“We Can’t Get Out Of Bed!”: NDIS Support Lists Must Maximise Flexibility | Supports | Flexibility | Choice and control | NDIS
| NDIS Fund Management | Policy and Advocacy | News
| Text only
| Supports | Flexibility | Choice and control | NDIS
| NDIS Fund Management | Policy and Advocacy | News
| Text only
A broken hoist can leave someone unable to get out of bed. A change in family circumstances can mean more paid support is needed overnight. NDIS funding must be flexible enough to respond.
At our community workshop, one person put the stakes plainly:
“If the hoist is broken – we can’t get out of bed”
Workshop participant
Another described being afraid to request essential equipment because it might trigger cuts to other support:
“I am too scared to put it in just in case it triggers another plan amendment and we lose half our funding.”
Workshop participant
These concerns helped shape Self Manager Hub’s submission on the proposed NDIS support lists. It draws on 66 survey responses, our 25 September workshop, and the concerns our community raised in 2025.
83% of survey respondents were concerned or very concerned about stated supports, which restrict how funding can be used.
People want clearer rules. They also want the freedom to organise support that works for their circumstances. As one survey respondent said:
“The categories mean nothing if we aren’t given actual flexibility to use funding where required.”
Our submission calls on the Government to:
- Allow flexible use of funding across eligible categories, including for urgent equipment repairs.
- Fund supports based on individual disability needs and value for money.
- Recognise the range of expenses involved when employing and self-directing our own support teams.
- Protect flexible use of short-term accommodation funding including respite at home.
- Enable people to address disability-related needs with everyday products and to find new, innovative, and cost-effective ways of meeting support needs.
- Give clear answers and involve our community in developing the rules.
The concerns go beyond confusing categories. People need to feel trusted to make decisions about our lives. A contributor to our 2025 submission expressed this clearly:
“We’re not trying to rort the system. We’re trying to live a life.”
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey, joined the workshop, or shared their experiences. Your contributions have helped us make a strong case for funding rules that protect choice, control, and self-direction.
You can read our submission here.
If you missed our workshop, you can now watch the recording below.
Support is available
We know these proposed changes may be distressing for some people, especially if you are worried about losing trusted support or having less choice and control. These concerns are understandable.
If you would like to talk with someone, these services offer confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14.
- Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.
Connect with our community
Self Manager Hub runs regular peer support groups for NDIS participants and nominees. These groups offer an opportunity to connect with others who understand, share experiences, and learn from one another.
Express your interest in joining a peer support group.