But there’s still time for the Committee to hear from you. People can make their own submissions on the Committee’s website – or they can fill in the form on our website and we’ll pass their ideas on to the committee.

Submissions can be long or short. If you are pressed for time (and let’s face it with the NDIS who isn’t?) just jot down the most important thing to you.

The key thing is that the Joint Standing Committee hears about your experience with planning or SIL – what’s working, what’s not and what needs to change.

Problems with planning?

In the last 12 months we’ve heard from people all around the country about their experiences with planning – poor communication, inexperienced LACs and planners, inconsistent plans, no explanations for decisions and plans that don’t respond to people’s needs.

As one supporter said in their submission this week:

“When the plan was complete the planner submitted it straight to the NDIS. I did not get to review my plan and it contained medical information which was incorrect. Hence the plan included significant funding for one thing but insufficient for another. Therefore, the recipient should be able to review the plan before it is submitted.”

Frustrations with SIL

Rules around SIL are also a huge concern for thousands of people with disability and their families – frustrated by the enormous waiting period for paperwork, inflexible funding, and the increasing lack of choice and control.

Support to live the way you choose and with whom you choose is at the heart of why we all fought so hard for the NDIS – but too many people are being let down right now.

In the words of one EAC supporter:

“The NDIS should mandate that the provision of SIL funding is conditional upon its stated ideals of choice and control being implemented.”

And another:

“Funding for our daughter to live her life like everyone else. With support.”

There are so many issues with both NDIS planning and SIL that need to be addressed to make the NDIS work for everyone.

There’s still time to make a submission

It’s great that the Joint Standing Committee chose to look at these two critical issues.

They will read everyone’s submissions and then make recommendations back to the government and the NDIA about how the problems can be fixed.

You can read more here about the work of the Joint Standing Committee and the terms of reference for each of these inquiries on our website.

Don’t miss your chance to tell the Committee what need to change – submissions to both inquiries close on September 6.