National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2931
SENATE SUBMISSION
NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
About my friend
My name is — I am the friend of , who is 32 and has Cri du Chat syndrome.lives at home with her family in Sydney NSW.
’s NDIS plan currently funds her involvement in meaningful community activities through Stella Experiences and Bus Stop Films, where she learns practical life skills, forms friendships, and participates in social and community life. Her plan also provides support and assistance to help her engage in these activities.
Having known and her family for many years, I have seen how important these programs are to her life. They give her purpose, routine, friendships, and opportunities to learn and grow, while allowing her to be an active part of the community rather than isolated at home.
If these supports were reduced, the consequences would be felt by the entire family. ’s mum already works while coordinating and providing a significant amount of care and support, as well as helping manage her husband’s health needs. Without these programs, the family would face considerable additional pressures, while ’s opportunities to learn, socialise, and participate in the community would be greatly reduced.
Why I am concerned about this Bill
I am writing to oppose provisions of the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 that would directly harm ’s family and many others like her.
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The 50% cut to social and community participation funding — the day program is not optional For adults with Cri du Chat syndrome living at home, the day program is not a leisure activity. It is a structured, therapeutic environment staffed by trained workers who understand ’s family member’s communication needs, behavioural profile, personal care requirements, and medical needs. It is where develops skills, maintains social connections, and has a life of her own outside of the family home. The proposed 50% cut to social and community participation funding — which is how day program attendance is funded — would directly reduce the number of days can attend. She cannot attend at a lower level of staffing. Her care needs have not changed. The provider cannot absorb a 50% funding cut and remain financially viable. If day program attendance is cut, would have very limited opportunities to develop these skills, as her family cannot provide the same level of structured community participation while balancing work and other commitments.
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Witness to the Caring Responsibilities Carried by ’s Family
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2931
I am a close friend of ’s family and have witnessed firsthand the level of care and support that requires on a daily basis. Over many years, I have seen the significant responsibilities carried by her mum, who has worked while also being ’s primary carer.
I have also witnessed the additional pressures placed on the family due to ’s dad’s health issues. During periods of illness, ’s mum has not only been responsible for supporting but has also had to care for her husband, balancing employment, caring responsibilities, and the day-to-day needs of the household.
From my observations, the support funded through the NDIS is not a substitute for family involvement; it is an essential support that enables the family to continue functioning. Without these supports, the burden on ’s mum would increase significantly and would not be sustainable in the long term.
The assumption that families can continue to provide substantial levels of care indefinitely does not reflect the reality faced by many families. As parents age, experience health challenges, and continue to manage work and other responsibilities, their capacity to provide intensive support inevitably changes. The NDIS was intended to complement family support, not to rely on families to fill gaps created by reductions in funded services.
In ’s case, reducing funded supports would not reduce her need for assistance. It would simply shift an even greater burden onto a family that is already carrying significant caring responsibilities.
- The Minister’s power to make further cuts (proposed section 34A) The Bill gives the Minister power to cut any support category by any percentage, at any time, without individual assessment and without the right of review. The 50% social and community participation cut is the first use of this power — but nothing prevents further cuts to core supports, supported independent living, or assistive technology. There is no floor. There is no independent check. This is an unlimited power over the lives of people with disability, with no equivalent protection for those affected.
What I am asking
• Reject the 50% social and community participation cut, or at minimum exempt people in structured day programs who have no alternative provision. • Remove proposed section 34A in its current form, or require individual assessment before any determination affects a participant’s plan. • Require the parental responsibility provisions to include consideration of carer age, health, and sustainability. • Maintain the right to seek plan review when a family’s circumstances change, including when a carer’s health declines.
Yours sincerely,