Disability groups, the national legal aid service, and other advocates have privately pressed health department officials to oppose the Labor government's proposed NDIS overhaul, arguing it would cause serious harm to participants.

A Senate inquiry projects that eligibility changes could remove about 241,000 people from the NDIS by mid-2031, including 155,000 under-18s, with a majority of these under-18s being autistic.

The government’s overhaul combines budget cuts to individual supports, tighter eligibility rules, and measures aimed at improving integrity in the provider market, with the Coalition showing support amid budget pressures and Greens proposing tweaks through consultation.

Over eight weeks of Senate inquiry hearings, disability groups, academics, and legal services have raised escalating concerns about the reforms, including potential cuts and altered eligibility.

The Human Rights Commission supports reform in principle but urges a slower, more deliberate approach that safeguards human rights while tackling sustainability and market failures.

NDIS participation is expected to fall from about 775,000 to roughly 600,000 under the reforms, with short-term projected savings of around $35 billion.

An open letter signed by about 100 academics and community organizations, including former disability royal commissioner Alastair McEwin, criticizes new ministerial powers to cut participants’ personal, social, and community budgets, noting alternative supports are unavailable and many rely on disability income.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has urged pausing the NDIS bill to address significant human rights concerns related to process, accountability, and impacts on participants.

Five peak disability bodies, National Legal Aid, and other groups told the health, disability and ageing department that the bill would cause substantial and foreseeable harm, urging amendments to strengthen access, permanency, review rights, and protections for carers.