National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3293
I am a Youth Worker and emerging Social Worker at Queensland University of Technology. I have assisted NDIS applicants navigate the system through my social work student placement at an Electorate Office, and I read daily testimonials of how NDIS participants and applicants are ill treated by the NDIA. From the stories, it would seem that the single biggest expense for the NDIA is to pay for lawyers to contest applicants at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, rather than give applicants and participants the supports that they are entitled to, which has benefits that circulate through the community through social inclusion and participation. Too often have I heard that NDIS participants have had their funding cut at yearly reviews, despite each year resulting in a court finding that a participant needs the supports that the NDIA tries to pull from them at yearly reviews - and yet the NDIA tried to do it again. The NDIS’s loss of money is due to poor execution of the scheme, providers ripping off participants for undelivered services, and the NDIA being hostile to participants. Rather than hold NDIA decision makers accountable for wasting everyone’s time, or going after the Providers that ripped off participants, the Government is seeking to punish NDIS participants and applicants. Recently, I learned that in Queensland, Disability Advocacy was defunded by Campbell Newman, and currently the funding of advocacy organisations like Speaking Up for You (SUFY) may be ended, showing how disabled people keep paying for conservative thinking in governments. There has been failures from government to be dutiful custodians of the Scheme and the organisation of public resources to ensure the targeted dignity, inclusion, and accessibility that the NDIS was meant to deliver. The proposed changes by Labor should be rejected. Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission.