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HiCom Care - Fast & Responsive NDIS Plan Manager

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Maribyrnong, VIC
HiCom Care - Fast & Responsive NDIS Plan Manager

Fast & Responsive Plan Manager: personalized services & innovative apps
NDIA Registered 4050070759

Our Plan Management service helps you get more from your NDIS plan - AT NO COST to you. You only need to have Plan Management funded in your NDIS plan. We handle the day-to-day admin tasks that come with your plan and help you to keep track of your funding balance. As your Plan Manager, we will:

[1] Ensure your service providers are paid within 3 business days
[2] Ensure your queries are responde

d to in the same business day
[3] Provide access to mobile app to track your spendings, view invoices status, and check budget remaining
[4] Protect your fund from incorrect, fraud, scam and overpriced invoices
[5] Give you professional, unbiased advice plus handy tips about your use of NDIS budgets
[6] Connect you to a range of supports and service providers that may suit your needs
[7] We're NOT a support coordinator, but we have a great tool for your support coordinator to assist you easier

Sign up in 3 minutes on:
https://hicomcare.com.au

07/09/2026

🚨 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐈𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄
A 56-year-old disability support worker has faced a NSW court, charged with three counts of aggravated sexual touching involving two women with cognitive impairments living in a Supported Independent Living (SIL) home.

⚖️ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 & 𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍
🛑 The charges: Scott Bone is accused of sexually touching two female residents without consent between April and July at a Macleay Valley SIL home.
🔓 Granted bail: Despite the judge explicitly noting the extreme seriousness of the charges and the accused’s prior criminal history, he was granted bail and is living in the community until his next court date on September 23.

🏛️ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐔𝐑𝐄 & 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
🏢 Provider response: The disability service provider, WEmpower, has terminated his employment and reported the matter to the authorities.
🛡️ The NDIS Commission: The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission stated they are treating the matter "very seriously."
⚠️ The systemic flaw: For carers, the glaring contradiction remains: How does a worker with a criminal history clear the rigorous NDIS Worker Screening Checks in the first place? Why are vulnerable women with cognitive impairments repeatedly left exposed to predators within government-funded SIL environments?

Source:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-03/disability-support-worker-accused-sexual-assault/107105894

02/09/2026

🏫 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟓𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒
As the government prepares to launch Thriving Kids this October to replace individual NDIS funding for children aged 0–8, a major policy gap is emerging for older children and teenagers who face scheme exits without a dedicated safety net.

⚠️ 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒, 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒
📊 151,240 young people at risk: Health department estimates show over 150,000 children and teens under 18 with autism or developmental delays will lose NDIS funding under scheme tightening.
🎒 The age-9 cliff: Thriving Kids only serves children aged 0–8 with low-to-moderate needs. The federal government has not yet announced what supports, funding, or pathways will exist for kids aged 9 and over who fall between NDIS eligibility and early childhood programs.
⚡ Carer exhaustion: Parents are increasingly forced to act as unpaid case managers, trying to coordinate private therapists, advocate at schools, and absorb rising out-of-pocket costs without government guidance.

💡 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋-𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄
Researchers argue that support shouldn't abruptly end when a child turns nine. Instead of forcing families into expensive private therapy, foundational supports must be built directly into schools and communities:
🤝 Interprofessional teamwork: Bringing OTs, speech pathologists, and social workers directly into classrooms to work alongside teachers, adapting sensory environments rather than just pulling kids out for isolated appointments.
🧠 Neurodiversity-informed spaces: Educating teachers, coaches, and peers on natural brain variations, removing the stigma that frames autistic communication as a deficit.
🏫 Proven SA model: South Australia’s Self-Regulation Service (running across 57 primary schools) demonstrates how teaching impulse control and coping skills to all students improves participation without requiring formal NDIS diagnoses.

💙 A young person's developmental needs evolve as they grow, but they do not disappear at age nine. Families need clear, funded pathways that guarantee support through primary and secondary school.

Source:

https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/not-eligible-for-ndis-too-old-for-thriving-kids-what-supports-should-these-young-people-get/

31/08/2026

🧠 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇: 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋
With NDIS budget reductions taking effect on 1 October 2026, the Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) has issued an urgent call ahead of the 4 September Health Ministers meeting, uncovering a major hidden threat facing people living with psychosocial disabilities and their family carers.

📉𝐓𝐇𝐄 "𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆" 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃
🧠 30% of plan budgets at risk: Government analysis confirms that around 30% of total NDIS funding for participants with primary psychosocial disabilities is allocated to Social and Community Participation.
🛒 Used for basic daily living: Crucially, because core NDIS support plans for mental health conditions have been quietly reduced over the last five years, many participants have been forced to use their "community participation" money just to cover fundamental daily living needs.
⚠️ Beyond social activities: Slashing community participation budgets by up to 50% on 1 October will not simply reduce social outings, it threatens the basic daily survival baseline for adults living with severe anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia.

⏳𝐑𝐄𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓'𝐒 "𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍" 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇
🛑 Stop "sequencing" care: The Government has prioritized building replacement supports for young children first (via Thriving Kids). MHCC warns that governments cannot force adults with psychosocial conditions to wait in line behind other cohorts while their current NDIS funding is actively being reduced.
🏛️ Upcoming 4 September deadline: MHCC is demanding that state and federal Health Ministers use their meeting this Friday to commit to an immediate, co-designed framework for psychosocial Foundational Supports rather than leaving families in a care void.

🏗️ 𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘-𝐓𝐎-𝐆𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 (𝐍𝐒𝐖)
To prevent vulnerable participants from ending up in hospital emergency rooms, MHCC and National Disability Services have delivered a concrete blueprint to establish community-managed mental health foundational supports across NSW using existing local health networks.

Source:
https://newshub.medianet.com.au/2026/08/ministers-ndis-reform-must-be-matched-by-action-on-psychosocial-supports/168777/

28/08/2026

🚨 $𝟕𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓: 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐈𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐅𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒
Police and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) have arrested a 48-year-old NDIS participant in Horsham, Victoria, for allegedly draining $700,000 from the disability support scheme using dummy companies.

🕵️ Between June 2024 and June 2026, the suspect allegedly created two shell businesses to issue false invoices for services he never received, transferring the government payouts directly into his personal bank accounts.

⚖️ Detectives from the Hamilton Crime Investigation Unit arrested the man on charges of fraud and dealing with property suspected to be proceeds of crime.

🏛️As the Federal Government faces pressure to curb NDIS budget overruns, the NDIA states it is ramping up joint police investigations and data analytics to w**d out dishonest claims and safeguard funds for genuine needs.

💥 For families advocating daily for necessary care, it is deeply frustrating to see $700,000 drained from within the system, in this case, allegedly by an actual participant exploiting weak oversight mechanisms.

Source:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-27/police-horsham-victoria-ndis-fraud-arrest-disability/107083372

26/08/2026

💔𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐇’𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇
The heartbreaking death of 54-year-old Adelaide woman Ann Marie Smith continues to expose severe flaws in disability care oversight. As court proceedings continue, her family is urging the justice system and government regulators to ensure vulnerable Australians are never failed like this again.

📌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄:
🟠𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭: Ann Marie, who lived with cerebral palsy, died in April 2020 from severe malnutrition, septic shock, and organ failure after being left confined to a cane chair in her home for over a year while receiving full-time NDIS support.
🟠𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝: Her direct carer, Rosa Maione, was jailed in 2022 for at least five years after pleading guilty to manslaughter by criminal neglect.

💥 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 & 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘:
For families relying on the NDIS, recent developments in court raise troubling questions about corporate accountability and government oversight:
🟠𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝: Former Integrity Care SA (ICSA) co-director Amy June Collins was originally charged with criminal neglect. However, prosecutors dropped that charge, and she instead pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of reckless conduct under Work Health and Safety laws (facing a maximum of 5 years).
🟠𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Charges against another co-director were dropped entirely, while corporate charges against ICSA were scrapped after the company was deregistered.
🟠𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞" 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞: Defense lawyers argued in court that the company operated on a "reactive" model, assuming carers would report problems and placed full blame on the individual carer, claiming management was unaware of Ann Marie's declining health.

🏛️ Ann Marie’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements in the South Australian District Court, warning that if neglect of this severity could go completely undetected for over a year, systemic reform is urgently needed across the sector. Her brother, Steven, asked the court to let Annie’s legacy be the one that strengthens real protection for all vulnerable people relying on external care.

Source:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-24/ann-marie-smith-family-suffer-heartbreak-daily/107071054

24/08/2026

🌸 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐒 & 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍’𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐓𝐘: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄
While Parliament has passed the largest NDIS spending cuts in history, a serious new controversy has emerged over how these changes will uniquely impact female participants and unpaid female carers, with the Government refusing to publish its own Gender Impact Assessment.

🔒 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 "𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓"
🛑 Hidden data: Despite Labor’s campaign promise to restore gender-responsive budgeting, the Government confirmed that gender analysis of the $38B NDIS cuts is being kept confidential as "Cabinet in confidence."
❓ Lack of transparency: Crossbench MPs and peak bodies point out that without publishing this report, the public cannot know how unintended risks to women and girls are being mitigated.

🛡️ 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄
📉 Existing inequality: Women and girls already represent only 38% of all NDIS participants. Advocates warn that tightening eligibility will further worsen this access gap.
🚪 Greater risk of domestic violence: Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) warns that cutting social and community participation budgets by 50% strips away critical safeguards. Women with disability are 40% more likely to experience domestic violence than non-disabled women; cutting community access increases isolation, making women less visible and more vulnerable to abuse.

💼 𝐔𝐍𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐂 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐓
⚖️ Shifted responsibility: Stripping formal supports places heavy caregiving demands back onto family members, the majority of whom are women.
📉 Economic penalty: S*x Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody warns that forcing unpaid female carers to reduce their working hours to fill care gaps directly undermines women’s economic security and workforce participation across Australia.

Source:
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2026/08/22/retrograde-step-ndis-cut-without-published-gender-data

21/08/2026

🚨 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃: 𝟐𝟒𝟏,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃, 𝟑-𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐓 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀 𝟗𝟎-𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝟐𝟒/𝟕 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄
As the Albanese Government’s NDIS overhaul bill clears Parliament, the fine print reveals significant operational changes and strict timelines that families and primary carers need to prepare for immediately.

While headline debates focused on total scheme savings, the finalized legislation includes specific targets, tight administrative demands, and critical safety-net rules that directly impact daily care management.

📉 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟐𝟒𝟏,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟏
📊 Divergence from original vision: When created in 2011, the Productivity Commission projected the NDIS would serve 410,000 people at $13.5bn annually. Today, it supports over 770,000 participants at $54bn.
🎯 Hard cap targets: The new legislation explicitly aims to shrink the scheme down to roughly 600,000 participants, effectively removing or preventing access for 241,000 people over the next few years as functional capacity tests take effect.

📁 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊
📜 Mandatory 3-year record keeping: Participants and plan nominees are now legally required to keep receipts and documentation for all claimed services for at least 3 years.
🛑 Strict reassessment threshold: Starting within days of the bill passing, families can no longer request budget reassessments unless they can prove a "significant and ongoing" change in circumstances.

🛡️ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟗𝟎-𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇-𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 & 𝟐𝟒/𝟕 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄
✂️ The 50% community budget cut: From October, funding for social and community participation (often used for support workers to accompany participants) will be cut by 50% upon plan renewal.
⌛ The 90-day variation window: Under a crucial last-minute amendment, if this 50% reduction leaves a participant with high needs unable to cover essential 24/7 care, families have 90 days from their reassessment date to formally apply for a plan variation to restore funding.

Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/19/the-ndis-is-undergoing-a-major-overhaul-this-is-what-the-changes-could-mean-for-you

19/08/2026

🚨 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐔𝐋: 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟒𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟖
The Federal Parliament has officially passed sweeping reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), marking one of the biggest structural shifts since the scheme's inception. Supported by a bipartisan deal between Labor and the Coalition, the bill introduces 63 amendments designed to curb scheme expenditure and crack down on provider fraud.

💥 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬 & 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰:
📉 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝: Under the new policy framework, an estimated 240,000 participants, particularly children and individuals with low to moderate support needs, are projected to be transitioned off the NDIS and onto state-run "foundational supports" by 2028.
📋 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Access to the scheme will no longer be determined solely by a medical diagnosis. Instead, eligibility and funding will be assessed based on standardized evaluations of a person's functional capacity.
⚠️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 "𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐩": State governments and disability advocates have voiced urgent warnings. State treasurers admit that local foundational supports are not yet fully operational or funded, creating a dangerous gap where families risk losing NDIS funding before community alternatives exist in practice.
🛡️ 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐭: Among the 63 amendments is a newly established "escalation pathway," which allows high-risk participants (such as those requiring 24/7 continuous care) to request urgent plan variations to prevent critical support cutbacks.

🏛️ 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐯𝐬. 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲:
🟠The Federal Government maintains that curbing annual growth from 22% down to 5–6% (saving $37.8 billion over four years) is vital to secure the NDIS's long-term future and protect public funds from fraudulent providers.
🟠However, for families navigating the system daily, the conflict is clear: while lawmakers focus on budget targets and political compromises, carers are left dealing with intense uncertainty over whether their loved ones will retain their essential funding and care.

Read more at:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-18/ndis-changes-pass-after-labor-strikes-deal-with-coalition/107051964

17/08/2026

💔𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒!
In April 2020, 54-year-old Ann Marie Smith (who had cerebral palsy) died from severe malnutrition, septic shock, and multi-organ failure after being left trapped in a chair 24/7 for over a year while under full-time paid care. Her tragedy sparked nationwide outrage and major NDIS safety inquiries.
Fast forward to today: The legal outcome for the company executives has horrified disability advocates and families.

⚠️ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍: 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐒
🟠Criminal Neglect Dropped: South Australian prosecutors have officially dropped all criminal neglect charges against both former directors of Integrity Care SA.
🟠One Director Free of All Charges: All charges against co-director Alison Maree Virgo were completely withdrawn.
🟠Downgraded Plea for the Other: Co-director Amy June Collins pleaded guilty to a lesser Work Health and Safety charge ("reckless conduct"). Her failure? Not ensuring annual health assessments were done and failing to provide written care instructions to the worker. She faces a maximum of 5 years.
🟠Company Law Loophole: The provider company itself was simply deregistered, causing all civil and criminal charges against the business entity to be dismissed!

🔥 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐉𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃, 𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐄
🟠The Double Standard: The direct support worker (Rosa Maione) was jailed for manslaughter in 2022 (serving at least 5 years).
🟠The Outrage: While the frontline worker faces severe prison time, the company executives who ran the business, managed the care plans, and collected NDIS funding have evaded serious criminal neglect charges entirely.

🏛️ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 & 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄
🟠Lack of Executive Accountability: This outcome reveals a terrifying precedent in Australia’s care sector: when severe neglect occurs, top executives can hide behind workplace safety laws or company deregistration rather than facing criminal neglect charges.
🟠Safety Concerns: Families are left asking — How can we trust NDIS provider management when company bosses aren't held criminally responsible for catastrophic failures in care?

📌 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐑𝐒:
This case highlights why families must remain vigilant. Always request written care plans, demand annual health checks for your loved ones, and report any systemic red flags directly to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission immediately.

Source:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-12/integrity-care-amy-june-collins-guilty-plea-ann-marie-smith/107027308

14/08/2026

💔 𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐔𝐏: $𝟑𝟕.𝟖𝐁 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐒 & 𝟏𝟔𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃!
A crucial Senate report on Labor’s NDIS reform bill is being handed down, and PM Anthony Albanese is pushing to fast-track the legislation through Parliament immediately.

📉 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓'𝐒 𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐒: 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊?
🟠$37.8 Billion in cuts: The Albanese Government aims to slash NDIS spending over the next 4 years under the banner of "sustainability" and cracking down on fraud.
🟠160,000 participants to be removed: People assessed with "lower support needs", especially children and young people, will be phased off the federal NDIS.
🟠Shift to State Support: The government wants participants moved to state-run "foundational supports" (such as the Thriving Kids program launching in October).

🔥 "𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘!"
🟠Disability advocacy groups (including Children and Young People With Disability Australia and DANA) have voiced deep concern, warning that these sudden cuts could leave thousands of vulnerable Australians with zero support.
"The bill is neither reasonable nor necessary... No such reforms should proceed until and unless high-quality alternative supports are ready." — Skye Kakoschke-Moore, CEO of CYDA
🟠Uncertainty: Many families still have no idea where their loved ones will end up or what level of care they will receive under state programs.
🟠Risk of Harm: Advocates warn that rushing these changes before state programs are fully functional will cause direct harm to children and push people with disabilities back into isolation.

🏛️𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐕𝐒. 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒
Despite months of emotional testimony from families and advocates pleading for safety nets, both major political parties are locking arms to pass these reforms quickly. Prime Minister Albanese confirmed he expects the bill to pass during this sitting fortnight following discussions with the Opposition.

📢 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐖?
🟠Keep a close eye on your loved one’s current NDIS plan and reassessment dates.
🟠Document all support needs thoroughly with your doctors and allied health providers.
🟠Stay updated on your state’s rollout of "foundational supports."

Read more at:

https://michaelwest.com.au/this-cannot-have-been-for-nothing-ndis-report-due/

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