National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 409
To the Community AƯairs Legislation Committee
Re: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill 2026 Inquiry
I am writing to express serious concern regarding the proposed amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), particularly the expanded powers granted to the Minister and the reduction in review rights for participants.
The proposed ability to alter participant plans without meaningful rights of review undermines procedural fairness and accountability. For many people with disability, the right to appeal decisions is not a technicality, it is an essential safeguard against incorrect, unreasonable, or harmful outcomes. Removing or weakening these protections risks leaving participants without any eƯective avenue to challenge decisions that directly aƯect their daily lives, independence, and wellbeing.
The NDIS was established on the principle that people with disability should have choice and control over their supports and the direction of their lives. The scheme was designed to respond to the individual circumstances of participants, not to impose rigid limitations based solely on narrow interpretations of impairment.
I am particularly concerned by the proposal to restrict supports only to matters deemed to directly relate to a participant’s disability, without adequate consideration of personal circumstances, health complications, location, or existing support systems.
As someone currently undergoing cancer treatment, I have relied heavily on my support workers to help me attend appointments, understand medical information, and navigate complex discussions with specialists. While cancer itself is not my disability, it has significantly aƯected my capacity and increased the level of disability-related support I require. Without these supports, I would struggle to safely manage my healthcare and daily functioning.
Under the proposed changes, I fear that support of this kind could be denied on the basis that it does not ‘directly relate’ to my disability. This approach fails to reflect the reality of people’s lives. Disability does not exist in isolation from other health conditions, personal circumstances, or social barriers. A system that ignores this complexity risks causing real harm to vulnerable people.
I urge the Committee to reject provisions that reduce participant rights, concentrate excessive decision-making power without proper review mechanisms, or narrow support eligibility in ways that fail to recognise the lived realities of people with disability.
The sustainability of the NDIS should not come at the expense of fairness, dignity, and safety for participants. Reforms must strengthen the scheme while preserving its founding principles of choice, individualised support, and human rights.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 409
Thank you for considering this submission.