Submission 2800
Submission on the NDIS
Amendment Bill
Introduction / my connection to this issue I am a close friend of two people living with disabilities who receive support from the NDIS, one of whom depends on NDIS services for their ongoing wellbeing and survival. The current and ongoing cuts to the NDIS have severely limited the support available to my friends, significantly limiting their ability to complete everyday essential tasks, let alone engage in any quality of life activities. This obviously has serious implications for their wellbeing but also puts increased burden on myself and our mutual friends to sacrifice our time and resources to support our disabled friends.
My overall position on this Bill I do not support this bill. While there is legitimate need to reduce NDIS spending, the proposed changes must not come at the expense of those who rely on the NDIS. As it stands, the proposed changes are having the effect of stripping support from people like my close friends who genuinely rely on the NDIS for their ongoing survival.
My key concerns The key concern with many of the proposed changes is a disconnect between the intentions of the bill and the real-world capabilities of and the impacts it will have on those who rely on NDIS support.
Many of those who live with disabilities have complex and dynamic symptoms which is not taken into account by the bill. Furthermore, the nature of many disabilities severely limits individuals from navigating and accessing service, as well as advocating for themselves.
Complex and Dynamic Symptoms
Many physical and mental conditions are comorbid with disabilities. For example, those with physical disabilities that struggle to leave their house may have substantial mental health conditions associated with isolation and unproductivity. Therefore, the needs of these individuals can vary substantially from individual to individual and time to time. Furthermore, the nature of some individuals conditions mean that their symptoms can vary dramatically depending on a complex range of factors, meaning their needs cannot be accurately assessed from limited sessions. The proposed changes, such as the increased reliance on automated and standardised systems to drive decision making and changes to reassessments and reviews, will result in many people having their specific needs overlooked. The effect being inadequate or ineffective services that will put further demand on the system as individuals begin to require additional services, or additional burden on friends and family to fill in the gaps in NDIS services.
Submission 2800
Limited Capabilities Due to Disability
By definition, the nature of many disabilities means individuals are less able to engage in activities that other people do not struggle with. Whether it be a physical or intellectual disability, this often means individuals are incapable of engaging with online NDIS systems or using phones without support, let alone advocating for their rights and needs in these already stressful appointments. Therefore, proposed changes such as the increased compliance requirements and ‘non contactable’ rules severely overlook the nature of many disabilities. For example, some disabled individuals are not physically or intellectually capable of operating a computer or telephone, while some are not intellectually capable of advocating for their needs. These provisions also overlook the fact that many disabled people struggle to meet compliance and contractability requirements due to spending significant periods of time in hospitals and in treatment.
What this looks like in real life One of my previously mentioned friends lives with a degenerative connective tissue disorder that makes doing any physical tasks incredibly difficult, and anything that is mildly strenuous can cause them to be in debilitating pain for several days. This makes engaging in day to day household tasks such as cooking and cleaning extremely difficult for them, let alone leaving the house to shop for food, attend necessary hospital visits, or to socialise. Due to NDIS cuts they have had their support hours cut by two thirds, effectively meaning they can choose one or two necessary activities a week and all else have to be put off. In other words, they must choose between attending hospital visits, OR cooking a basic meal, OR seeing friends, OR cleaning their house. Furthermore, these cuts have been justified due to, among others, the ‘non contactable’ conditions. In this case, their provider attempted to contact them on a different day to their scheduled appointment on a day where my friend was bed ridden due to pain. They did not have a support worker present, familiar with their case and the specifics of the NDIS system who was able to advocate for them. Due to these cuts, their quality of life has significantly worsened; they frequently go without food as they are incapable of acquiring and preparing food; their hygiene has worsened as they frequently are incapable of cleaning their home and bathing themselves; and they frequently are unable to attend any social activities with me and our mutual friends. Until they are able to receive more support, they are in a constant state of bare survival, unable to improve their quality of life, and unable to engage in meaningful work or education.
What I want the committee to understand Not only will the proposed changes mean thousands of Australians living with disability will have their quality of life, and in many cases their survival, put in jeopardy, but it will also increase the economic burden of these individuals on taxpayers, civic services. As these individuals fail to have their needs met, their conditions will continue to stagnate or worsen, resulting in them needing more and more health care, putting strain on our already strained health care industry. Furthermore, these individuals will struggle to pursue meaningful work which would otherwise allow them to participate in the economy.
Submission 2800
Beyond this economic angle, the bill fails to meet the fundamental moral rights of these people. People have a fundamental right to a decent standard of living, fair working conditions, adequate access to education, and access to community. As I have outlined above, these changes will significantly affect the ability for thousands of people to have these fundamental rights met.
My position on this Bill This bill is an egregious violation on the fundamental rights of those living with disability and will not achieve it’s intended goal of alleviating the burden of the NDIS on the taxpayer.
I ask that the Government withdraw this bill.
Thank you for considering my application.