National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2975
Submission to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for
Future Generations) Bill 2026
Attention: Committee Secretary, Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs
Date: 31/5/2026
The Australian government should be focused on improving the quality and accessibility of both the scheme itself and the services provided by both organisations and independent providers, rather than using blunt instruments like budget cuts under the pretence of efficiency and preventing fraud.
There should absolutely not be any cuts to social, civic and community participation budgets or capacity building daily activity budgets. People with disabilities are not only our family members or close friends, they’re members of our community and participants in our economy, and they have an inalienable right to be so. Our society would be lesser without them. Looking at it from a purely pragmatic view: investing in a person’s access to community and the workplace (i.e., support structures and meaning/purpose) can enable them to rely less on the NDIS, in addition to potentially becoming tax-paying workers and business owners contributing to our economy. It’s also worth pointing out that reducing budget and support places greater strain on family and guardians who will inevitably have to step in to close the gap, often reducing their work hours or retiring entirely to do so. This of course reduces income tax revenue while increasing their reliance on government financial support, thus partially or entirely negating any cost savings gained through budget cuts.
There should be focus on increasing training for organisations’ employees and independent providers, which should be ideally be free or heavily subsidised to limit the barrier to entry in the field - so that not only large organisations can provide high quality services, reducing the risk of oligopolies. This is especially important as many people turn to disability support work when other work opportunities fall through, often with no prior experience in the field, and giving them the means to easily and affordably upskill will ensure better outcomes for participants.
Although I have been diagnosed with autism I have yet to go through the expensive assessment process to become an NDIS participant. I do however have the fortune of having many close relationships with both NDIS participants and independent providers, and every one of them I’ve spoken to about this bill is scared. Truly scared. This bill won’t just “materially affect” people under the scheme, whole communities and segments of our economy will deteriorate if people with disabilities are not given the individualised support they need to participate.
Please seriously consider the social and economic impacts of this bill. Do not let independent providers, people with disabilities and their family members suffer just to rebalance the budget
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2975
or make a political move against fraud and inefficiency.