Overview of changes to the NDIS laws

The new law: a quick summary

On 19 August 2026, Parliament passed the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026.
It changes who can access the NDIS, how plans are managed, how funding can be used, how providers deliver supports, how the NDIA deals with fraud and how prices are set.
Changes start at different times and roll out over the next few years.
Participants can keep using their plans and supports as usual for now.
The NDIA says it will tell each affected participant what is changing, when and where to get support.

What is not changing

Personal care, assistive technology, home modifications, employment supports and Specialist Disability Accommodation stay as they are.
Participants can still ask for a plan reassessment or variation and ask for a review of a decision.

Already in effect

Reassessment requests (from 27 August 2026):

Only the participant, a plan nominee or a child’s representative can ask, using the new form.
A provider cannot request one on the participant’s behalf.
There must be a significant and ongoing change in functional capacity and support needs, or in living, education, work or informal support arrangements.
Short-term or urgent changes still go through plan variations.

Pricing:

Current arrangements continue. The Minister can make pricing determinations that set maximum amounts.

Budget reductions (from 1 October 2026):

Budgets for Social, Economic and Community Participation (50% reduction across the board) and Improved Daily Living Skills (10% across the board are reduced over the next 12 months.
This applies as plans are created or reassessed from 1 October 2026, or renewed from 1 February 2027.

However a 24-hour support pathway – a new plan variation request pathway is open to people with:

a combined plan budget of $215,030 or more for daily living, home and living, and social, economic and community participation; and
24-hour funded supports for needs arising from the impairment they joined the NDIS for.

Plan suspension:

The NDIA can suspend a plan if a participant doesn’t respond to information requests. It must first make at least 5 contact attempts by their preferred method, with the first and last 3 to 4 months apart.

Coming soon (no fixed date given):

Participants must keep records for 3 years, nominees for 5 years and providers for 7 years.
The NDIA gets stronger compliance, enforcement and information-gathering powers, including civil penalties.
Computer systems can automate some administrative actions, such as claims and payments.
Safeguards apply.
Staff still make decisions that are complex or need judgement, such as plan decisions.
The NDIA must publish where automated systems are used.

Timeline

1 December 2026: Claims must be submitted within 90 days of delivering a support.
February 2027: Plan renewals replace plan continuations. A plan is either reassessed or renewed with the same supports, and unspent funds are not carried over. New criteria for what counts as reasonable and necessary apply to current participants when their plans are reassessed.
April 2027: New framework planning starts to be introduced. The support needs assessment considers functional capacity, life stage and environmental factors. It is used to build budgets, not to decide access.
July 2027: More providers must be registered, including those delivering personal care, daily living supports and supports in closed settings. Participants receiving higher-risk supports must use registered providers.
October 2027: A panel of plan management providers is set up. Participants must choose a plan manager from it, and those using a provider not on the panel get 6 months to transition to one on the list.
January 2028: Access changes start for new applicants, based on a standardised assessment of functional capacity, more consistent assessment of permanence and of whether an impairment can be treated, and more consistent assessment of access to other compensation schemes.
- Existing participants are reassessed over 3 years.
- Eligibility changes do not occur before this date.
July 2028: A commissioned support coordination and connection service starts. Support coordination is no longer funded through plans, and participants are supported to transition.

Further consultation

Home and living supports for people who need 24/7 support.
Differentiated pricing for unregistered providers.
Market reforms for social and community participation and capacity building.
Updated rules for the new way of planning.
A new eligibility process for NDIS access.

Getting involved

Participants can help test the new planning process, either by completing a simulated support needs assessment or by helping train and accredit NDIA assessors. Participants are paid.
NDIS Engage (engage.ndis.gov.au) is the NDIA’s online platform for consultations and feedback, and “Participant First” is the group participants, families and carers can join there.

NDIS webinar slides from Oct 2014: NDIS Presentation – An overview of changes to the NDIS laws

More webinars: Latest events | NDIS

Below is a list of the links that they referred to in the presentation: