Submission 2750
Submission to the Senate Community
Affairs Legislation Committee
Regarding Proposed Changes to the National
Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Introduction
I am a mother of three children and a recent NDIS participant myself. Two of my children are autistic and have been NDIS participants for several years. I am deeply concerned about the proposed changes to the NDIS and the impact they will have on families like mine.
Before the NDIS, our family was struggling to cope. The supports we now receive have transformed our lives. They have helped my children communicate, learn, regulate their emotions, participate in school, and engage with the community. They have also helped me manage my own disability and continue caring for my family.
The Government says these changes are needed to protect the future of the NDIS. From the perspective of families living with disability every day, these changes feel less like protection and more like exclusion. They place the burden of fixing the system onto disabled Australians and their families.
Autism is a lifelong neurological disability. It does not disappear because government budgets are under pressure. My children and I met the eligibility criteria because our disabilities are permanent and significantly affect our daily functioning. That has not changed. What is changing are the rules.
Removing supports does not remove disability. It simply shifts the cost and hardship onto families, schools, hospitals, mental health services, and the broader community.
I do not believe families like mine should be asked to carry that burden.
This Bill Will Harm Disabled Australians
The practical effect of this legislation will be to reduce supports, narrow eligibility, and make it easier for participants to lose access to the assistance they need.
The consequences will be real and immediate.
Without appropriate supports:
- autistic children will fall behind in communication, learning, and development;
- mental health and behavioural crises will increase;
- school refusal and school exclusion will become more common;
- carers will experience greater burnout;
- families will face increased stress and financial pressure; and
Submission 2750
- vulnerable people will become more isolated and less safe. The NDIS does not fund luxuries. It funds supports that prevent crises and help people live meaningful lives. It allows families to function and reduces pressure on other government systems, including hospitals, mental health services, child protection services, and emergency departments.
Reducing support for autistic participants will not eliminate these needs. It will simply move the costs elsewhere while causing significant harm to individuals and families.
Families Are Already at Breaking Point
Families caring for disabled children are already under enormous pressure.
Every day we deal with:
- complex paperwork;
- repeated assessments and reviews;
- long waiting times;
- inconsistent NDIA decisions;
- rising living costs;
- barriers to employment and workforce participation; and
- the emotional burden of constantly advocating for our children. Now we are being told that supports our children rely on may be reduced or removed, while we are promised alternative supports that do not yet exist.
This creates fear and uncertainty for families who are already doing everything they can to support their children.
For many families, the NDIS is the difference between coping and crisis.
There Has Been No Genuine Co-Design
One of the most concerning aspects of these reforms is the lack of genuine consultation with disabled people, families, and carers.
People with disability are experts in their own lives. Families and carers understand the day-to-day realities of disability because we live them every day.
Yet these changes have largely been designed by governments, bureaucrats, and policymakers who do not have to live with the consequences of these decisions.
People without lived experience of disability are deciding what supports disabled Australians should receive, what level of functioning is considered acceptable, and what risks families should be expected to absorb.
That is not genuine consultation.
Submission 2750
The NDIS was built on principles of choice, control, inclusion, and participant involvement. These reforms move away from those principles by increasing government control while reducing participant influence.
Disabled Australians should not be passive recipients of decisions made about them. They should be active partners in designing reforms that directly affect their lives.
The lack of meaningful co-design is one reason so many families can immediately see the harm these changes may cause.
The Government Should Fix Waste Before Cutting Supports
Many families find these changes particularly difficult to accept because participants are being targeted before major problems within the system itself have been addressed.
Families regularly see examples of waste and inefficiency, including:
- excessive bureaucracy within the NDIA;
- duplicated assessments and reporting requirements;
- inefficient planning processes;
- inconsistent decision-making;
- high staff turnover;
- contractor waste;
- inflated provider pricing; and
- fraud and misuse of NDIS funds. Disabled Australians did not create these problems.
Participants should not lose support because governments have failed to properly manage the system.
Before reducing supports for participants, the Government should focus on:
- identifying and preventing fraud;
- addressing provider exploitation;
- improving financial oversight;
- reducing administrative waste;
- improving NDIA efficiency; and
- increasing accountability within the agency. Cutting support for disabled Australians while significant waste remains within the system is neither fair nor reasonable.
This Legislation Gives Too Much Power with Too Little Oversight
Another major concern is the amount of power these changes give to Ministers and the NDIA.
Submission 2750
The proposed reforms appear to allow governments to restrict supports through rules and administrative decisions without sufficient transparency or parliamentary scrutiny.
This undermines the original intent of the NDIS and weakens the principles of choice and control that participants were promised.
Families are being asked to place greater trust in a system that already struggles with:
- inconsistent decisions;
- poor communication;
- lengthy review processes; and
- frequent disputes over essential supports. Expanding discretionary powers without stronger safeguards creates significant risks for participants and their families.
Disabled Australians should not lose access to supports through broad powers that can be changed without meaningful consultation.
The Human Cost Cannot Be Ignored
Much of the discussion about these reforms focuses on budgets, costs, and sustainability.
What is often missing is the human impact.
Behind every funding reduction is:
- a child who may lose access to therapy;
- a family pushed closer to exhaustion;
- a parent forced to leave the workforce;
- a young person experiencing crisis; or
- a disabled person being told their needs are too expensive. The uncertainty created by these reforms is already causing significant anxiety for participants and families.
Parents are being forced to consider what will happen if their children lose supports that help them function safely, attend school, communicate, and participate in everyday life.
No government committed to inclusion and equality should introduce reforms that create this level of fear among disabled Australians and their carers.
Conclusion
Submission 2750
These proposed changes risk changing the NDIS from a scheme based on rights, inclusion, and individual need into one driven primarily by cost reduction and administrative control.
I strongly urge the Senate Committee to reject these changes.
Any reform of the NDIS should focus on:
- eliminating fraud and misuse of funds;
- improving NDIA accountability;
- reducing bureaucratic waste;
- fixing administrative inefficiencies; and
- improving outcomes for participants. Reform should not come at the expense of disabled Australians who rely on these supports to live safely, participate in society, and maintain their dignity.
Disabled people and their families are not the problem.
They should not be expected to bear the cost of fixing a system they did not break.
Submitted by:
Katheryn Read
Queensland
31/05/2026