What are the NDIS Reforms 2026 ?

Two pieces of legislation sit behind most of the headlines and the new NDIS rules. The first is the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 8 April 2026. It expands the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission’s powers to detect, prevent and respond to breaches, and lets the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) move to fully electronic claiming.

The second is the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026, which is the bigger change for participants. Its stated aim is to make the scheme financially sustainable while keeping it available to people with permanent and significant disability.

Two organisations are named often, and they do different jobs. The NDIA runs the scheme, including access, planning and NDIS funding. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission regulates providers and handles complaints and safeguarding.

NDIS Reforms 2026 Key Dates at a Glance

Dates are those published by the NDIA and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, while some depend on consultation.

Which NDIS Reforms Are Already in Effect?

A handful of changes from the NDIS Reforms 2026 began in late August 2026. Most people will not notice them day to day, but they are worth knowing about.

• Who can request a plan reassessment. Only the participant, their plan nominee or a child representative can ask for an unscheduled NDIS plan reassessment. The request needs to relate to a significant change, such as in functional capacity, living arrangements, education, work or informal supports. The NDIA has up to 90 days to decide. Support coordinators and providers can help gather evidence, but they cannot lodge the request for you.

• New record keeping requirements for participants, nominees and providers. New NDIS record keeping requirements set minimum retention periods: 3 years for participants and plan managers, 5 years for nominees and 7 years for providers. If you are plan-managed, your plan manager holds most of this paperwork.

• Pricing decisions and how they are now made. The Minister for Disability can now set maximum prices for supports through an annual pricing review. NDIS pricing changes do not result from this alone, and current pricing arrangements continue. Our guide to the NDIS Price Guide 2026-27 covers the current price limits.
• Compliance powers and automation. The NDIA has stronger information-gathering and civil penalty powers, and can use automated systems for routine actions such as processing claims and payments, with safeguards. The NDIA has said plans are approved by trained NDIS staff, not by automated systems.

Plan Renewals from February 2027

Today, many plans simply continue at the end of the term. From 1 February 2027, the NDIA will instead do a plan renewal. Either the plan is reassessed, or a new plan is created with the same supports.

What this means in practice:

1. Unspent funds generally will not carry over. Talk to your planner, Local Area Coordinator (LAC), support coordinator or plan manager well before your renewal date about how your NDIS funding is tracking.
2. Evidence matters. Keep recent therapy reports, assessments and daily records handy. Good documentation makes conversations with the NDIA easier.
3. New rules for children. From February 2027 the “reasonable and necessary” test spells out what counts as ordinary parental responsibility (supervision, personal care, transport, emotional and behavioural support) and what is a disability-specific support.

New Planning and Access Rules from 2027 and 2028

New framework planning (from April 2027). Plans will be built around a needs assessment that looks at functional capacity and life circumstances, not diagnosis alone. 

New access assessments (from January 2028). New applicants will complete a standardised, evidence-based functional capacity assessment, and the impairment must be permanent or likely to be permanent to meet NDIS eligibility. Existing participants will be reassessed gradually over three years, not overnight.

Children aged 8 and under (from January 2028). Children with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs are expected to move to Thriving Kids and Foundational Supports instead of the NDIS.

Children with higher support needs keep NDIS access, and children already on the NDIS before January 2028 are assessed under existing rules. Thriving Kids services begin rolling out from October 2026, with full rollout targeted for 2028, and the detailed design is still in progress. 

Support coordination (from July 2028). Support coordination moves to a commissioned model, where the NDIA funds NDIS providers directly rather than participants having it as a line item in their plan.

What the Reforms Mean for NDIS Providers and SIL

For NDIS providers, the reforms are as significant as they are for participants.

For participants, the practical point is that higher-risk supports are moving under tighter regulation, which is intended to lift safety and quality. If you live in or are looking at Supported Independent Living (SIL), it is reasonable to ask a SIL provider about its registration status and how it meets the new SIL practice standards.

Protections Added During the Parliamentary Process

The Bill was amended around 30 times in the Senate. Protections reported by participant-focused sources include:

• You cannot be required to undergo a specific medical treatment as a condition of getting NDIS supports.
• Employment supports remain protected.
• Where automated systems are used, you keep the right to ask for a human review. Complex judgement calls, such as plan approvals, remain with people.
• You can still ask for an internal review of many decisions within three months of receiving them in writing.

What NDIS Participants and Families Can Do Now

For most participants, nothing needs to change today. Existing plans and supports continue until they are reassessed or renewed. A few practical steps will help you feel prepared:

1. Keep your contact details current with the NDIA so you do not miss information requests.
2. Check your plan end date and note when a renewal or reassessment is likely, particularly from February 2027.
3. Look at your current budget for community participation and everyday skills supports, and think about how you use them.
4. Gather your evidence: recent reports, assessments and notes on how daily life is going.
5. Talk early to your planner, LAC, support coordinator or plan manager about how your NDIS funding is tracking.
6. Remember the rules about who can request a reassessment. If your circumstances change significantly, the request has to come from you, your nominee or a child representative. Your supports can help prepare for it.
7. Ask for help if something feels wrong. You can request an internal review of many decisions, and the Disability Gateway (1800 643 787) can connect you with advocacy services.

What Is Still Being Decided

The reforms are not fully finalised. The Government has said the following are still being designed or consulted on:

• The functional capacity assessment tools, thresholds and methodology
• The new needs assessment and planning framework in detail
• How SIL and home and living supports will be commissioned
• The support coordination and connection model
• Differentiated pricing by support type and how it is delivered
• The design of the $200 million Inclusive Communities Fund and wider community participation market reforms
• Who will be on the plan management panel

You can follow updates and consultations on the NDIS website and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s NDIS legislation changes pages. For questions about your own plan, call the NDIA on 1800 800 110.