Australians with Down’s syndrome among those to suffer most from proposed NDIS cuts government analysis says

Proposed funding cuts to NDIS would disadvantage Australians with visual impairment, psychosocial disability and Down’s syndrome the most, according to government analysis, with the government hoping to slash those budgets by 50% by the end of 2027. It also forecasts the cost of the NDIS will more than double in 10 years to $117bn, representing 2.4% of GDP, unless significant changes are made to the $50bn program. The warning signs contained in a new report by the Office of Impact Analysis (OIA) revealed the options the Department of Health considered as it looked at improve the quality and cost of the NDIS. The health minister, Mark Butler, last week introduced changes he said were critical to achieving the national cabinet’s annual growth rate target of 5-6% in the coming years. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The federal budget papers showed the changes are expected to tip $36.2bn back into Treasury and bring the growth rate down to an average of 3.6% until 2030. The changes would also result in around 600,000 remaining on the NDIS. There are now 774,456 on the scheme as of March 2026, an increase of 13,014 since December 2025. The OIA’s conclusions show the move to reduce funding for social, civic and community participation (SCCP) budgets – designed to reduce isolation and build independence for NDIS participants – will impact some disability groups more significantly. Those most affected, on average, will be people with visual impairment. …