National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3235
Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future
Generations) Bill 2026
Request: I request that my name be withheld from publication.
My name is . I am writing as a family member of my sister, who relies on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The NDIS has given her incredible support, for which our whole family is deeply grateful. I live a long way from her, and our parents — who are her main support — are now in their 80s. The NDIS is not an optional extra for us; it is what keeps her life safe, connected and possible.
I support the objective of placing the NDIS on a sustainable, long-term footing. However, I do not support this Bill in its current form. Two of its provisions in particular would cause real harm to participants like my sister and the families who care for them, and I ask the Committee to recommend that they be amended before the Bill proceeds.
My first concern is the proposed 50% cut to Social and Community Participation funding from October 2026. My sister tends towards isolation, and this funding is a large part of what keeps her connected to others, supports her mental health, and helps keep her well and out of the mental health system. Community access is not a luxury — for her it is preventive. Supporting people to stay connected is, in practice, a proactive way of reducing pressure and cost on the health and mental health systems later on. Halving this funding risks the opposite: more isolation, declining mental health, and greater strain on both services and families.
My second concern is the new power for the Minister to reduce a participant’s funding, including under proposed section 34A, without a fair right of appeal, together with the broader winding-back of review rights. If my sister’s funding were cut significantly, she would be left in a very tight spot with very few options — I live far away, and our parents are in their 80s and cannot fill the gap. A genuine appeal process — or even a process that offers alternatives rather than simply removing support — would make an enormous difference. Cutting funding with no avenue of review risks leaving vulnerable people like her with nowhere to turn.
I ask the Committee to recommend that the Bill be amended: that the 50% cut to Social and Community Participation funding be removed, and that any power to reduce a participant’s funding (including under section 34A) preserve a clear, independent right of review and genuine alternatives before any support is withdrawn. Australia is a wealthy country, and the path to a sustainable NDIS should not run through cuts to essential supports for one of the most vulnerable groups in our community. Families and carers need more support, not less.
Thank you for the opportunity to make this submission.