The good news is that the concerns expressed by the community earlier this year around Independent Assessments have not been brought back in the tabled Amendments Bill.

Another point of positivity is that the proposed Bill specifies that psychosocial disabilities can be considered permanent even if they fluctuate or are episodic in nature. This could be a game changer for many people within the community who face barriers when trying to access the NDIS. However, this proposed change is currently limited to only including psychosocial disabilities, not other disabilities like MS or CFS that can fluctuate.

While that is great news which we can all celebrate, there is an area that is causing concern within the community - the proposed changes to Section 47A and 48. These changes could mean the NDIS CEO can change a participant’s plan without discussing those changes with the participant. It has been noted that the CEO would only be able to make these changes in limited circumstances, however, those limited circumstances are yet to be identified.

Every Australian Counts have set up as easy access avenue for people within the community to reach out to Senators via email to express their opinion on the proposed changes to the NDIS Bill. You can fill in your own message expressing your opinion, or use the pre-filled message provided. If you use the pre-filled message, be sure to read through it thoroughly to ensure that it lines up with what message you wish to pass on to the Senators. You can provide feedback through the Every Australian Counts website (https://everyaustraliancounts.com.au/email-the-senate-ask-them-to-scrap-new-ndis-ceo-powers).

The Amendments Bill is due to be discussed by parliament between the 22nd of November and the 2nd of December. We will notify you of any key updates as they come through.