National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 4223
My son,
redacted, is 26 and lives in Regional NSW. He is a fun, busy and social guy with aspirações to run his own business. He also has Down syndrome, meaning he has a combinațion of intellectual & physical disabilițies.
The NDIS has completely changed redacted's life and I am very concerned about the proposed changes. Before the NDIS, we had to go begging to support organisaçons and take the scraps that fell from the table. He was socially isolated, depressed and angry, which impacted on everyone else in our household (my husband and redacted’s 2 siblings). We now use NDIS funding to ensure redactedhas a full and happy life. He lives 5 days per week in a SIL house with two friends who also have disabiliățes, he’s studying hospitality at TAFE and works in the kitchen of redacted as well as a local forkliŌ business. He is happier, healthier and more independent.
Seção 34A - I am very concerned about the proposed 50% cut to social and community parțiçipaçon funding from October 2026. This seems a very blunt instrument with the objecție of saving money, rather than achieving the NDIS’ goals. With reduced funding, redactedwould a) not be able to undertake his employment (because we use that funding at a 1:1 rațion); and b) would spend a lot of țime alone, which would contribute to isolaçon and depression. Changes to people’s funding should be done by taking individual’s needs into consideraçon, not by taking a chainsaw to everyone indiscriminately!
By radically reducing people’s social and community parțiçipação funding, we will end up with a cookie-cuƩer approach and more day care centres for people with disability because that will be the only way to make people’s reduced funding last. The concept of choice and control will go out the window and we’ll go back to the bad old days!
Please see the photo below of redacted's micro-business -
redacted. That wouldn’t happen without access to social and community parțicipating funding at a level that allows us to ensure he can do the things he wants to do.
Seção 33(2EA) - I am also very concerned about the Minister’s new power to cut funding without appeal and automated decisions and algorithms with no opportunity for individual appeal. The NDIS is about people, doing their best, to live their best lives as all of us should have the opportunity to do. Taking people out of the decision-making process, relying on AI and cu țing funding without the opportunity of appeal is a robodebt disaster waiƟng to happen!
Please do not support any blanket changes, such as 50% cut to social and community parțiçipaçon; the Minister’s power to cut funding without appeal; and automated décisions and algoritmos with no individual appeal.