Submission 2824
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future
Generations) Bill 2026 Submission
To Community Affairs Legislation Committee and The Senate,
The proposed changes to the NDIS and reduction in funding will have a catastrophic impact on the lives of people with disabilities and their caregivers. It will also substantially negatively impact the disability workforce, small businesses and overall the Australian economy. I believe this is a human rights issue, and opens up the NDIS to discriminatory practices. We know that $2.25 from every $1 spent on the NDIS re-enters the economy, allowing people with disability AND their caregivers to access the community and purchase good or services. It also increases income tax from workers, boosts small and large businesses and is the highest area of job growth. Caregivers of people with disabilities are also able to work, pay income tax, reduce reliance on other benefits and reduce the impact of caregiver burden (and address the subsequent risks). Additional consultation and a stoppage of any changes before in depth discussion with people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, experts in the field and the disability workforce.
People with disabilities who receive inadequate funded supports are at risk of death and catastrophic harm, either as a result of not receiving supports and their function slowly reducing/being impacted, or from immediate emergency incidents. Lack of funding for the NDIS impacts the health system, education, justice systems and homelessness. People are more likely to be unable to leave hospital, have increased critical incidents, be unwell and overall at risk medically, straining hospitals and health systems. People who do not receive adequate disability support are also at higher risk of homelessness, substance use and incarceration. Caregivers have a higher risk of injury, poor mental health, caregiver burn out, family and care arrangement breakdown, unpaid caregiving requirements, reduced ability to work and impacts on other family members.
There has been substantial advancement in how people with disabilities have been treated under the NDIS compared with previously. People have been able to make choices about their supports and their life under the NDIS, and the world has opened up to people with disabilities. People can access the community more safely and independently, where they may not have been able to at all under previous models. Previous block funded disability models provided a one size fits all approach, no choice and control and often poor standards. Block funding also promotes big businesses creating a monopoly, which is not good for service users or employees. People have also been able to work towards building skills, working, looking after themselves or being more independent/ safe at home. Any new programs, such as thriving kids, should allow people/families to make choices about the services they access. Prior to NDIS, Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) and Better Start Initiative (BSI) previously gave families a set amount of funding which could be used wherever they choose for therapy
Submission 2824
supports. This was often preferable to families than block funded early intervention, as they weren’t able to make choices to suit their family or child. There has been a move of therapists to private settings, and families would be disadvantaged if they were unable to access this.
From a provider perspective, the implementation of NDIS has completely changed the landscape of disability and allied health supports in Australia, with moves from block funding to fee for service models. I have been able to work for myself in this model, being directly paid for the work that I do. Many Occupational Therapist’s burnout from this work quickly, and there are issues around lack of support and supervision in models that big businesses often employ, with high KPI’s and expectations to have back to back participant appointments. I have been able to work for myself supporting participants, and structure my work around my own support needs. Due to the NDIS, no other mainstream or “foundational” supports exist across all disability domains, and the work force has moved on. This means there are no other supports to pick up from the NDIS removing supports, and people will be left without anything. Any changes will require employment of therapists and other workers.
Additionally, the proposed NDIS cuts will not address NDIS fraud. Additional funding would actually be required to address this, investigating and implementing checks and screening for fraud. The approach proposed is “punching down” and targeting vulnerable people, and is discriminatory towards people with disabilities. I acknowledge there are many issues with the current NDIS model, including long wait times and people having to fight for the funding they need, however these would only be exacerbated with further funding cuts.
The implementation of automated decisions, bots and AI is a huge issue, likely leading to another Centrelink Robodebt like catastrophe. There is a real human impact for underfunding or completely pulling funding from people.
The proposed ministerial powers are frightening and dehumanising, and it is clear that the information and rhetoric provided about the NDIS and participants needs is not well informed or evidenced. People are not using the NDIS to “get haircuts”. They require substantial additional support from another person, equipment or therapeutic intervention to meet simple self-care needs, such as getting a haircut. The media messaging and marketing has been dishonest and damaging. People with disabilities largely use their funding for everyday needs, not luxuries. Discrimination based on diagnosis and levels is also very concerning, and clearly is does not come from expert information or understanding of disability. I’m not sure why Autism has suddenly become the scapegoat, as people with Autism can require substantial support to engage in daily life. Diagnosis rates have likely increased as a result of increase knowledge and information, assessors being more aware of presentation of woman and girls with autism, and adults who were missed as children being assessed and late
Submission 2824
diagnosed. The idea that people requiring support should be completely unable to move, talk and require full care at all times is outdated and inaccurate.
The NDIS is an insurance model, which should aim to look at the long term and overarching impacts of adequately funding people with disabilities for the supports they require, so that their function improves or remains stable. This has a hugely positive impact on Australia as a whole. I am shocked and disappointed that Labour are proposing these changes, after promising to continue funding the NDIS. There will be many voters including people with disability, their carers and family, and the disability workforce who will be unlikely to vote for labour again in this landscape.
These changes place the disability community and workforce at a crisis point, and if implemented will cause catastrophic harm at worst and at best poor outcomes, reduced employment and independence, poor mental health, and strain on other sectors such as healthcare, education, mental health, justice and homelessness.
Any changes should be halted immediately, and additional consultation in depth with people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, experts in the field and the disability workforce needs to occur to reduce the impact of changes and mitigate risks.
Thank you for your consideration.