National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3053
The NDIS currently means having access to the supports I need to manage my disability, maintain my independence, and participate in everyday life. However, my experience of the NDIS has already changed significantly, as my supports have been reduced and some supports have been removed.
These changes have had a real impact on my life. The supports I relied on helped me manage the impacts of my disability, access the community, maintain my physical functioning, and reduce the barriers that prevent me from participating in everyday activities.
The reduction and removal of my supports has also had a serious impact on my mental health and wellbeing. The loss of essential supports has left me feeling unsafe, overwhelmed, and unable to cope in the way I previously could. These decisions have affected not only my independence and participation, but also my safety.
I believe it is important to recognise that these changes are not only proposed. Many participants are already experiencing the effects through reduced and removed supports. For people who have already been affected, these are not future concerns. They are current changes that are impacting people’s independence, safety, and quality of life.
I am concerned about further changes to the NDIS Act because I have already experienced the impact of losing essential supports. Reducing disability supports does not simply remove a service. It can increase isolation, reduce independence, worsen a person’s ability to manage their disability, and increase the risk of crisis.
I do not feel the proposed changes have been explained clearly enough, particularly for current participants who are already experiencing reductions. There is uncertainty about how decisions will be made and whether people with permanent and complex disabilities will continue to receive the supports they need.
Capacity-building supports are essential for me because they help me manage my disability, maintain my abilities, and prevent further decline. These supports are not optional. Without them, I have fewer opportunities to remain independent and participate safely in the community.
The proposed changes to the definition of permanence are concerning because they do not reflect the reality of living with a permanent disability. A treatment being considered available does not always mean it is realistically accessible, affordable, suitable, or able to remove the need for ongoing disability supports.
People with permanent disabilities should not have to prove they have exhausted every possible treatment before receiving the supports they need. Treatment and disability support serve different purposes. Even when a person accesses appropriate treatments, they may still require ongoing supports to manage the impacts of their disability.
I am concerned that the burden of making the NDIS sustainable is being placed on people with disability who rely on the scheme to live safely and independently. People with disability should not be expected to absorb the impact of cost reductions through losing essential supports. A sustainable NDIS is important, but sustainability should not come at the expense of the people the scheme was created to support.
The NDIS should focus on supporting people to live safely, independently, and meaningfully. Changes to the scheme must consider the real experiences of participants who are already being affected by reductions and removals of support.