NDIS cuts put Brisbane family’s retirement plans on hold
A Brisbane family is fighting major NDIS plan cuts that threaten essential support for their daughter with complex disabilities – and their chance to retire. Advocates warn the issue is widespread, with many families facing similar instability.
For many people in their 60s, retirement suggests a slower pace and some freedom from daily work. For Brisbane couple Louise and Darren Catton, that idea is out of reach. Their 22-year-old daughter, Mary, has complex disabilities and relies on intensive, round-the-clock support. According to interviews the family gave to the ABC, recent cuts to Mary’s NDIS plan have pushed their long-planned retirement even further away.
A support structure years in the making
The Cattons, who live in Caboolture, have spent years building an NDIS plan to support Mary, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, mobility limitations and is non-verbal. Their goal was to give her the highest level of safety and independence possible – and, eventually, to allow Louise and Darren to step back from 24/7 care.
But in August, they were told Mary’s annual NDIS funding would be reduced by almost $250,000, a shift first reported by the ABC. Her existing plan funded 24-hour support and two-worker assistance when she was in the community – both of which the family say are essential for her safety, especially during seizures or anxiety-related behaviour.
“We don’t know what the future holds”
Speaking to the ABC, Louise said the cut tore holes in the careful structure they’d put in place. “As we got older, we needed to set Mary up as best we could so she could live her life as independently as possible from us,” she said. “Now we don’t know what the future holds.”
Losing funding for overnight support, allied-health care and two-on-one community access would put Mary at real risk. Her epilepsy can escalate without warning, and when her anxiety spikes, she can become overwhelmed and unsafe without adequate support.
Review brings some relief – but not enough
After challenging the cut, the family received an internal review that restored nearly $70,000 in funding – still far short of the original plan. Louise told the ABC the process was exhausting and unnecessary: “We should not have had to have made the number of complaints we did to be heard.” She’s now questioning whether they’ll be forced to repeat the fight every year.
Advocates say the problem is growing
Their experience isn’t isolated. Matilda Alexander, CEO of Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI), told the ABC her organisation is seeing a “tsunami” of cuts across NDIS plans. The consequences are severe: disrupted daily care, loss of long-term support workers, and stalled progress for people who need stability to thrive.
AAT data cited by the ABC shows about 80 per cent of challenged plan cuts get overturned, which advocates say shows how often the initial decisions are flawed. But finding advocates or lawyers is increasingly difficult – services are overwhelmed.
Support coordinator Kylie Lamb, who also spoke to the ABC, stressed that while Mary has made progress, her needs remain complex. Reduced support would roll back years of careful work and leave Mary more vulnerable, not less.
What it means for the Cattons
For the Cattons, the issue isn’t just financial. It’s the uncertainty. Without stable funding for Mary’s complex needs, there is no clear path to retirement – or even a reduction in the relentless demands of caring.
Their story, as reported by the ABC, is a pointed reminder: when essential support is suddenly slashed, it’s not just budgets that feel the impact. It’s people’s futures, safety and independence.