National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 981
Dear Committee,
I am writing as an independent NDIS support worker servicing regional NSW communities including Barraba, Bingara, Manilla and Tamworth.
My main concern with the proposed NDIS Bill 2026 is the real-world impact that tighter reassessments, reduced flexibility, and delays in support could have on vulnerable participants living in regional areas.
In my day-to-day work, I support participants with psychosocial disability, intellectual disability, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD and other complex needs. Many of the people I support already struggle with daily living, emotional regulation, personal hygiene, medication management, attending appointments, housing instability and social isolation.
When supports are delayed, questioned repeatedly, or reduced, the need does not disappear. Instead, the pressure shifts onto families, carers, already stretched support workers, emergency departments, crisis mental health services, housing services and local communities.
In regional areas, there are often very limited replacement providers or workers available. If a participant loses a trusted support worker or experiences disruption during reassessments or plan changes, it can lead to rapid deterioration in their mental health, increased anxiety, withdrawal from the community, missed medical appointments, poor living conditions, and increased crisis presentations.
I have personally seen participants become distressed and overwhelmed simply from uncertainty around their supports and future plans. Continuity, trust and flexibility are critical for people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities. Support needs can fluctuate daily, and rigid systems do not always reflect real life.
I support reforms that address fraud, exploitation and poor practice within the NDIS. However, I ask the Committee to ensure reforms do not unintentionally harm genuine participants who rely on consistent and flexible support to remain safe and stable in the community.
I ask the Committee to consider the following:
• Protect continuity of supports during reassessments and plan changes.
• Assess the impact of reforms on regional and rural communities before implementation. • Ensure people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities are not subjected to excessive reassessments that create unnecessary stress and instability. • Include frontline workers, participants, carers and lived experience voices in decision-making before final changes are introduced. • Properly model downstream impacts on hospitals, mental health services, housing and unpaid carers if supports become harder to access.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 981