The news yesterday that, from mid-2026, NDIS plans will be largely automated and that human involvement and discretion will be dramatically reduce, is concerning. It’s worth remembering that the Robodebt Royal Commission recommended more oversight of automated decision-making by government services, not less.
My office is already hearing deep concern from participants and workers about similar changes going wrong in the Aged Care assessment system. The Government should be learning from this and treading carefully to not only ensure consistency and fairness in assessments, but also that complex individual circumstances and medical evidence can be properly taken into account, and that oversight and review arrangements are strong, accessible and timely.