Australian NDIS reforms spark concerns over support cuts and gender impact

During a Senate inquiry, Women with Disabilities Australia warned that the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) amendment could increase isolation, abuse and poverty for women and gender‑diverse people, calling for a comprehensive gender‑impact analysis before the bill proceeds.

Around the same time, disability recipients in regional New South Wales reported sudden reductions in their NDIS funding, with some plans cut to near‑zero, raising fears that the federal reforms aimed at slowing scheme growth and shifting services to “foundational supports” will leave many without needed therapy or coordination. Advocates stress that reforms must ensure adequate, gender‑sensitive safeguards and that support cuts not be implemented until alternative services are in place.