Submission to My Local Member of Parliament
Re: Protecting Social Inclusion Funding for People with Disability and Opposing the
Current NDIS Legislation
Dear Member of Parliament,
I am writing to express my deep concern about the proposed changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), particularly any reduction to funding for social inclusion supports. I urge you to oppose legislation that significantly reduces these supports because they are essential to the health, wellbeing, independence, and human rights of people with disability.
Social inclusion is not an optional extra. It is a fundamental part of living a meaningful life and is recognised under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which Australia has ratified. The Convention recognises the right of people with disability to participate fully and effectively in society on an equal basis with others. The NDIS was created to help make these rights a reality.
Social inclusion funding enables people with disability to participate in community activities, develop friendships, build confidence, learn new skills, volunteer, gain employment opportunities, and maintain their mental and physical wellbeing. These supports reduce isolation, improve health outcomes, and strengthen connections within local communities.
Reducing the social inclusion budget by half would have devastating consequences. Many people with disability would become increasingly isolated, experience worsening mental health, and lose opportunities to participate in their communities. Loneliness and exclusion are strongly associated with increased anxiety, depression, declining physical health, and greater reliance on crisis services.
The impact would also extend to families and unpaid carers. Family members would be expected to fill the gap left by reduced supports, increasing carer stress, burnout, financial hardship, and poor health. Many carers may be forced to reduce their working hours or leave employment altogether, creating further economic and social costs.
Importantly, cutting social inclusion funding is likely to increase government spending over time rather than reduce it. Investing in prevention is significantly more cost effective than responding to crises after they occur.
When people with disability remain socially connected and engaged, governments save money through:
- Reduced hospital admissions and emergency department presentations.
- Lower demand for mental health services.
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Reduced need for crisis intervention and intensive disability supports.
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Delayed entry into residential care and supported accommodation.
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Greater workforce participation by both people with disability and their family carers.
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Increased volunteering and community participation.
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Improved long-term independence and self-management. In contrast, reducing preventative supports often results in higher expenditure across health, mental health, aged care, housing, justice, and crisis services.
Social inclusion also benefits the wider community. Inclusive communities are stronger, healthier, more connected, and more productive. People with disability contribute valuable skills, lived experience, volunteer work, employment, and community leadership when they are provided with appropriate supports.
The current NDIS legislation risks undermining these outcomes if it allows social inclusion supports to be reduced or excluded from reasonable and necessary funding. While improving the sustainability of the NDIS is an important objective, sustainability cannot be achieved by removing the very supports that prevent more costly interventions later.
Any reforms should strengthen accountability and improve efficiency without sacrificing the human rights and community participation of people with disability.
I respectfully ask you to:
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Oppose any legislation that significantly reduces funding for social inclusion supports.
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Protect funding that enables people with disability to participate in their communities.
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Ensure Australia’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are upheld.
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Recognise that investment in social inclusion is an investment in prevention, independence, and long-term savings for taxpayers.
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Consult directly with people with disability, families, carers, and disability organisations before implementing changes that will have lasting impacts on their lives.
The true measure of our society is how we support those who face barriers to full participation. Protecting social inclusion is not simply about funding programs—it is
about protecting dignity, equality, human rights, and the opportunity for every Australian to belong.
I urge you to stand with people with disability, their families, and carers by opposing legislation that weakens these essential supports.
Yours sincerely,