Submission 264
Inquiry: The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for
Future Generations) Bill 2026.
23/05/2026
To whom it may concern,
Please see below statement relating to personal current experiences as an NDIS participant, and
response to the The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for
Future Generations) Bill 2026.
Having access to the NDIS means that my wife and I are able to maintain our basic quality of life
and stability. It allows me to engage with my community without placing the full burden of
support onto my family, and it gives me access to the therapies and professional support that help
keep me well, functioning, connected to the community, and able to continue working. Without
these supports, I believe I would be at much higher risk of hospitalisation and long-term
deterioration in my mental health and functioning.
I feel extremely anxious about the proposed changes to the NDIS Act. This year I fully utilised
my capacity building funding, and during the two months I was waiting for my new plan to roll
over, I was left without professional support unless I paid out of pocket. I was too afraid to
request a change of circumstances because I worried it could lead to my funding being reduced
or used against me. During this period my mental health deteriorated significantly, I became
acutely suicidal, relapsed in self-harm, and was unable to continue working. I ultimately required
admission to an acute inpatient mental health unit. I strongly believe that having consistent and
Submission 264
adequate NDIS supports during that time could have helped prevent this crisis, and that
preventative community-based support is far less costly than inpatient hospital care. I also feel
deeply concerned about the rhetoric surrounding these reforms.
The way the NDIS is being discussed in the media and by government is contributing to fear,
stigma, and division toward disabled people within the community.
I do not feel that the proposed changes have been explained clearly enough. From my
perspective, there has been very little clarity about how these reforms will work in practice
beyond a general understanding that funding and supports may be reduced. This uncertainty
itself creates significant anxiety and instability for people who rely on the NDIS to remain safe
and functional.
If my supports were reduced, the impact would extend far beyond me personally. My wife would
likely need to reduce her own work and take on significantly more caring responsibilities,
placing her at much higher risk of burnout. Without adequate support, I would struggle to
maintain employment, which would also affect the service I provide to the community in my role
as a mental health clinician. I would likely become increasingly reliant on public health services,
including crisis and inpatient care, which ultimately places a greater financial burden on the
healthcare system and taxpayers than consistent preventative support through the NDIS.
If my social and community supports were reduced or removed, I believe I would become
largely housebound. These supports are essential in helping me remain connected to my
Submission 264
community, maintain routine, and prevent isolation. Without them, I believe my mental health
would deteriorate rapidly.
If my capacity building supports were reduced or removed, or if I had never had access to them
in the first place, I genuinely believe it would place my life at risk or I would be already dead.
The level of support I currently receive is already minimal and tightly stretched and I am grateful
for it. However, any further reduction would likely mean reducing or discontinuing care with my
clinicians, which historically has led to severe declines in both my mental and physical health,
reduced ability for me and my wife to work, and much longer recovery periods or reduction/loss
of skills and life quality. Proactive and consistent disability care has a far better outcome for me
than waiting until I become unwell enough to require emergency intervention rather than reactive
or inconsistent support.
More broadly, I believe that supporting disabled Australians is fundamentally aligned with
Australian values of fairness, community, dignity, and giving people a genuine opportunity to
participate in society. The NDIS was created to recognise that disabled people deserve the same
chance to live safely, contribute meaningfully, maintain relationships, and participate in their
communities as anyone else. For many people, these supports are not luxuries.These are the
difference between stability and crisis, between participation and isolation, and in some cases
between life and death.
The current direction of the proposed legislation does not feel consistent with those values. The
increasing focus on reducing costs, limiting supports, and creating barriers to access is fostering
Submission 264
fear and insecurity among disabled people rather than safety and inclusion. It sends the message
that disabled Australians are a burden to be managed instead of members of the community
worth investing in. I believe a compassionate and economically responsible approach would
focus on consistent, preventative, community-based support that allows disabled people to
remain well, connected, and able to contribute, rather than waiting until people reach crisis point
and require far more intensive intervention.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my submission.