommeetmyownbasic needs.When carerscollapse,chil ren suffer too.*This Bill appears t focus heav ily on cost containment without properly understanding th ehumancostthat will follow.Reducing support doesnotremovedisabilit yorned.Itsimply transfers thenburdenontoalreadyexhaustedfamilies,o verloaded health systems,e mergency services,schools and communities.

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

Submission 217 I strongly urge the Senate Committee to reject this Bill in its current form. At minimum, the legislation should not proceed until there has been a truly independent review involving disabled people, carers, advocates, and those with extensive lived experience of the NDIS system. Safeguards must be properly embedded in legislation, not left to temporary rules that can later disappear. Families need certainty, protection, and genuine consultation. The long-term consequences of these changes have not been adequately understood. If this Bill passes without substantial revision, the impact on vulnerable Australians, carers, and the broader system will be immense. I ask the Committee to listen carefully to the voices of families living this reality every single day. The NDIS was created to give people with disability dignity, inclusion, and opportunity. those principles must remain at the center of any reform. Thank you for considering my submission.