National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2621
Submission to Senate Inquiry – Concerns Regarding NDIS Reassessments and School Transition
To the Senate Committee,
I am writing as both a mother of an NDIS participant and someone who works closely alongside families navigating the disability sector every day.
I appreciate the need for the NDIS to remain sustainable into the future; however, I am deeply concerned about the impact the proposed changes may have on some of the most vulnerable young people in our community — particularly those transitioning from school into adulthood.
For many families, the end of Year 12 is the single biggest transition point in their child’s life. School provides structure, routine, therapy support, social connection, supervision, skill building and safety. Once school finishes, families are suddenly faced with trying to replace an entire support ecosystem almost overnight.
This transition period is also when support needs often increase significantly. Young people may require:
- increased community access supports
- assistance to engage in further education or training
- support to develop independence and daily living skills
- employment supports
- transport supports
- social and emotional support during a major life adjustment
The concern I have is that many current NDIS plans were developed while participants were still attending school and simply do not reflect the realities of post-school life. Many plans have rolled over year after year without proper reassessment, often because families are fearful of losing funding or because the review process itself is overwhelming and difficult to navigate.
If reassessments become more restricted, delayed, or harder to access during this critical transition period, young people risk being left with completely inadequate supports at the exact time they need them most.
Without the ability to undertake timely plan reassessments when a participant leaves school, families may find themselves with:
- no meaningful daytime supports
- no capacity-building funding to assist with independence
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2621
• no pathway into employment, education or community participation • exhausted carers and family breakdown • increased isolation, mental health decline and vulnerability
This is not simply an administrative issue. It has real human consequences.
I am particularly concerned that under proposed changes, reassessments may take significantly longer, despite major life changes occurring suddenly and requiring urgent support adjustments. Families cannot wait months while a young person sits at home isolated with no services in place.
The transition from school should be recognised within the NDIS framework as a significant life event requiring streamlined reassessment pathways and proactive planning.
I strongly urge the Senate to consider: • protecting participant rights to timely reassessment following major life transitions • ensuring school leavers can access urgent plan reviews • requiring transition planning to begin well before Year 12 completion • protecting capacity-building supports for independence and community participation • ensuring families are not penalised for previously rolled-over plans that no longer reflect functional need
Young people with disability deserve the same opportunity as every other young Australian to move into adulthood with dignity, purpose, safety and hope for the future.
Thank you for considering my submission.