Australians living with life-limiting illnesses could be left without access to essential disability supports under proposed changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), according to Palliative Care Australia (PCA). In its submission, they argue that the new rules risk creating a “dangerous gap” that could unfairly exclude some people with life-limiting or terminal illness from the NDIS.
Fri 5 Jun 2026 10.10 AEST
Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
Australians living with life-limiting illnesses could be left without access to essential disability supports under proposed changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), according to Palliative Care Australia (PCA).
The national peak body was one of 4,500 to lodge a submission to a Senate inquiry examining the Albanese government’s cost-saving reforms, which Treasurer Jim Chalmers has argued are “all about saving the NDIS from itself”.
The proposed amendments would introduce tighter eligibility requirements to cut down participant numbers by more than 240,000 over the next four years, in a bid to reduce projected spending to $55 billion a year by 2030.
PCA argued in its submission that the new rules risk creating a “dangerous gap” that could unfairly exclude some people with life-limiting or terminal illness from the NDIS.
It warned this could leave them “locked out of both systems”, unable to access either appropriate healthcare or disability supports.
“The Bill effectively accepts that some people may be unable to access appropriate healthcare because of cost or geography, while also excluding them from accessing functional supports through the NDIS,” said PCA National Policy Director Josh Fear.
“That is not an adequate safeguard for people with complex and highly vulnerable care needs.”
Mr Fear said the proposed changes overlook the challenges faced by Australians living with serious illness, particularly those in rural, regional and remote areas where access to specialist and palliative care services is already limited.
“People approaching the end of life should not be left navigating gaps between systems while trying to manage serious illness, disability and distress,” he said.
The Senate inquiry will hold its first public hearing in Melbourne on Tuesday, followed by two days in Canberra.
Its final report is due on June 16, 2026.
PCA fears the new plan would reduce the already-constrained capacity of the NDIS to “respond flexibly and swiftly to fluctuating functional capacity and to rapid functional decline”.
It also flagged concerns about delays in decision-making, arguing that proposed timeframes – including a 90-day period for decisions on unscheduled plan reassessments – are “unsuitable for people with short life expectancies”.
PCA’s warning comes amid growing criticism of the reforms from disability and community groups, which fear vulnerable Australians could be left without vital support.
Under the new plan, eligibility would be determined by a participant’s functional ability – how their condition impairs their day-to-day life – rather than a diagnosis.
Participants would also be required to demonstrate that they had exhausted all other appropriate treatment options before gaining access to the scheme.
Average plan funding is forecast to fall from $31,000 to $26,000 per participant, while funding for social and community participation supports would be cut by 30 per cent.
The legislation would also give NDIS Minister Mark Butler new powers to reduce funding in certain circumstances, a move criticised by the Australian Human Rights Commission in its submission to the inquiry.
“The breadth of power means that funding settings could be adjusted over time in response to changing policy, governments, or budget priorities,” it stated.
The Commission described the two-week consultation period as “wholly inadequate” and warned the legislation could be “regressive in the protection and realisation of the rights of people with disability”.
It also argued the changes would make it harder for participants to challenge decisions, which could “reduce independent scrutiny, with implications for access to justice”.
PCA has urged the Senate Committee to consider safeguards to ensure people with permanent and significant disabilities arising from a terminal diagnosis continue to receive appropriate support.
“We are calling on the Senate Committee and the Australian Government to ensure the legislation protects equitable access to both healthcare and disability supports for people with life-limiting conditions,” Mr Fear said.
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