What are the NDIS changes and how will they impact you?
Changes to the NDIS will rollout from 2026 to 2030, affecting how participants access funding, request plan changes and receive supports. Some NDIS reforms are already in place, while others will roll out over the coming years.
We understand that changes to the NDIS can create uncertainty for you, your family, carers and providers. We’ll continue to explain what is changing, when it will happen and what it may mean for you.
NDIS changes 2026:
- Tighter rules for unscheduled plan reassessments. Since 27 August 2026, you’ll need to show a significant and ongoing change in functional capacity, support needs or certain life circumstances to request an early plan reassessment
- New record-keeping rules. From 27 August 2026, new record-keeping rules mean self managed participants must keep records relating to NDIS claims and payments for three years. Plan nominees must keep them for five years and providers for seven years.
- Reductions to some support budgets. Funding for Social, Economic and Community Participation supports is being reduced by 50%, and Improved Daily Living Skills supports by 10%, with some supports excluded. These changes apply as plans are created or reassessed from 1 October 2026, or renewed from 1 February 2027.
- Thriving Kids rollout. A phased rollout began in October 2026 for children aged eight and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs.
- Shorter claiming timeframes: From 1 December 2026, claims must be submitted within 90 days of the support being delivered.
Changes from 2027-2030
- Plan renewals are replacing rollovers. From 1 February 2027, plan renewals will replace plan continuations. Unspent funds from the previous plan will not carry over.
- A new way of planning. New framework planning will start rolling out from 1 April 2027. Plan budgets will be informed by a support needs assessment
- New NDIS access rules. These apply from 1 January 2028, including standardised functional capacity assessments. Existing participants will be reassessed over a three-year transition period.
These NDIS reforms follow the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026, which became law on 20 August 2026. The legislation also introduced additional safeguards for participants and stronger measures to prevent fraud.
See more details below.
Last updated: 11 November 2026.
When will the NDIS changes affect my current plan?
Your current NDIS Plan, funding and supports don’t suddenly change because the new laws have passed. Many of the changes only apply when your plan is reassessed or renewed. Keep using your plan as usual unless the NDIA tells you otherwise,
Some rules, such as the need to submit claims within 90 days of the support being delivered, also apply to current plans.
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What’s changing in the NDIS: All the latest information.
NDIS reforms are changing funding, planning, access and how supports are delivered. Some changes are part of the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Act, which is now law. Other Government NDIS changes including parts of Thriving Kids and changes to support coordination, are being developed alongside it.
Some details are also still to come. This may include new NDIS rules, consultation, further legislation or decisions about how changes will work in practice.
Explore the government NDIS changes using the quick links below.
- Changes to Social and Community Participation funding
- New rules for unscheduled plan reassessments
- Changes to claims and payment systems
- Thriving Kids and NDIS changes for children
- Plan funding rollovers will end
- Clearer reasonable and necessary criteria
- New framework planning and support needs assessments
- NDIS reform changes and eligibility
- Changes to provider registration, enrolment and choice
Changes to Social and Community Participation funding.
From 1 October 2026.
The NDIS has started reducing funding for some supports in two areas associated with social and community participation.
- Social, Economic and Community Participation supports: 50% reduction
- Improved Daily Living Skills supports: 10% reduction.
The reductions apply to new and reassessed plans from 1 October 2026 and to plan renewals from 1 February 2027. This could affect how much funding you have for a support worker to help you take part in community activities or for supports that help you build everyday skills.
For example, if your plan allocates $10,000 for affected Social, Economic and Community participation supports, a 50% cut would mean you only have $5,000 to spend on these supports.
Good to know
- You can keep using your current plan until the NDIS tells you it has changed
- Other areas of your plan, such as personal care at home and home modifications, are not affected
- The cuts will not impact funding for employment supports, disability-related health supports, high-intensity supports, intensive and complex behaviour supports, customised and wearable technology, hearing or Specialist Disability Accommodation.
There are also safeguards for participants who need continuous 24-hour disability-related care. If the reduction leaves you without enough funding to maintain that support, you may be eligible to ask the NDIS to change your plan. You will have 90 days from when the reduction is applied to make the request.
New rules for unscheduled plan reassessments.
From 27 August 2026.
The NDIA has tightened the rules for reassessing NDIS Plans before their scheduled date. Early reassessments are intended only for situations where your ongoing disability support needs have changed significantly.
- If you need an early reassessment, you can only apply by submitting the NDIS reassessment form with recent evidence
- Your request must explain what has changed and why your current plan no longer meets your needs
- You must provide recent evidence of a significant and ongoing change to your disability support needs.
For smaller, short-term or urgent changes, a plan variation may be available. For more information, see Requesting an unscheduled NDIS plan reassessment: What has changed
Changes to claims and payment systems.
New claiming deadline from 1 December 2026.
From 1 December 2026, NDIS claims must be submitted within 90 days of the support being delivered. This replaces the previous two-year deadline. The 90 days are counted from when you received the support, even if the invoice arrives later.
- If you’re plan managed, ask your providers to send invoices to your plan manager promptly so there’s time to check and submit the claim
- If you’re self-managed, submit claims as soon as you can after receiving the support.
The NDIA has already started doing extra checks on claims submitted more than 90 days after a support was delivered and may ask for more evidence.
Other payment reforms include more claim checks, new record-keeping requirements and stronger powers to investigate suspected fraud or non-compliance.
Thriving Kids and NDIS changes for children.
From 1 October 2026.
Thriving Kids provides early support outside the NDIS for children aged eight and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs. Families can access support without a formal diagnosis.
The program aims to identify developmental concerns earlier and connect children and families with supports in places where children live, learn and play.
Thriving Kids supports may include:
- Information and advice about child development and autism
- Child health and development checks
- Programs that help families support their child’s development
- Allied health support
- Low-cost assistive technology
- Capacity building support.
The phased rollout began on 1 October 2026, with the program expected to be available nationally by 1 January 2028. The Australian, state and territory governments are developing Thriving Kids together. As of November 2026, Queensland has yet to announce a signed agreement to deliver Thriving Kids services.
National support accessible for people in all states include:
- Phone advice via the National Thriving Kids phone number: 1800 882 436
- Thriving Kids Autism Helpline: Phone 1300 654 789
- Medicare Healthy Kids Check for eligible three-year-olds: Talk to your GP.
Proposed NDIS access changes for children from 1 January 2028 (these changes still require legislation):
- New applicants with low to moderate support needs: Children aged eight and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs would access support through Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS.
- Children already in the NDIS: Children in this group who joined the NDIS before 1 January 2028 would continue to be reassessed under the previous eligibility criteria while they are under nine. Once they turn nine, they would be reassessed under the new NDIS access criteria.
- Children with high support needs: Children with permanent and significant disability would continue to be eligible for the NDIS. This includes children with developmental delay or autism and substantially reduced functional capacity.
Plan funding rollovers will end.
From 1 February 2027.
When your NDIS Plan reaches its reassessment date, the NDIS will either reassess it or issue a renewed plan. Plan renewals will replace plan continuations.
Unused funding from the old plan will not carry into the renewed plan. The renewed plan will include the same supports, with funding adjusted for current prices and any applicable budget reductions.
This is different from funding periods within your current plan. Unspent funding can still carry from one funding period to the next within that plan.
What does this mean for you?
If you have a plan reassessment coming up early in 2027 and still have funding for supports available, consider how it can be spent to meet your support needs now. Once your plan reassessment takes place, you will no longer have access to these funds.
Talk to your support coordinator if you’re unsure. Leap in! Members also have access to Leap in! Connect. We can see what funds are available, help you understand what they can be used for and connect you with providers in your area.
Clearer reasonable and necessary criteria.
From 1 February 2027.
The NDIS will use new criteria to decide which supports are reasonable and necessary. We’ll update this article with more details as they become available. We do know that new criteria will apply to new participants first, then to existing participants as their plans are reassessed.
The changes are intended to make funding decisions more consistent for people with similar needs and circumstances. Planners will also consider whether a support is more appropriately funded or provided by another system, such as health or education.
What does this mean for children, families and carers?
- The NDIS will consider the care that parents would usually provide to a child of a similar age, such as supervision, personal care, transport, emotional support and help with behaviour
- Parents will not be expected to provide additional care if their child has disability-related support needs that are substantially greater than those of another child of the same age
- The NDIS must consider what supports families and carers can reasonably provide, taking into account their age and the type and intensity of support needed. This includes the possible impact on carers and informal supports if a support is not funded.
New framework planning and support needs assessments.
From 1 April 2027.
The NDIS will start rolling out a new way of creating plans. A support needs assessment will help the NDIS work out how much funding you need. The transition will happen gradually. All participants are expected to move to the new framework planning system by the end of 2030
What is a support needs assessment?
It’s a guided conversation with a trained NDIS assessor about what you need help with in daily life, how much help you need and how often you need it. For example, you might talk about getting dressed, communicating or getting around. The assessor will also ask about your circumstances, including where you live and what help you get from family or others.
How new framework plans and support needs assessments would work is still being decided. Public consultation closed on 14 October 2026 and the government is now reviewing feedback. In the meantime, testing is underway for the proposed new assessment and budget calculation process.
Under the proposed rules:
- The assessor will use a modified version of the I-CAN assessment tool to guide the conversation. You can have a support person with you.
- Some supports, such as assistive technology, home modifications or behaviour support, may need a more detailed assessment.
- You’ll receive a copy of the assessment report. The NDIA will use it to help calculate your budget, which will include flexible funding and may include funding set aside for specific supports.
NDIS participants aged 18 and over will gradually move to new framework plans from April 2027. The transition for adult participants is expected to be complete by the end of 2030. The NDIS will contact you before you move to the new planning process. You can keep using your existing NDIS Plan in the meantime.
NDIS reform changes and eligibility.
1 January 2028.
A new NDIS access process from the beginning of 2028 will focus on functional capacity, which means how an impairment affects what a person can do in everyday life. A diagnosis alone won’t determine eligibility. A standardised evidence-based assessment will form part of the process which is still being developed.
- New applicants: The assessment will likely consider what a person can do using common aids they ordinarily use, such as glasses or a walking stick. For children, it will also take into account the help they would usually receive at their age.
- Permanence and treatment: The NDIA will consider whether an impairment is likely to be lifelong and if the person has undertaken all appropriate treatment. This means evidence-based treatment regularly used in Australia that can reliably be expected to make a meaningful difference to the impairment or its impact. An exception may apply if the person can’t undertake an otherwise appropriate medical treatment for medical reasons.
For existing participants, the new eligibility criteria will be applied gradually over a three-year transition period.
Changes to provider registration, enrolment and choice.
Changes began in July 2026.
More NDIS providers will need to register with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Most providers will also need to enrol with the NDIA and provide basic identity and payment details.
- Supported Independent Living (SIL) and digital platforms: Mandatory registration began on 1 July 2026. Existing unregistered providers covered by the rules could continue delivering services while their application was assessed if they applied by 1 October 2026.
- Provider enrolment: A new system will start rolling out on 1 July 2027. Providers covered by the rules are expected to be enrolled by December 2027.
- Higher-risk supports: From 1 July 2027, mandatory registration will gradually expand to providers delivering personal care, daily living supports and supports in closed settings. The rollout is expected to continue through to the end of 2030.
- Plan management: From 1 October 2027, participants will need to choose a plan manager from a government-approved panel. A six-month transition period is planned.
- Support coordination: A new support coordination and connection service is planned from 1 July 2028. Under the announced model, participants would choose from providers funded directly by the NDIS meaning support coordination would no longer be funded through individual plans.
Where to get more information.
It’s important to stay informed about the new NDIS changes so you can take steps to prepare if needed. At Leap in! we are dedicated to helping people navigate the NDIS and the upcoming changes.
We’ll continue to share updates and practical information about changes to the NDIS through our regular channels, including this page.
Here are some useful links that relate to the changes.
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