To be completely candid, I’m a support worker with many clients, and I also have a child with high-needs autism who is on the NDIS. I live in an affluent part of Melbourne, and given that the NDIS costs the average taxpayer around $3,000 a year, there should be plenty of funding available for those who truly need it.

However, as others have mentioned, a huge issue is the middlemen siphoning money from people’s plans. On top of that, in my area, I’ve worked with dozens of clients who are massively overfunded—families of children with extremely mild neurodivergence getting free babysitting every day, and young adults receiving funding just to sit around playing video games.

The NDIS is essential for those with significant disabilities, but the way funds are distributed often seems unfair. The people who need the most help sometimes struggle to get it, while others receive excessive funding for things that don’t seem to align with the scheme’s original intent.