Why the changes?
Many of the changes are a result of the NDIS Review Final Report which was released last year. The review made 26 recommendations to change the system of supports for people with disability. To adopt some of these recommendations, the government needed to change the NDIS laws.
What’s new in 2024?
1. New definition of NDIS supports.
- You can only spend your NDIS funding on supports defined as ‘NDIS supports’
- Supports must directly relate to the impairments that made you eligible for the NDIS
- New lists outline what is and isn’t an NDIS support, making it easier to understand your options
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Transition period:
- For participants: For the first 12 months, you won’t be penalised for honest mistakes on purchases under $1,500
- For providers: For providers who deliver or claim for supports for participants, there was a 30 day transition period to adjust to the legislative requirements. The 30 days started on 3 October 2024 and ended on Friday 1 November 2024.
Learn more: What does NDIS fund?·
2. Changes to reasonable and necessary supports criteria.
- The phrase ‘most appropriately funded or provided through the NDIS’ is replaced with ‘the support is an NDIS support for the participant’
- Existing criteria (like value for money, goal pursuit, and effectiveness) still apply, plus the new requirement ensuring supports address the ‘impairment’ that grants access to the NDIS.
Learn more: Reasonable and necessary supports.
3. New rules for plans and budgets.
- New NDIS Plans created after 3 October 2024 show a total budget amount rather than individual line items, plus how long the funding is meant to last
- Initially, most plans will run for 12 months. In the future, plan lengths may vary.
Learn more: Your plan guideline.
4. Changes to access and eligibility.
- When you apply to join the NDIS, the NDIA now clearly states if you meet the disability or early intervention requirements, or both
- You’ll also receive more detailed information about your ‘access decision’ when you first become a participant
- If you ever leave the NDIS and reapply, you must finish any reviews first before applying again.
Learn more: What’s changing?
5. ‘Impairment notices’ and support needs assessments.
- From 1 January 2025 ((tomorrow!), new people on the NDIS will receive an impairment notice – a document that lists the impairment/s that made them eligible for the scheme
- Existing participants will get their impairment notice when they transition to the new planning framework
- Impairment categories can be intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical or psychosocial. One or more categories may appear on your notice
- For now, there’s no immediate impact – you’ll be notified before anything changes.
Learn more: NDIS changes page.
6. Replacement supports and non-NDIS supports.
- There’s a new concept called ‘replacement supports’, allowing you to request certain items not usually considered NDIS supports in individual cases
- Items usually not covered include some household items or smart devices used for communication
- If you had certain supports previously approved in your current plan or by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), you can continue accessing them even if they are now on the excluded list
- The NDIA is still defining the rules but we’ll keep you updated as we know more.
Learn more: Replacement supports.
7. Claims and payments.
- A new claims and payments framework is in place
- Providers and participants must follow these new rules, ensuring claims are accurate and related to your disability needs
- Claims must be made within two years of providing the support
- During the first year, claims for services provided before the law changed can still be honoured.
Learn more: Your complete guide to the NDIS changes.
8. Decisions about how you manage your plan.
- If funds aren’t used according to your NDIS plan, the NDIA can change your plan management type
- The NDIA may consider factors like past misuse of funds when deciding how your plan is managed.
Learn more: New rules.
9. The new NDIS PACE system.
- PACE is the NDIS’ new computer system, used to manage plans and communicate with participants
- All new people accessing the NDIS will be set-up in the PACE system. Existing participants will move to PACE at their next plan reassessment
- Under PACE, your NDIS contact will call you about four months before your plan reassessment to discuss how your plan is going and if changes are needed
- No formal reassessment meeting is required if your plan remains similar to your old one. If changes are necessary, you’ll go through a plan reassessment
- There are several new budget types in the PACE system which may change how a service is claimed
- Choosing and endorsing your plan manager and providers is now part of the process.
Learn more: What is PACE in the NDIS?
10. Endorsing your plan manager and providers.
- With the introduction of PACE, there are some changes in how you work with your providers.
- You must endorse your plan manager (like Leap in!) so they can claim invoices. Endorsing other providers is optional.
Here’s step by step instructions: Find out how to endorse your plan manager.
11. Foundational supports.
- Beyond the NDIS, the government is also exploring foundational supports – new, non-NDIS services designed to help people with disability, including those not eligible for the NDIS
- What constitutes foundational supports is still in development, but think of them as a community safety net working alongside the scheme, mainstream services (like healthcare or education), and local groups
- Foundational supports are expected to roll out in stages starting in 2025.
Learn what we know so far: Foundational supports.
Stay informed.
The Australian Government continues to roll out the biggest changes since the NDIS began. Visit our dedicated NDIS Changes section on the Leap in! website, for all the latest information.
Useful resources: