Submission to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Attention: Committee Secretary, Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs date: May, thirty, I welcome the opportunity to make submission to Senator Standing Committee about the National Disability Insurancce Scheme amendment bill. I am an NDIS participant as are several loved ones.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2217
In my case, the stress and short time frame has caused an increase in my muscle spasms and pain and interrupted sleep as I am preoccupied by what these changes might mean for me and my loved ones. I have had to take time off work to manage my disability, and additional time off work to write this submission.
Recommendation: Amend the consultation period for a best practice minimum of 30 days
Key decisions left to ministerial instruments, not law
The issue: The Bill allows Ministers to change who gets NDIS support (Schedule 1 Parts 8 and 9) and how much funding people receive (Schedule 1 Part 4; Schedule 3) by signing an instrument without going back to Parliament. The rules determining critical eligibility thresholds (Schedule 1 Parts 1, 8 and 9) are yet unwritten. How this affects participants: The decisions that shape lives—whether they qualify or access supports under the NDIS—are changed with no parliamentary debate or public scrutiny until their plan is affected. These changes aren’t abstract—they impact daily life now affecting hundreds/thousands disabled individuals’ ability at work contributing economy wellbeing small business physiotherapy hydrotherapy through NDIS words feel futile haven’t listened demonstrated meaningful understanding budget cuts real lives disabled people doubt person will read AI further insult injury urge anyone—including you—can become disabled anytime if government really needs save money other ways don’t risk quality existence thousands disabled
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2217
Recommendation: Require all decisions affecting NDIS eligibility and funding levels made through primary legislation subject to full parliamentary scrutiny; mandatory advance notice given.
Existing participants face narrower criteria & fewer rights to challenge decisions The issue: The bill alters rules impacting existing NDIS participants making challenges harder about support/funding. It restricts reassessment requests, removes review rights on plan renewals automatically, makes reductions unreviewable (Schedule Parts). Combined restrictions make existing participants’ avenues significantly narrowed when challenging their support’s decision-making process. How this affects participants: This does not protect already-NDIS-participants who could be assessed under stricter rules if funds are reduced or plans renewed without appeal options available may limit/no ability to contest such decisions. I have been discussing applying home modifications with my OT over a year due to heavy door difficulty in wheelchair access causing arm bruises from swinging doors back into me. A remote-controlled automatic door would greatly ease safety but fear of repercussions prevents application as I’ve heard many horror stories where similar changes led to other supports being cut off by fellow users. A system instilling fear is harming those it aims serve, If scared before these legislative announcements now terrified.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Submission
Recommendation:
Require a “no harm” safeguard ensuring no current participant loses access to supports unless equivalent supports are in place, with independent review rights before any exit decision and access to unscheduled reassessments preserved.
Unreviewable ministerial power to cut funding across all support categories
The Minister can reduce funding for any support or group of supports by a specified percentage through an instrument that cannot be challenged (Schedule 1 Part 4). This applies across all budget categories. Unspent funds will no longer carry over at plan renewal (Schedule 1 Part 5). How this affects participants:A participant’s community participation, capacity building or assistive technology funding could be cut without warning and without any right to appeal. Participants who save unspent funds across plan periods for high-cost items will lose that ability entirely.I had COVID in 2024. As a result, I spent almost 12 weeks predominantly in bed, saving fewer NDIS supports than usual; those needed just kept things ticking along.My need other supports such as physiotherapy hydrotherapy transport did not change Only time my ability safely partake them Under the proposed change would have been cut from future plans blanket rule cutting funding for any supportgroupofsupportswithout considering individual circumstances dramatically reducing quality life Recommendation: Requirethatunspentsfundscarryoveratplanrenewalforparticipants savinghighcostitemsandrequireindependent review rights beforeanyfunding reduction takes effect Requirementtoexhausttreatmentoptionsbeforeeligibility The issue A person with disability needs exhaust treatment options before theycanbeeligiblethescheme(SchedulePart8)Therealso removal wholeperson assessment replaced single eligible impairment consideration
Submission 2217
and other ineligible impairments could affect support needs will be removed. (Schedule 1 Part 3). How this affects participants: P eople w ith d isability wi ll need t o pr ov e th ei r impairment cannot b et re at ed before they access the ND IS . Once i nthe scheme , t heir supports wil l on lybe assessed againsta single eligible impairement rather thantheir whole experience.A person’s individual circumstanceswil ln otb een considered, including abilityt op ayfor treat ment,w herethey liveor whether tre atm entis actually availableto them. A system that doesnot considerindividualcircumstancesi sno tequitable.Instead,i ti wiltonlyfurtherw iden existing inequitie s.On apersonalevel,Ihaveboth physical and psychosocial disability an these interact everyday.Youcannotunderstandth eimpactof mydisabilit ybyconsider ingmycerebral palsy alone.Ialso do not have family who liv ein close proximityon whom Ican rely.Fur thermore, Igot intothescheme as did everyone else,on basisthat m yi mpairm ents permanent. Ihav had cerebralpalsysinceIhad a brainbleedat6 weeks old,andwill hav ecerebr al palsiy untilId ie. Research shows even with treatmentand support (suchas hydrotherapyan dp hysi o,the which Iaccess regul arly) mobility of people w ith c erebra lpal sydeclinesasa ge we ageandsuppor t needsincrease .
I am lucky tolive in ametropoli tan area where services are plentiful.However , i ama scared about what this will mean for my friendswho l ivein rural andre gional areas, or whod on ot ha ve the privilegeo f being abletow orkast ab le jobanda n some caseswilnot beableto payfor treat mentsthatare far away unaffordable.This proposed change essentially denies sup porttotpeoplewhomarginalised because oft heir marginalisation –the exact opposite purposef th enDIS. For som epersonsandsomeconditionsexhausting alltre atment optionsrisks worsening their disability and further reducingtheir functional baseline.Thisis unsafe an dvery dangerous especiallyforth epatientswith Myalgic Encephalom yelitis(ME/CFS).Please, please do notdothis. Recommendation: Do no proceed wit hrequirem ent tob exhaust“appropriate tre atm ents”options– there a reno safeguard ingmeasuresaround participant harm
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2217 due to side effects or complications, a participant’s financial ability to pay, or their geographic capacity to access treatments. Unvalidated functional capacity assessment tool risks misidentifying need The issue: The Bill shifts assessment from whole-of-person consideration to a single eligible impairment (Schedule 1 Part 3). Read together with the eligibility thresholds in Parts 8 and 9, the tool used to conduct functional capacity assessments must be capable of sufficiently identifying whether a person meets the threshold for that single impairment.The named assessment tool is the Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN). I-CAN requires validation to ensure it will sufficiently identify the needs of all people with disability, including those whose needs may be fluctuating or episodic and may not be captured through a point-in-time assessment, to ensure it is culturally appropriate for First Peoples with disability.How this affects participants:If the assessment tool does not accurately capture the full extent of a person’s disability, including needs that fluctuate or vary over time,a participant may be found ineligible or have their supports undercounted.with no guarantee the result reflects their actual experience.My disability – physical and psychological - fluctuations day-to-day based on any number factors.I fear using an unvalidated tool captures impact my episodic mental illness spastic cerebral palsy will not accurately reflect true extent conditions.For instance high spasms pain fatigue struggle walk without assistance good days can short distances minimal pain spasms fatigues Furthermoreusing unvalidated tool scientifically sound course action even suggestion doing insult meant use Recommendation: do proceed I CAN as functional capacityassessmenttool unless validated demonstrateablyto identifyneedspeoplewithdisabilityincludingthoseepisodicepulsatinganddemonstratedculturallyappropriateforFirstPeopleswithdisability.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2217
Supports cut before replacement system is ready
The issue:
From 1 October 2026, the government has announced funding for social, civic and community participation supports will be cut by 50 per cent and capacity developing daily activities by 10 percent for all participants; reduction implemented through ministerial instrument power Schedule Part. The Foundational Support System intended fill gap confirmed implementation date not yet operational.
How this affects participants:
Supports help connect build skills maintain independence may be cut anything exists replace them leaving carers families greater responsibilities additional support These often what people stay visible connected safe among other things Social Civic Community Participation allows visit places with a worker manual wheelchair inaccessible my Power Wheelchair It right disabled person part have need that Reducing Funding appropriate foundational supports in place mean cannot friends frequent bookshops cafes access physio hydrotherapy regularity I need look forward introduction foundational supports fear impact budget cuts meantime Recommendation: Require no reductions to community participation orcapacity building take effect until Foundational Supports fullyoperational adequately funded demonstrably able meet needs those who lose NDIS supports.