National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3221
Re: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future
Generations) Bill 2026
My name is , and I am writing as a mother and carer of a young child with Autism Level 2 and a mild intellectual disability.
I am deeply worried about this Bill and what it will mean for children like mine, and for the families who care for them every single day.
My child relies on support to learn, develop, regulate emotions, communicate and participate in everyday life. These supports are not a luxury. They are essential. Without them, children can fall behind, families come under enormous strain, and the long-term outcomes for that child can worsen.
This Bill proposes changes that would define “functional capacity”, limit unscheduled plan reassessments, introduce plan end dates and renewals, narrow the connection between impairments and supports, and allow the Minister to reduce funding for certain categories of supports.
From a carer’s perspective, these changes are frightening.
Children do not develop in a straight line. Their needs change. Sometimes progress is made, sometimes things become harder, and sometimes families need help urgently. Limiting unscheduled reassessments to only certain circumstances risks leaving families without the flexibility they need when life changes suddenly. The Bill says unscheduled reassessments would only be possible where there are significant and ongoing changes to support needs or major changes in living, education, work or informal support arrangements
That does not reflect the reality of raising a child with a disability.
I am also very concerned about the proposed changes to eligibility, especially the concept of “functional capacity” and the requirement to consider “all appropriate treatment” when deciding whether a disability is permanent. The Bill summary and government material say the changes would create a legal framework for access based on substantially reduced functional capacity and clarify permanence by introducing the idea of “all appropriate treatment”. For children with autism and intellectual disability, this raises serious fears that access to support could become harder, slower, and more stressful for families already doing everything they can.
This Bill will not just affect participants. It will affect carers’ mental health, family stability, and ultimately the welfare of the child.
Parents and carers are already exhausted. We are managing appointments, therapies, school issues, behaviours, paperwork, finances and the emotional load that comes with trying to give our children the best life possible. Navigating the NDIS is already incredibly difficult. We do not need more barriers, more uncertainty, and more fear that the support our children rely on will be reduced or taken away.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3221
I also know other families whose children have even higher support needs than mine. If this Bill passes in its current form, the impact on those families could be devastating. When carers break down under pressure, children suffer too. That is the reality.
One of the most upsetting parts of this Bill is that it appears to tighten the system around participants and families, instead of focusing where so many people know the real problems exist: providers who exploit the scheme, overcharge, or take advantage of vulnerable people. The Parliamentary Library has noted ongoing concerns that a significant proportion of funds are lost to fraud or overcharging by providers, while recent policy measures have included new efforts to detect and prevent fraud. If the government is serious about protecting the future of the NDIS, it should focus far more strongly on providers and misuse within the market, not on making life harder for participants and families who are already struggling.
I am also deeply concerned about the power this Bill gives the Minister to reduce funding for groups of supports. Government material states that the Bill would enable the Minister to make determinations to reduce funding for groups of supports, including resetting support budgets for some categories. Families need stability and certainty. We need to know that the supports our children depend on will not be cut by broad decisions that do not reflect individual needs.
The NDIS was meant to support people with disability to live with dignity and participate in the community. This Bill risks moving the scheme further away from that purpose and closer to a system focused on restriction, cost-cutting and control. Government information about the Bill says the changes are intended to protect the NDIS for future generations and that support decisions will take into account scheme sustainability and equity across participants. Sustainability matters, but it should not come at the expense of the children and families who rely on this scheme to survive and function.
I ask the Committee to carefully consider the real-life consequences of these changes.
- Please do not make it harder for children with disabilities to get the support they need.
- Please do not place even more pressure on carers who are already at breaking point.
- Please focus reform efforts on provider exploitation, fraud, and system failures — not on the participants and families the NDIS was created to support.
I urge the Committee to reject this Bill in its current form, or at the very least make substantial amendments to protect children with disability, their carers, and their families.
Thank you for considering my submission.
Yours sincerely,
, mum of and voice for .