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

Submission 2247

To whom it may concern,

I am submitting this response as a parent/carer of three children with disabilities. Our family’s experience shows what happens when supports are reduced or become unstable: children regress, families become isolated again, carers burn out, and people return to acute health and crisis systems.

Before the NDIS, our family was completely isolated. I could not work, despite having a degree, because the day-to-day reality of disability care consumed my entire life. Social connection, education supports, medical appointments, and therapy needs meant my world narrowed to my children and their support needs. At one point, I ended up in a mental health unit due to burnout—screaming for help and completely overwhelmed. That was the moment I realised we were not coping, and we needed real, consistent support. The NDIS was my saviour and the turning point that helped our family survive and start rebuilding.

This submission is not political. It is about outcomes for real people and the very real risk of harm if the NDIS framework collapses in the timeframe currently proposed.

What the NDIS made possible for my children

Each of my children’s needs is different, but the outcome is the same: without the right supports at the right times, they would not be where they are today.

My daughter

My daughter attended . That education environment had a profound impact on her trajectory. It enabled early intervention and consistent “scaffolding” at a critical stage of development. Because of those early supports, she now has the least support needs within our family. That stability did not happen by chance—it happened because supports were available early enough to build skills and reduce long-term dependency on high-intensity interventions.

My son (autistic, complex presentation)

My son, who is autistic and has two very rare genetic disorders, has a particularly complex support profile. Up until this year, at the age of 15, he had not attended a full day of school. With access to therapies and access to crucial support hours that allowed supports outside the home, including opportunities alongside non-disabled peers, he has been able to grow. He now attends school three full days per week.

Those gains matter. They represent development, routine, community connection, and progress in functional capacity. Without the NDIS supports, this could not have occurred. The loss of support hours and the loss of ability to access therapies and outside-home opportunities would very likely return him to isolation, missed learning, and increased behavioural or health-related risk.

My eldest son (transitioning toward adulthood and work)

My eldest son is also thriving. His reliance on the NDIS has been heavy, but two years ago he barely accessed supports, and his improvement has been linked to being able to safely and effectively implement supports over time. He is now entering the workforce as a young adult. His progress shows why stabilising support is not only about “today”—it is about enabling long-term independence and future participation.

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

Submission 2247

Why framework collapse would cause regression for our family

If the NDIS framework collapses in 34 days (or there is an abrupt reduction/cessation of supports), the impact will not be abstract. It will be immediate and practical.

I have been offered a job paying $130,000 per year as a carer/provider transport role. This opportunity is a direct result of our family stabilising enough for me to re-enter work. However, I am unsure whether I can take it, because in the same 34-day timeframe I will be back at home full-time ensuring my children’s needs are met—attending hospital appointments and therapy appointments, and providing the constant supervision and support that the NDIS currently helps make possible.

When carers have to replace formal supports overnight, the outcome is predictable: children regress in capacity, families lose access to therapy schedules, school attendance becomes inconsistent again, and pressure returns to the health system. I have seen this cycle firsthand, and I am prepared to say clearly that without supports, my mental health will likely deteriorate again. That is what “system burden” looks like in real life—me returning to crisis services and mental health settings, and my children losing the supports that keep them stable.

Request: Protect continuity and safeguard access to supports

I ask that any changes do not result in abrupt loss of supports or a framework collapse that forces families into crisis. If there are reforms, they must include genuine safeguards so that children can continue therapies, school participation, and necessary support hours. Carers should not be pushed into burnout because funding and planning processes fail to provide continuity.

This is about preventing avoidable harm and protecting developmental progress already achieved through early intervention and consistent supports.

I am willing to provide further details about my children’s circumstances, the supports we rely on, and the impacts I anticipate if continuity is removed.

Respectfully

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