NDIS changes and new expectations for parents explained

By the Specialist Reporting Team's Evan Young and national disability affairs reporter Nas Campanella

Tue 9 Jun 2026 at 4:51am

Tue 9 Jun 2026 at 4:51am

The disability community is worried about the size and speed of the federal government's NDIS changes. ( ABC News: Michelle McNamara )

Senators will today begin presiding over three days of hearings into legislation paving the way for the Albanese government to make the biggest ever cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Australians were given just more than a fortnight to make submissions on the highly technical 113-page bill , which is accompanied by nearly 300 pages of explanatory notes and was referred to the Senate for an inquiry after being introduced to the lower house.

The government has acknowledged the magnitude and speed of the changes , which have been slammed as "dangerous" by the disability community, but says they are needed to ensure the now-$50 billion NDIS remains sustainable for future generations.

We've combed through the bill and hundreds of public submissions to unpack some of the most contentious parts of the proposed legislation and examine why they've been suggested.

Implications for those with multiple disabilities

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What's next?

The inquiry into the bill will report by June 16.

The government wants its changes passed as soon as possible, but it is facing opposition from the Coalition and Greens, so changes may be required to secure their support.

Both parties have expressed concern that many details about the changes appear to be left to the design of rules yet to be created or the discretion of individuals.

Ms Anderson says, if passed, the true impact of the legislation may not be apparent until long into the future.

"These proposed changes are staggering and dangerous, have come with no consultation, and the community has had just on two weeks to respond to what is effectively 400 pages of material stripping away their rights," she says.

A government spokesperson says the bill is compatible with human rights and governments need to have "more oversight over a scheme that was growing faster than Medicare, the PBS and aged care".

"The NDIS will still be the biggest social program the government has outside of the age pension and still the centrepiece of the most comprehensive suite of supports for people with disability anywhere in the world," the spokesperson says.