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

Submission 219

Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee inquiry into the

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

I am writing as a parent of an NDIS participant.

My youngest daughter joined the NDIS shortly after the scheme began. Through her supports she has received therapy that has helped her develop personal care skills and learn how to recognise and express her emotions rather than becoming overwhelmed and lashing out. For the first time, we felt hopeful that she could build a life with enough support and stability to continue after we are no longer here.

That is why I am deeply concerned about the proposed changes in this Bill.

My daughter’s progress has not happened by accident. It has been built over years with consistent supports. If those supports are reduced or removed before alternatives exist, I believe much of that progress will be lost. Without appropriate support she would not be able to live independently. As we get older and our own health slowly deteriorates, we are now facing the possibility that we may need to bring her back home because the supports that made independence possible may no longer exist.

The 2023 Independent Review set out a roadmap for reform with 26 recommendations and 139 actions and made clear that these reforms were intended to work together. Foundational supports were described as a necessary part of that transition. Yet major changes are now being proposed before those supports exist. Reform should not mean removing existing supports first and hoping replacement systems arrive later.

I am also concerned that cost discussions are being framed too narrowly. When support is withdrawn, needs do not disappear. Costs move elsewhere — into hospitals, mental health services, housing systems and onto families providing unpaid care. Families absorb those pressures financially, emotionally and physically.

I am troubled by stories of participants and families who have struggled to access supports they believed were necessary to keep their loved ones safe. Cases like these raise difficult questions about what happens when funding decisions are driven more by budget pressure than by individual need. We should be extremely careful about introducing reforms that increase that risk.

Australia has committed to respecting the rights and dignity of people with disability. People with disability should not have to accept a reduced quality of life or loss of autonomy simply to access support. The goal of the NDIS should not be survival. It should be participation, inclusion and the opportunity to live an ordinary life.

Please consult meaningfully with the disability community before making changes of this scale. There are opportunities to improve efficiency without reducing supports for participants. Reduce administrative duplication. Accept evidence prepared by appropriately qualified professionals. Simplify decision-making. Look closely at the cost of avoidable disputes and litigation. There are better ways to protect the sustainability of the scheme.

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

Submission 219

I ask the Committee to consider the following questions:

• What modelling has been undertaken on the costs shifted to hospitals, mental health services, housing systems and families if NDIS supports are reduced, and will that modelling be released publicly?

• What gender impact assessment has been conducted on workforce participation, superannuation and lifetime economic outcomes for women who are likely to absorb additional unpaid caring responsibilities?

• When will the government introduce enforceable disability rights protections so that access to dignity, participation and autonomy does not depend on changing policy settings?

Thank you for considering my submission.