Recently we shared a video discussing the proposed NDIS reforms relating to family supports. The response was significant, generating hundreds of comments, questions and conversations. This article is our attempt to answer some of the most common themes that emerged from that discussion.
You can watch the video on Facebook here – https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1ESRDRqUwi/
The proposed NDIS reforms have sparked a lot of questions, concerns and debate. Here’s what we know, what we don’t know, and why so many families are talking about these changes.
The Question We’re Hearing Most About the NDIS Family Support Changes
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen hundreds of comments, conversations and media discussions about one particular aspect of the proposed NDIS reforms: family support.
Initially, we thought the discussion was about a fairly technical policy question: where the boundary sits between family responsibility and NDIS-funded support.
The comments suggested something deeper. Many of the concerns were not actually about parenting. They were about ageing, sustainability and the future.
One parent asked:
“How are they going to define this? Is it assumed that our children should by age 18 be independent and able to live without care and supervision by their parents, or are we supposed to parent for the entirety of our child’s life and till the end of ours?”
Another wrote:
“My daughter is 20 years old and still needs 24/7 support. Is it now expected for me as her mother to care for her for her entire life?”
A third commenter shared:
“I am 70 and still support my son… I still have to hire support workers, arrange days and other activities and approve invoices. It doesn’t stop. They are still your children regardless of age and I worry about what happens after I am gone.”
Reading through dozens of similar responses, a common theme emerged:
The question isn’t whether parents will continue loving and supporting their children. Most parents would say that never stops.
The question many families appear to be asking is:
What happens when I’m no longer physically able to provide the level of care, supervision, advocacy and support my family member needs?
That is a very different conversation and the concerns are real. They deserve clear, factual answers rather than fear, speculation or social media soundbites.
What Has Actually Been Proposed?
The Australian Government has proposed changes to the NDIS through the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026.
The reforms are part of a broader effort to make the Scheme more structured, evidence-based and sustainable into the future.
One of the proposed changes relates to how the NDIA considers family and informal supports when deciding what supports should be funded.
In simple terms, the proposal would make it clearer that parents are generally expected to provide the kinds of supports that any parent would reasonably provide to a child of a similar age. The NDIS would continue to focus on disability-related support needs that go beyond ordinary parenting responsibilities.
This seems to be a source of contention.
What This Does Not Mean
This is where much of the confusion has emerged. The proposed reforms do not automatically mean:
- Parents must provide all supports for their child.
- Families will lose support overnight.
- Adults with disability are expected to become fully independent at 18.
- Existing plans will automatically be cancelled.
- Current supports will suddenly disappear.
Perhaps the most important point is that nothing changes immediately.
Many of the proposed reforms are planned to be introduced gradually over several years, with some details still being developed and consulted on. Current supports and services continue as normal.
Why Are Families Worried?
One of the most interesting things about the discussion was that people often seemed to be talking about different issues entirely. For some, the reforms are simply clarifying what has always existed in the NDIS. As one commenter observed:
“It was always that way in theory, not in practice.”
Others argued that everyday parenting responsibilities have never been intended to be funded through the Scheme in the first place. But many families were focused on something else entirely. A recurring concern was what happens when disability-related support needs continue into adulthood.
Several parents described supporting adult sons and daughters who could not safely live independently. Others worried about ageing carers who may no longer be able to continue providing significant support indefinitely. In these situations, terms such as family support, informal support and reasonable parenting responsibilities can take on a very different meaning.
People are no longer thinking about helping with homework, school drop-offs or everyday parenting tasks.
They are thinking about:
- Personal care.
- Behavioural support.
- Medication management.
- Supervision.
- Safety.
- Appointments and advocacy.
- Planning for life after parents are gone.
For many families, the concern isn’t simply what the legislation says. It’s whether future decision-making will recognise the realities of those circumstances.
What About Adult Children?
One of the strongest themes we’ve seen in community discussions relates to adult children.
Parents are asking:
“If my son is 30 and still requires significant support, am I expected to do that forever?”
“What happens when I’m no longer able to help?”
Under the proposed reforms, the framework for adults differs from the framework proposed for children.
The draft legislation shifts away from asking what would normally be expected of a parent and instead focuses on whether reliance on family or informal supports is safe and sustainable. This includes considerations around risks to both the person receiving support and those providing it.
That distinction is important.
The conversation for a ten-year-old child is very different from the conversation for a forty-year-old adult whose ageing parents are still providing support.
How Is This Different From The Current Approach?
Some people may be surprised to learn that family supports and informal supports are already considered within the NDIS framework.
The proposed reforms don’t introduce the concept for the first time.
Instead, they aim to define some of those considerations more explicitly in legislation.
| Current Approach | Proposed Approach |
| Family and informal supports are considered | Family and informal supports are more clearly defined |
| Parenting responsibilities may be considered during decision making | Parenting assumptions are expressly outlined for children |
| Decision makers assess reasonable and necessary supports | Decision makers would follow a more structured legislative framework |
| Sustainability may be considered | Sustainability and risk considerations are more directly referenced |
For many families, this is why the discussion feels significant. It is not necessarily because the concepts are entirely new, but because they may become more clearly embedded within the legislation itself. For some families, the uncertainty lies in how these provisions may be interpreted and applied in individual circumstances.
Separating Facts From Fear
Social media can be an incredible place to share information and lived experience, it can also make it difficult to separate confirmed information from speculation.
At the moment, there are still many questions that nobody can answer with certainty.
- How the reforms may ultimately be implemented?
- What future operational guidelines could look like?
- How specific circumstances may be assessed?
Those details will continue to evolve as reforms progress.
What we do know is that the conversation is not simply about legislation.
It’s about people. It’s about families trying to understand what the future may look like.
And it’s about ensuring people with disability continue to have access to the supports they need to live safe, meaningful and connected lives.
What Should Families Focus On Right Now?
CSBS would recommend that you:
- Stay informed from reliable sources.
- Keep reports and evidence up to date.
- Record support needs clearly and accurately.
- Document impacts on safety, function and daily living.
- Ask questions when information is unclear.
- Avoid making major decisions based solely on rumours or social media discussions.
Most importantly, remember that proposed reforms do not automatically change the support someone receives today. Current arrangements continue as normal while the broader reform process unfolds.
What The Comments Reveal
One thing became clear from reading the responses. People are approaching this conversation from very different lived experiences. Some families are concerned supports may reduce over time. Some believe the reforms simply formalise principles that have always existed. Some are focused on sustainability of the Scheme. Others are focused on sustainability of family caregiving.
These perspectives can sometimes appear contradictory, but they all point to the same underlying issue:
- People want certainty.
- They want to understand what future reforms could mean for themselves or the people they love.
- And they want confidence that complex individual circumstances will continue to be recognised.
Final Thoughts
The strongest message we’ve taken from recent conversations isn’t about funding, policy or legislation. It’s about uncertainty.
Families want to know that their loved ones will continue to be safe, supported and valued.
They want confidence that the people making decisions understand the reality of disability and caregiving and they want clear information they can trust.
As more details about the proposed NDIS reforms emerge, we’ll continue to focus on providing practical, balanced information that helps people understand not just what is changing, but what it may mean in everyday life.
Want to learn more or have a chat reach out below.
References and further reading
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, introduced 14 May 2026, available at: NDIS Amendment Bill 2026. [health.gov.au]
- Parliament of Australia, National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, Schedule 1, Part 6, Proposed Section 34. Available at: Parliament Bill Page. [aph.gov.au]
- National Disability Insurance Agency, Securing the NDIS for Future Generations, NDIS, 2026. Available at: NDIS Reform Information. [ndis.gov.au]
- Parliament of Australia, Bills Digest No. 65, 2025–26: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026, Parliamentary Library, June 2026. Available at: Bills Digest. [aph.gov.au]
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 – Fact Sheet, May 2026. Available at: Fact Sheet. [health.gov.au]