NDIS update: Reform Bill passes the Senate.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 passed the Senate on 18 August 2026, with a number of further amendments.
The Bill has now returned to the House of Representatives. The House must agree to the Senate amendments before the Bill can pass Parliament and receive Royal Assent.
The reforms will change many parts of the NDIS. Some changes are due to begin seven days after Royal Assent. Others will be introduced gradually through to 2030.
Several parts of the original Bill have changed following consultation, a Senate inquiry and amendments in Parliament. These changes add safeguards for participants, clarify how parts of the reforms will work and introduce stronger measures to prevent fraud and protect the NDIS.
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.
The NDIS key changes are:
- Tighter rules for requesting an unscheduled plan reassessment. In most cases, there will need to be a significant and ongoing change in your functional capacity, support needs or certain life circumstances
- Social, Civic and Community Participation and Capacity Building Daily Activities budgets are expected to begin changing as plans are renewed or reassessed from 1 October 2026
- Thriving Kids will begin a phased rollout from October 2026. The government also plans to change NDIS access from January 2028 for some children aged eight and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs
- A 90-day deadline for submitting claims will begin on 1 December 2026
- 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 will apply from 1 January 2028. These include functional capacity assessments and the gradual reassessment of existing participants.
See the timeline and full details below.
Last updated: 20 August 2026.
If you are on the NDIS now, there is no immediate change to your current NDIS Plan. Changes to access and planning will happen gradually. You can continue to use your current plan until the NDIA tells you otherwise.
Timeline of the NDIS changes.
7 days after Royal Assent – date to be confirmed.
- New rules for unscheduled plan reassessments will begin. In most cases, there must be a significant and ongoing change in your functional capacity, support needs or certain life circumstances.
- Only the participant, their nominee or a child representative will be able to request an unscheduled reassessment.
- Participants and plan managers will need to keep records about NDIS support payments for three years.
- The NDIA will have stronger powers to investigate fraud and non-compliance. Participants and providers may be asked to provide more information. Penalties may apply where providers do not meet their legal obligations.
1 October 2026.
- Budgets for Social, Civic and Community Participation and Capacity Building daily activities will be reset as plans are renewed or reassessed.
- All Supported Independent Living (SIL) and platform providers must be registered or have applied to register.
- Thriving Kids begins a phased rollout for children aged eight and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs.
- The NDIA will have the ability to suspend plans if a participant does not respond to requests for information (only after the NDIA have made at least 5 attempts of contact with the participant, nominee or authorised representative over an extended period).
1 December 2026.
- Participants or their plan managers will need to make claims within 90 days of service delivery, reduced from two years.
1 February 2027.
- When a plan reaches its reassessment date, a renewed plan will be created. Unspent funding from the previous plan will not carry over into the renewed plan.
- Clearer rules for deciding whether supports are reasonable and necessary will begin. These will apply to new participants first and then gradually to existing participants as their plans are reassessed.
1 April 2027.
- Participants will start moving to new framework plans.
- Budgets will be based on a support needs assessment that looks at things such as daily support needs, life stage and personal circumstances.
- The change will happen gradually. All participants are expected to move to the new planning system by the end of 2030.
1 July 2027.
- Registration will begin rolling out for more higher-risk supports. This includes some personal care, daily living supports and supports delivered in closed settings. The rollout is expected to continue until the end of 2030.
- Participants will need to use registered providers for supports that are brought into the mandatory registration system.
- A new NDIA provider enrolment system will begin for most providers.
1 October 2027.
- Plan management is expected to move to a commissioned panel of approved providers.
- Participants who use plan management will need to choose a plan manager from the panel.
- The government has proposed a six-month transition period.
- The detailed panel criteria and commissioning process are still being developed.
1 January 2028.
- New applicants will be assessed under new NDIS access rules. This will include a standardised, evidence-based assessment of functional capacity.
- Existing participants will begin being reassessed against the new access criteria. This will happen gradually over several years.
- The government plans for children aged eight and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs to access Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS. Further legislative changes are needed before these new child access arrangements can take effect.
1 July 2028.
- The government plans to introduce a commissioned support coordination and connection service.
- Under the proposed model, providers will be appointed and funded directly by the NDIA, rather than through individual participant plans.
31 December 2030.
- The transition to new framework planning is expected to be complete, with all participants moved to new framework plans.
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What’s changing in the NDIS: All the latest information.
The federal government is rolling out a wide range of NDIS reforms.
Some changes are part of the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill. Others, 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.
With so much happening, it can be hard to keep up. This page brings together the key NDIS changes in one place. We’ll continue to update it as new information is confirmed.
Browse the key NDIS updates using the quick links below.
- Changes to Social and Community Participation funding
- Unscheduled plan reassessments will be limited
- Plan funding rollovers will end
- Clearer reasonable and necessary criteria
- New framework planning and support needs assessments
- Thriving Kids and NDIS changes for children
- Eligibility and access
- Changes to provider registration, enrolment and choice
- Changes to claims and payment systems
- NDIS funding periods.
Changes to Social and Community Participation funding.
From 1 October 2026.
The government intends to begin changing budgets for Social, Civic and Community Participation and Capacity Building Daily Activities from 1 October 2026.
These budgets often pay for support workers who help participants take part in social and community activities.
If your plan includes this funding, it’s important to understand what may change.
The government intends to introduce the changes gradually as plans are renewed or reassessed over about 12 months. The proposed changes include:
- 50% reduction in Social, Civic and Community Participation budget allocations
- 10% reduction in Capacity Building Daily Activities budget allocations.
These changes apply to these specific budget areas, not to your whole NDIS Plan.
The NDIA has stated: “Changes will not necessarily result in a 50 or 10 per cent reduction in how much you spend as you may not be currently using all of your budget allocation.”
The government has said the changes are not intended to affect funding for critical supports such as:
- Supports in employment
- In-home supports, including personal care, household tasks, community nursing and medication
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Personal mobility equipment and transport
- Continence and menstrual products
Specialist Disability Accommodation.
The Senate amendments also provide extra protections for some support types, including high-intensity supports, complex behaviour supports, customised and wearable technology and hearing supports.
There are also safeguards for participants who need continuous 24-hour disability-related care.
A $200 million Inclusive Communities Fund is also planned. It is intended to help community organisations provide more inclusive activities and participation opportunities.
Unscheduled plan reassessments will be limited.
7 days after Royal Assent – date to be confirmed.
It will become harder to have your plan reassessed outside its normal review cycle. An unscheduled plan reassessment may be requested where:
- There has been a significant and ongoing change in your functional capacity and support needs
- There has been a significant and ongoing change in your living, education, work or informal support arrangements.
Importantly, the change does not have to be unexpected.
For example, you may know that you are about to finish school, start work, move out of home or lose regular help from a family member. You do not need to wait for an unexpected crisis before asking for a reassessment. However, the change must still be significant and ongoing.
Good to know.
- Asking for a reassessment does not mean the NDIA will automatically approve the request
- Only the participant, their nominee or a child representative will be able to request an unscheduled reassessment
- If the NDIA does not decide on a reassessment within 90 days of a request, then the request is treated as refused and participants have the right to request a review
- A plan variation may still be available in some crisis, emergency or fraud-related situations.
There will also be a new safeguard for some participants who need continuous 24-hour disability-related care.
If a support determination affects their plan, an eligible participant may be able to request a plan variation within 90 days. The NDIA can consider whether more funding is needed to maintain their continuous disability-related care.
Plan funding rollovers will end.
From 1 February 2027.
When a plan reaches its reassessment date, a renewed plan will be created. Unused funding from the old plan will no longer automatically carry into the renewed plan. The aim is for each renewed plan to reflect your current support needs.
This is different from funding periods within the same plan. Unused funding can still carry from one funding period to the next while the same plan remains active.
Clearer reasonable and necessary criteria.
From 1 February 2027.
The government will introduce clearer rules for deciding which supports are reasonable and necessary. The new rules will apply to new participants first. They will then apply gradually 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. They will also reinforce the boundaries between the NDIS and other systems such as health and education.
What does this mean for families?
For children, the NDIA can consider the care that a parent would normally provide to a child of a similar age. This may include:
- Supervision
- Personal care
- Transport
- Emotional support
- Behavioural support.
Parents will not be expected to provide additional care simply because their child has disability-related support needs that are substantially greater than those of another child of the same age.
The NDIA must also consider the possible impact on carers and informal supports if a support is not funded. This includes risks to the carer, family relationships and the wider informal support network.
New framework planning and support needs assessments.
From 1 April 2027.
The new way of planning will begin rolling out from 1 April 2027. The aim is to create simpler plans, more flexible funding and more consistent budgets.
The transition will happen gradually. All participants are expected to move to the new framework planning system by the end of 2030. Your budget will be informed by a support needs assessment.
This assessment is expected to consider your disability support needs as well as things such as your functional capacity, life stage and personal circumstances. Key changes are expected to include:
- A guided support needs assessment
- Extra assessment where a participant has more complex support needs
- A modified version of the I-CAN assessment tool, supported by questions about personal and environmental circumstances
- A way for new framework plan budgets to be indexed when NDIS prices increase
- Separate plan management funding for participants who are eligible and choose plan management
- The ability to take compensation payments into account when developing some plan budgets.
Some important details are still being developed. This includes the final support needs assessment method and the way budgets will be calculated.
The first stage is expected to involve a small number of adults. Children under 18 are not expected to be included in the first rollout.
Your existing NDIS Plan will stay in place until you move to the new planning process. The NDIA will contact you before this happens.
Public consultation on the proposed rules is now open and closes at 11.59 pm AEDT on 14 October 2026. Visit the consultation page for details or to have your say.
Thriving Kids and NDIS changes for children.
From 1 October 2026.
Thriving Kids is a new early-intervention and foundational support system outside the NDIS for children aged eight and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs. Children will not need a formal diagnosis to access support.
The phased rollout is planned to begin from 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.
The program aims to identify developmental concerns earlier and connect children and families with support. Supports are expected to be available in places where children live, learn and play. They 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.
How NDIS access for children is expected to work from 1 January 2028.
- New applicants with low to moderate support needs: Children aged eight and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs will generally access support through Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS.
- Children already in the NDIS: Children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs who entered the NDIS before 1 January 2028 will continue to be reassessed under the previous eligibility criteria. Once they turn nine, they will be reassessed under the new NDIS access criteria.
- Children with high support needs: Thriving Kids will not replace NDIS supports for children with higher needs. Children with permanent and significant disability, including children with developmental delay or autism and substantially reduced functional capacity, will remain eligible for the NDIS.
Eligibility and access.
1 February 2028.
The way people access the NDIS will change from 1 January 2028. Access will focus more clearly on how an impairment affects a person’s everyday life.
A standardised, evidence-based functional capacity assessment will form part of the new access process. A diagnosis alone will not determine whether someone meets the NDIS access requirements.
The detailed assessment tool and the level of functional capacity needed to qualify are still being developed. The changes include:
- Functional capacity assessments: New applicants will be assessed on how their impairment affects everyday life. People can use common aids, such as glasses, hearing aids or walking sticks. Children can also receive help that is usual for their age.
- Existing participants: Current participants will move to the new access criteria gradually over three years.
- Permanence and treatment: The NDIS will consider whether an impairment is likely to be lifelong and whether suitable treatment could improve its impact. People will not have to try every possible treatment. They will also not have to try treatments that are unsuitable, high risk or could cause major lifelong effects.
- Other service systems: There will be clearer boundaries between the NDIS and other systems, such as health, education and community services.
- Compensation schemes: Some new applicants may not be eligible for the NDIS if another scheme provides support or compensation for the same impairment. This may apply to injuries from a workplace or motor vehicle accident. People who joined the NDIS before 1 January 2028 will stay under the current arrangements, as long as they continue to meet the other access requirements.
Changes to provider registration, enrolment and choice.
From July 2026.
Over the next several years, 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 information. The changes include:
- Supported Independent Living (SIL) and digital platforms: Mandatory registration began on 1 July 2026. Existing unregistered providers must apply by 1 October 2026 if they want to keep delivering these services.
- Provider enrolment: A new enrolment system will begin on 1 July 2027. Most providers will need to give the NDIA basic identity details and use a verified bank account. Providers in scope are expected to be enrolled by December 2027.
- Higher-risk supports: More providers delivering higher-risk supports will need to register from 1 July 2027. This includes some personal care, daily living supports and supports delivered in closed settings. The rollout is expected to finish by December 2030. Participants will still be able to use unregistered providers for lower-risk supports.
- 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: From 1 July 2028, a new support coordination and connection service will begin. Participants will choose from providers appointed and funded directly by the NDIA. Support coordination will no longer be paid for through individual participant plans.
Changes to claims and payment systems.
From July 2026.
The NDIA began upgrading its claims and payment systems in July 2026 with the work expected to be fully rolled out by the end of 2030. They include:
- More checks on claims before and after payment
- Stronger powers to ask for information and investigate non-compliance
- Supporting documents being required for some claims
- New record-keeping rules for participants, plan managers and providers
- Stronger fraud and integrity measures
- A 90-day deadline for submitting claims from 1 December 2026.
The Senate amendments also introduce stronger measures covering fraud, false or misleading information, inducements and kickbacks, destruction of records and misuse of NDIS funds.
There are also new whistleblower protections and extra safeguards around NDIA debt recovery.
Plan managers will continue to check that claims are consistent with a participant’s plan, available budget and NDIS requirements.
These changes are intended to improve payment transparency, reduce fraud and make sure NDIS funding is used for NDIS supports.
NDIS funding periods.
From 19 May 2025, all new and reassessed NDIS Plans include funding periods. This means your full plan funding will no longer be released all at once.
Funding is generally released in portions rather than all at once. Funding periods are usually three months, although they may be 1, 3, 6 or 12 months depending on the support type and circumstances.
- Each period allows access to a portion of your total plan budget
- Unused funding carries into the next funding period within the same plan
- When a period ends, the next portion becomes available
- Future funding cannot usually be accessed before the next period begins.
For more information, see Funding periods in new plans and Funding periods are here: What you need to know.
Where to get more information.
It’s important to stay informed as changes to the NDIS take place. 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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