Media Release 14 April 2026 - NDIS failing its own deadlines as review performance falls off a cliff

Melissa McIntosh MP 
Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services
Shadow Minister for the NDIS
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

14 April 2026

NDIS failing its own deadlines as review performance falls off a cliff

The NDIS is failing its own promise of timely decision-making, with internal review performance now collapsing across the country.

Shadow Minister for the NDIS, Melissa McIntosh MP, said the latest Participant Service Guarantee data reveals a system going backwards.

“The Participant Service Guarantee is supposed to give participants, families, and carers certainty about how long key processes will take. But on one of the most important measures – completing an internal review of a reviewable decision within 60 days – the system is imploding,” Mrs McIntosh said.

“In just one quarter, performance plunged nearly 30 per cent, from 71 to 43 per cent in New South Wales and from 72 to 44 per cent in Victoria,” Mrs McIntosh said.

“This is a system collapsing in real time, with performance in two states down 28 per cent. It beggars belief. Put simply, only three in 10 reviews are being completed within 60 days – the maximum timeframe the National Disability Insurance Agency promised participants.

“The decline is national. The December 2025 Quarterly Performance Dashboard shows drops across every jurisdiction, including drops of 27 points in the Northern Territory, 25 in Western Australia, 24 in South Australia, 23 in Queensland, 22 in Tasmania, and 21 in the ACT.

“The Participant Service Guarantee was meant to set clear, enforceable timeframes for key NDIS decisions, from access and plan approvals to reviews and nominee changes, giving participants and families certainty.

“Yet the reality is stark: only nine of the 18 measures met their targets at least 95 per cent of the time last quarter. On the Albanese Government’s own numbers, large parts of the system are falling short.

“This is heartbreaking. Behind these numbers are people with disability, families and carers left waiting, decisions stalled, and vulnerable Australians stuck in limbo.

“Instead of easing the pressure, the NDIS is making things worse. Essential supports for many families are being stripped back, speech and occupational therapy supports are being cut in half, and psychology supports are being removed entirely.

“Parents and carers are telling me that these cuts are placing already burned-out parent’s under greater strain.

“These are not isolated cases, but warning signs of a broader system under strain, where delays are becoming the norm and urgent decisions are not being made in time.

“And while families wait, millions are being spent in the wrong places. The Albanese Government is spending around $60 million a year taking participants to the Administrative Review Tribunal – and losing around 75 per cent of those cases.

“Tragically, in the previous quarter, 11 participants had active cases at the time of their deaths, a devastating reality for families still waiting for support that never came.

“Rather than cutting plans, the Albanese Government should be reducing wait times and cracking down on rorts and waste, which is an estimated $5 billion disappearing to fraud each year,” Mrs McIntosh said.

“There is also an urgent need to fix the NDIS’ broken front door. Right now, providers can enter the system without proper scrutiny. A staggering 94 per cent remain unregistered, effectively walking in off the street to care for vulnerable Australians, often without a Working with Vulnerable People check.

“The NDIS is barrelling towards catastrophe, and Australia’s most vulnerable are already paying the price. Families need a quality system they can rely on and timely decisions that match the urgency of their situation. The Coalition will fix what’s broken, prioritise quality supports and put participants back at the heart of the NDIS.”

ENDS
McIntosh Media | 0436 940 943