I am writing about this alarming new NDI bill.

I have a lot to say on the matter i am a disabled young woman in western Sydney with a life long disability.

The NDIS is one of the jewels of Australia it is part of why Australia is the lucky country as such a scheme barely exists else where, but Australia was leading the way in disability rights and inclusion so why go back? Why destroy a jewel od this country? Others overseas hear of rhe NDIS with envy as it shows a government that cares for its people. It is a beautiful thing yes it isn’t perfect and has flaws but it still one of the best systems on this planet, isnt that something to celebrate?

The NDIS is more then a department it is peoples lifelines without it people liie me would not exist. It allows people to access to community to be able to participate in society, have jobs and to live quality lives. It supports so many jobs being the kargest sector of job growth and allows workers to have a wage, one support worker i know was able ro get a house and now start a family thanks to this. I am a young woman and have been on NDIS through all my adult life and have fought tirelessly for supports but the supports provided has allowed me to be able to live independently and study like anyone my age would. We do not ask for holidays or xboxs but for wheelchairs, physio and home modifications things that are necessary no one is on the NDIS for fun.

For many families and individuals , the NDIS is not funding luxury. It is funding basic survival and nessesary therapies so we can participate in society. The government has been found to of paid a think tank calked RedBrudge to help them sell these budget cuts to the public via fraud stories in the media and it is working. The public conversation around the NDI bill has become deeply concerning. Lately there has been an alarming rise in hate against the disabled both in person and online for us simply existing. People wrongly blame NDIS for all their problems due to the cost of living and yes there is some fraud but when you look into it the sensationalised stories in the media are just that stories taken far out of context. There is fraud in ANY government department from age care to child care but you never hear the media going after them or public hate towards the elderly or children for simply existing yet why is it okay against us? Why is litteral rape threats against me and others ok?

Due to the governments push of anti NDIS agenda I now fear for my safety if i am alone even in the middle of the day and the hate is only getting worse. I wish this was an exaggeration I wish i did not have to say this but this has happened multiple times in broad daylight. I have heard of chislren now being bullied for being didabled. The media has sucessfully tricked the public to blame the NDIS for their woes when actually it helps props up the economy.

In the words of Senator Jordon John Setele “we are not your politcal footballs”

The media and government say thw disabled are a burden but it has been found that for every dollar spent on the NDIS $2.25 is put back in the economy. By a report by the Australian Federation of Disability’s Organsiations.

The disabled are not a burden on this economy WE keep it running. The government and press has a responsibility for the harm they have caused to rhe disaabled community and need to stop using us as a distraction to distract from governmental failures in other areas.

This is the largest sungle ever federal budget cut in Australian history and is against our most vunerable for what? Short term approval in polls? For more submarines ? Has Australia sunk so low that we now take wheelchairs away to fund war machines?

Because as a disabled woman and an active member of the disabled community do not get me wrong such extreme cuts will impact every one on the scheme both partipants and workers. The disabled have done nothing wrong! Many of us need the NDIS to be able to hold jobs, to be able to attend regular school and to have independence that others take for granted.

Then there is how the jobs created through NDIS has allowed the economy not to fall all the many many people it employs means they can afford to have houses of their own and start families (like my support worker), it allows people to have a livable wage to be able to spend in society and thus further the economy and reduce dependence on welfare. Sydney University has found that in this past few years over 82% of new jobs are in the public sector ans the vast majority of those ndis, so why shoot Australia in the foot? Such drastic budget cuts will mean many people will loose their jobs in a cost of living crisis which would only further worsen the economy.

So what about this bill do i oppose and what can be done instead? There is many many issues with this bill but here is a few examples

The issue: The Bill allows Ministers to change who gets NDIS support (Schedule 1 Parts 8 and 9) and how much funding people receive (Schedule 1 Part 4; Schedule 3) by signing an instrument, without going back to Parliament. The rules that will determine critical eligibility thresholds (Schedule 1 Parts 1, 8 and 9) have not yet been written.

How this affects participants: The decisions that shape the lives of participants, whether they qualify for the NDIS and what supports they can access, could be changed without parliamentary debate or public scrutiny. Participants may not know supports or eligibility rules have changed until their plan is affected.

Recommendation

Require that all decisions affecting NDIS eligibility and funding levels be made through primary legislation subject to full parliamentary scrutiny, with mandatory advance notice to affected participants before any changes take effect.

Existing participants face narrower criteria and fewer rights to challenge decisions

The issue:

The Bill changes the rules for existing NDIS participants and makes it harder to challenge some decisions about supports and funding. It restricts when you can request a reassessment, removes review rights for automatic plan renewals, and makes funding reductions unreviewable (Schedule 1 Parts 1 and 8). Combined with restrictions on reassessment requests (Part 2), automatic plan renewals without review rights (Part 5), and unreviewable funding reductions (Part 4), existing participants face narrower criteria with significantly fewer avenues to challenge decisions about their supports.

How this affects participants: This does not protect participants already on the NDIS,

who will be reassessed under stricter rules. If someone’s funding is reduced or their plan renewed automatically, they may have limited or no ability to challenge that decision. This will make it harder for people to get extra support when their circumstances or disability change which happens in life.

Recommendation

Require a “no harm” safeguard ensuring no current participant loses access to supports unless equivalent supports are in place, with independent review rights before any exit decision and access to unscheduled reassessments preserved.

Unreviewable ministerial power to cut funding across all support categories

The Minister can reduce funding for any support or group of supports by a specified percentage through an instrument that cannot be challenged (Schedule 1 Part 4).

This applies across all budget categories. Unspent funds will no longer carry over at plan renewal (Schedule 1 Part 5).

The issue:

Unspent funds vanish after a plan finishes which then is penalised odd your next plan

How this affects participants:

life happens people end up sick or other events occur rhat means rhey would not be ablw ro use funding as usual. A participant’s community participation, capacity building or assistive technology funding could be cut without warning and without any right to appeal. Participants who save unspent funds across plan periods for high-cost items will lose that ability entirely which causes a lot of panic and stress .

Recommendation: Require That Unspent Funds Carry Over at Plan Renewal For Participants Saving for High-Cost Items

Requirement To Exhaust Treatment Options Before Eligibility

The Issue:

A person with disability will need to exhaust treatment options before they can be eligible for the Scheme (Schedule 1 Part 8). There will also be a removal of whole-of-person assessment, replaced by single eligible impairment consideration (Schedule 1 Part 3). The note that previously acknowledged environmental factors and other ineligible impairments could affect support needs will be removed (Schedule 1 Part 3).

How This Affects Participants:

People with disability will need to prove their impairment (which is cruel to do we are not performing flees) and cannot be treated before they access the NDIS. Once in the scheme, their supports will only be assessed against a single eligible impairment rather than their whole experience and often two people woth the same condition will have different experiences. A person’s individual circumstances will not be considered, including ability to pay for treatment, where they live or whether treatment is actually available to them. Additionally AI does not understand such complexities and so all decisions need to be kept by a human who can see such naunces.

Recommendation:

Do not proceed with a requirement to exhaust “appropriate” treatment options – there are no safeguarding measures around participant harm due to side effects or complications, a participant’s financial ability to pay, or their geographic capacity to access treatments.

Unvalidated Functional Capacity Assessment Tool Risks Misidentifying Need

The Issue:

The Bill shifts assessment from whole-of-person consideration to a single eligible impairment (Schedule 1 Part 3). Read together with the eligibility thresholds in Parts 8 and 9, the tool used to conduct functional capacity assessments must be capable of sufficiently identifying whether a person meets the threshold for that single impairment.

The named assessment tool is the Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN). I-CAN requires validation to ensure it will suficiently identify the needs of all people with disability, including those whose needs may be fluctuating

How this affects participants: If the assessment tool does not accurately capture the full extent of a person’s disability, including needs that fluctuate or vary over time, a participant may be found ineligible or have their supports undercounted, with no guarantee the result reflects their actual experience. All because a person can do something once ir twice when watched doesnt mean they can do that task day after day week after week, it is not an accurate measure of our disabilities.

Recommendation: Do not proceed with I-CAN as the functional capacity assessment tool unless it has been demonstrably validated to identify the needs of all people with disability, including those with episodic or fluctuating disability.

The issue: From 1 October 2026, the government has announced funding for social, civic and community participation supports will be cut by 50 per cent and capacity building daily activities by 10 per cent for all participants, reductions that will be implemented through the ministerial instrument power in Schedule 1 Part 4. The Foundational Supports system intended to fill that gap has no confirmed implementation date and is not yet operational.

How this affects participants: Supports that help participants connect with their community, build skills and maintain independence may be cut before anything exists to replace them, leaving carers and families with greater responsibilities and no additional support. These supports are often what help people stay visible, connected and safe.

Recommendation: Require that no reductions to community participation or capacity building supports take effect until Foundational Supports are fully operational, adequately funded and demonstrably able to meet the needs of those who will lose NDIS supports

These are just some issues i and others have. I believe if the government wishes ro change the ndis then let the disabled help co deisgn changes and actually listen to us.We are not opposed to change as it is needed but we are worried about the drastic inhumane manner that this government is doing so.

I can not convey into words the fear and trauma that has been inflicted upon the disabled community due to these proposed cuts and the subsequent media hate pieces , it will take decades to undo the hate caused to us, please the Australian govhas

• thw chance ro do the right thing and turn back from this madness! It will show Australia and the world that prehabs this government does actually care for its people.

• I believe if you wish to see change you must lead it and be apart of it and rhe disabled community are more rhen willing to help the government changw things for the better if they allow us