National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 862
Re: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securring the NDIS for Future\Generations) Bill 2026
I am writing to oppose this current Bill (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026.
There are so many issues with this Bill, and I plead with the Senate committee to oppose this Bill.\NI am a NDIS participant – I am a 50-year-old woman with a psychosocial disability and a physical\disability and have always lived with my parents who are aging and very unwell. I have had a\psychosocial disability since I was in high school but only became an NDIS participant in 2020. Having\NDIS support has made me feel my life may have some worth. I am gradually getting involved in the\community. But now reading the changes in this Bill I have started feeling that my life is now ending.\nThe changes are devesting for myself and the rest of the disability community.\n Some of the points in this Bill that should not be passed are:
-
Cutting of Social and Community funding – If this happens it will take away people’s access to an\ordinary life which was a major intent of the NDIS. This funding allows people with a disability\to attend appointments, meet with family and friends, exercise in the fresh air, go shopping to buy\things for themselves, work and volunteer, enjoy life as everyone without a disability are free to\do as they please.
For me when I use my Social and Community funding to go out into the community - whether it is\for appointments, shopping, out for lunch, exercising etc I am not only enjoying myself I am also\building my capacity. I am building my confidence, I am learning about life that exists outside my\4 walls, I am building capacity to speak, engage in conversations and building knowledge to have\something to contribute to conversations.
And we should be able to use our Social and Community funding at a ratio of 1:1 and not be\forced to only be able to leave our house in a group. I don’t think non-disabled people would be\happy if every time they wanted to do something (eg go shopping, go to an appointment) they had\to find someone that they don’t know that would be willing to do the exact same thing at the exact\same time. I am an individual adult and would like to participate in life as I choose just like you\all do (I already have limitations because of my disabilities; I shouldn’t have unnecessary
estrictions placed on me as well)
- Extreme powers to the Minister – Please do not allow this part of the Bill to pass.\n
I do not agree with the Minister or any person having so much power to do so much damage\to people’s lives. There should never be anyone that has power to make such decisions that
affect the safety of the lives of so many vulnerable people. The Minister is not qualified in
disability – he is a politician. These extreme decisions should only be made with full
cconsultation with professionals and the disability community and then done without harm to
vulnerable people. We are human beings and deserve respect to be treated like everyone else.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 862
- The removal of so many people from NDIS without adequate supports that equal what they already get with NDIS is devesting and cruel. Please do not let this Bill pass and allow this devastation and harm.
For me with a psychosocial disability I am terrified that I will lose NDIS support. I live in a rural area and even before NDIS was set up there wasn’t support in my area. There was minimal s \support about an hour away but was offered to people close.
Having NDIS support I am finally feeling that I may have a life and my outlook on life has improved. But if I am taken off NDis I wouldn’t want to go back to how my life was.
- Current NDIS Participants should not have to be reassessed for eligibility – We have all done what was asked of us to prove we meet eligibility of having a Permanent and Significant \Disability that substantially reduces our functional capacity.
When I was approved for NDIS in 2020 I was told by a NDIS employee that I met Eligibility and I would never have to prove that again and I would have NDIS support for the rest of my lif (I had assumed these documents were a legal document that said I had support through NDIS for the rest of my life). I felt such a relief that I would have support for the rest of my life.
But since then, there has been so much uncertainty about how much support I would be given at plan reviews, but I had never thought I would have to be reassessed for eligibility again. But now those legal documents that said I had met Eligibility for NDIS support for the rest of my life are going to be overtuned My life now is in the hands the government, then an assessor that doesn’t know me or my disabilities. This is extremely frightening.
It is distressing for our families (especially those that are aging) as they thought that finally their loved ones were going to have support to help them live their lives with dignity.
The distress \ing for participants to have to go through continual eligibility reas\essment, and now it will be with people they have never met and don’t have understanding of their disabilitie. This is troducing more trauma for people wth a disability who already may have trau ma and find it difficult to trust peop le and b able communicate wit others.
When will we be ab e to just get on wi h living ou rlives and contributing within th community? The continua lreassessments cutting o supports eligibilit lines being changed even after we have been approved.
T here ar many mor parts f this Bill tha should not be passed s thy ar ot really addressing t he m jor issues ithin ND S nd only harm p ople wt ha d sab tl ty ho ar alread vulnerable I hav only highlighted few ft he ssues at thi time .
Thank you fo taking the tim read my submission an hope yo can do theright thing oppose thi ill its entire current form.