National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2663
Personal Submission to the Senate Community Affairs
Committee
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment
(Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submitted by: K’s Uncle | May 2026Who I Am and My Connection to This Bill
I am writing this submission as the uncle of K, a 13-year-old girl who was born with Cri du Chat syndrome — a rare genetic condition resulting in severe intellectual disability, significant communication delays, complex behaviours of concern, and high physical support needs. I am a regularly involved member of her life.
I am submitting because the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 will cause direct and serious harm to K and to countless other Australians with significant permanent disabilities. I do not believe the true scope of these amendments has been honestly communicated to the public, and I feel a responsibility to say so.
What I See as K’s Uncle
As someone who spends regular time with K and her family, I have a clear view of what her life actually looks like — and how hard her parents work, every single day. K’s mum and dad are exceptional parents. They are also exhausted. The level of care K requires is relentless: she needs 1:1 supervision at all times, assistance with all personal care, support with communication, and skilled management of her behaviours of concern.
What the NDIS has given this family is not luxury — it is a fighting chance at an ordinary life. I have attended family events where K has a support worker present, and the difference is profound. K can engage with the family, be taken for a walk if she becomes overwhelmed, and be supported to participate. Her parents can be present for their other children, have a conversation with a relative, and breathe. Without that support, the burden falls entirely on K’s mum, and I have seen what that looks like too.
I want the Committee to understand that the funded support K receives is being used exactly as it should be: to allow a person with significant disability to live as full and included a life as possible, with the dignity every Australian deserves.
My Concerns About This Bill
Having spoken with K’s parents and read about the proposed changes, I am alarmed by what this Bill will mean in practice:
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From 1 October 2026, K’s community participation funding will be cut by 50%, regardless of her individual needs and with no right of appeal. This is the funding that allows her to go to the pool, spend time with her friends, and participate in family life. Cutting it in half does not reduce waste — it reduces K’s life.
Personal Submission — NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 | Page 1
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2663
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The Bill grants the Minister unchecked power to further reduce any support, cap any service, or set any price, without oversight or appeal. No Minister tasked with meeting budget targets should have unilateral authority over the disability supports of Australia’s most vulnerable people.
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The ‘parental responsibility’ provisions are so broadly worded that they could be used to deny virtually any support to a child with disability, on the grounds that parents should be providing it themselves. K’s parents already do more than any parent should be expected to do alone. This provision would make that invisible and use it as a reason to withhold funded support.
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The removal of appeal rights is simply unjust. The fact that the NDIA loses the overwhelming majority of tribunal appeals tells us the problem is poor
decision-making, not over-use of the system. Removing appeals does not fix the problem — it just means people can no longer fight back when the system gets it wrong.
The Future I Fear For K
K’s parents have planned for a future where K lives near them as an adult, in her own space, with the funded 1:1 support she will always need. That plan was built on the NDIS promise of stability. This Bill puts it in serious jeopardy.
The alternative being quietly pushed by the NDIS — Supported Independent Living in a group home — carries well-documented risks of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability confirmed this. I would not want any member of my family in that situation, and I do not believe any Australian family should be left with no better option.
K deserves a good life. Her parents deserve support, not an ever-increasing burden. I urge the Committee to reject amendments that cut supports, remove oversight, and strip away the rights of the very people this scheme was built for.
My Request to the Committee
I ask the Committee to recommend the removal of all provisions that reduce participant supports, eliminate appeal rights, or concentrate unchecked financial power in the hands of the Minister. I further ask that reform be directed at the real drivers of cost growth — administrative failures and pricing mismanagement — rather than at the individuals and families who most need this scheme.
The NDIS Act commits that people with disability and their families and carers should have certainty that people with disability will receive the care and support they need over their lifetime. I ask the Committee to ensure this Bill does not make that promise meaningless.
Note on Publication
The author of this submission requests that their name not be published. The submission may be published in de-identified form. Reference to ‘K’ is used throughout to protect the participant’s privacy.
Personal Submission — NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 | Page 2