The minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme has defended reforms to rein in the program's growth by $14 billion in four years, rejecting claims they are a "cut" to funding.
The federal government sounded the alarm on the scheme's costs several years ago, saying it was growing at a rate of 13.8 per cent each year and would fast become unsustainable without change.
Legislation passed this week with the support of the Coalition will aim to curb its growth by enabling new powers to investigate fraud, more closely define what can be funded under the NDIS and limit automatic funding top-ups to participant plans, among several other changes to how the scheme runs.
But NDIS Minister Bill Shorten told ABC's Insiders the public could be confident in the government's "cost reductions".
"There are more people who will be on the scheme this week than there were last week. We will invest more in people with disability on the scheme this week than last week," Mr Shorten said.
"What we will see with this legislation is returning the scheme to its original intent."
An update on the scheme's running costs found growth had already slowed and was tracking $600 million below the budget estimate for the year to July 2024.
A number of disability organisations expressed their concern last week as the government finalised negotiations with the Coalition to reform the NDIS.
Australian Federation of Disability Organisations CEO Ross Joyce said the government had not properly engaged with the sector, while Inclusion Australia's CEO Catherine McAlpine said trust had been "eroded".
The Greens, meanwhile, labelled it a "betrayal" by Labor, who first established the scheme in 2013 under former prime minister Julia Gillard.
Mr Shorten rejected those assertions.
"I do not agree that [those views] represent the 600,000 people in the community and 400,000 people working in the scheme."
One of the next major challenges for the government will be navigating the creation of a new "foundational supports" program with the states, for people with disability who are not able to access the NDIS.
Late last week, the government won the agreement of the states, who had given their in-principle support but had expressed deep hesitation over the details of the yet-to-be-designed program.
Mr Shorten said that scheme would add to the "menu" of supports for people with disability.