NDIA Accountability Project

Impacts on clients with Down syndrome and Mental Health

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 3865

To Whom this may concern,

I am writing to you as a dedicated NDIS support worker to express my grave concerns regarding the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026.

Every day, I work on the frontline assisting individuals with significant, lifelong disabilities, including clients with Down syndrome and Mental Health. I see firsthand how vital NDIS-funded self-care assistance and capacity-building supports are to their health, safety, and human dignity.

I am deeply worried about the severe negative impacts this Bill will have on my clients’ well-being:

  • Loss of Independence: The proposed 10% cut to capacity-building budgets means fewer hours with Allied Health therapists. This directly reduces my clients’ ability to learn critical daily life skills, trapping them in long-term dependency rather than fostering independence.

  • Reduced Quality of Care: The push towards rigid, standardized assessments like the I-CAN tool risks oversimplifying complex daily needs, potentially cutting essential core support hours for personal care, hygiene, and safe community access.

  • Restricted Choice and Control: Expanding mandatory registration requirements will force many of my clients away from trusted, independent support workers they have known for years, disrupting their routine and mental wellbeing.

  • Unfair Burden on Families: Redefining “parental responsibility” to cover intensive care needs places an unsustainable emotional and financial strain on aging parents and families who are already at breaking point.

While I support measures to eliminate fraud from the scheme, it must not come at the cost of the safety and wellbeing of Australia’s most vulnerable citizens. This Bill, in its current form, prioritizes budget bottom lines over human lives.

I urge you to vote against this Bill and demand a fairer approach that protects the essential daily care my clients rely on to survive and thrive.

Thank you for your time and consideration.