What we heard in powerful testimony from witnesses at NDIS inquiry

NDIS Senate inquiry hears concerns of carer burnout, slashing of social supports and 'dangerous' ministerial powers Fri 7 Aug 2026 at 12:16pm , updatedFri 7 Aug 2026 at 12:18pm Not since it was first set up, have the people who rely on and work within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) faced such significant changes. The government has proposed a suite of amendments to the laws that govern the scheme, which they say will reduce its cost by more than $30 billion over four years. Over six days of hearings, senators scrutinised those changes asking how people with disability will be affected, what the impact will be on their families and carers, and what other services will be available to those who lose support. If the changes are made, modelling points to more than 300,000 participants exiting the scheme or being prevented from joining it, so there was not much common ground during the inquiry between what the government wants and the people at the heart of the scheme. But there was agreement from witnesses across the board that rorting of the system must stop and the scheme's growth must be brought under control so that it can be sustained into the future. The Senate committee only took submissions for two weeks, but in that time 4,500 groups and individuals wrote in with their concerns. Among the submissions was a stinging rebuke from state and territory ministers who said the pace of change was too fast, they had not been suitably consulted, and alternative services would not be ready. There were a number of contentious issues that came up over the hearings. Here's what we heard: The cut labelled a 'safety issue' The government has said NDIS funding for participants to engage with their community is a 'runaway' cost that needs to be reined in. Their plan is to use a provision in the amended legislation that would allow the Commonwealth disability minister of the day to order a percentage cut to any stream of funding they see fit. Once the legislation passes, the government has said the funding stream used by participants to hire support workers to get out into the community for things like doctors appointments, or to the supermarket, will be cut by 50 per cent. Participants' budgets for capacity building (which fund therapies) will also be reduced by 10 per cent. Disability Discrimination Commissioner Rosemary Kayess said the cuts would mean many participants could find themselves stuck in unsafe environments like those exposed by the Disability Royal Commission. "They end up in either closed environments or isolated environments, and they are at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation," she said. A lived-experience witness said cutting his funding would have a profound impact on his life. "If this government reduces that community and social participation funding any further, I effectively become a prisoner in my own home," Andrew told the hearing. No one wants fraud in the scheme One of the government's main motivations for the sweeping changes is stamping out rorts perpetrated by unscrupulous operators who exploit NDIS participants' packages. Many witnesses told the inquiry they supported measures that would reduce fraud, overcharging, over-servicing and other sharp practices. The AFP told the hearings the scheme is an attractive target to criminals due to the scale of expenditure. The proposed changes to the NDIS Act would give the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) the power it needs to investigate fraud on its own and address some conflicts of interest. Several witnesses questioned why the bill did not go further. "Given that the narrative has been fraud is a significant driver of cost, then this legislation doesn't necessarily go close enough to that," Bronwyn Morris Donovan, from Allied Health Professions, said. Concern for carers By providing support for people with disability, the NDIS has made it possible for many family members and carers to access assistance to manage their children's conditions or return to work. The new legislation could change that. The draft bill says parents should be responsible for providing "substantial care" such as the personal care, transport and behavioural support that "would reasonably be expected of a parent of a child of a similar age". The chief executive of Children and Young People with Disability Australia, Skye Kakoschke-Moore, said raising children with disability was not the same as raising children without disability. "Expecting a parent to single-handedly provide the same level of care and support as a team of skilled, qualified, experienced support workers, risks putting that family into further crisis and may lead to increased instances of carer burnout," Ms Kakoschke-Moore said. The government has said it wants to move children with autism and developmental delay, with mild to moderate support needs, off the NDIS. The Thriving Kids program, which is due to begin rolling out in just eight weeks, will provide parents of these children with state-based support. Advocates raised concern about how few of those services are in place yet. Draft ministerial powers labelled 'dangerous' Throughout the hearings there was condemnation from advocates for the proposal to give the NDIS minister the power to cut any NDIS funding stream they deem too costly. Dr George Taleporos, a disability advocate who was instrumental in designing the NDIS, said the provision would create "a terrifying and dangerous power that will cause harm to disabled people". Ms Kayess said the ministerial powers were very broad and lacked accountability and parliamentary oversight. Naomi Anderson, from Villa Manta Disability Rights Legal Service, said putting so much power in one person's hands was a problem. "We don't know who that person will be in future. We don't know what their budget priorities will be. We're basically giving them the PIN number to the bank account," she said. What's next? The inquiry will report back on Friday, August 14. After that, the Senate will vote on the bill. The Labor-led committee has already issued an interim report, which provides some idea of their thinking. It said there should be clarification of how the minister is required to consider participants' safety when deciding to cut funding. It also called for more detail on "critical supports" that the bill says will not be impacted by cuts to particular funding streams. It also recommended the bill be passed. The government does not have enough seats in the Senate to pass the bill on its own, so it will need the support of the Coalition or the Greens. The Greens and senator David Pocock said they did not support the bill passing. The question everyone now has is what will it mean for the NDIS and the people who rely on it?