The NDIS is entering another significant period of change.
On 19 August 2026, the Australian Parliament passed the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. The Bill received Royal Assent on 20 August 2026 and became the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026.[1][2]
Some of the changes came into effect on 27 August 2026. Others will begin progressively from October 2026 through to 2028.[1]
This is an important distinction.
The new legislation does not mean every participant’s NDIS plan changed overnight. Some rules are already operating, while other changes will only affect participants when their plan is reassessed, renewed or transitioned to the new planning system.
Here is what participants and families need to know.
Since 27 August 2026, new rules apply to several areas of the NDIS, including unscheduled plan reassessments.
The legislation also establishes new arrangements relating to record keeping, administrative automation, compliance and integrity.[1][3]
For most participants, one of the most immediately relevant changes is the way an unscheduled plan reassessment can now be requested.
Participants can still ask the NDIA to reassess their plan before their scheduled reassessment date, but new criteria now apply.
An unscheduled reassessment may be requested where there has been a significant and ongoing change to either:
Importantly, a change in living, education, work or informal supports does not have to be unexpected.
This means a participant may request an unscheduled reassessment where a major change was foreseeable, provided the change is significant and ongoing.[4]
For example, a participant may know that their living arrangements are going to change or that a family member will no longer be able to provide the same level of informal support.
Only the participant, their plan nominee or a child representative can request this type of reassessment.[3]
The NDIA now has up to 90 days to decide whether to undertake a participant-requested plan reassessment.[3]
If no decision is made within 90 days, the request is treated as having been refused. The participant then has access to review rights.[2][4]
While this does not necessarily prevent delays, it establishes a clear point at which a participant can pursue the available review process rather than remaining indefinitely without a decision.
Participants can also continue requesting a plan variation for situations such as short-term or urgent changes, including certain crisis or emergency circumstances.[2][3]
One of the biggest upcoming changes involves support determinations.
The relevant provisions begin on 1 October 2026.[1]
A support determination allows the Minister for the NDIS to reduce funding allocations for specified types of supports in current, or “old framework”, NDIS plans.
The Government has said it plans to use this mechanism to reset funding allocations for:
These changes will begin progressively.
From 1 October 2026, they may apply when a participant receives a new plan or their plan is reassessed. From 1 February 2027, they may also be applied through the plan renewal process.[2][3]
Importantly, this does not mean every participant will lose 50% or 10% of their total NDIS funding.
The percentages relate to particular budget allocations, and the Government notes that the change may not result in the same percentage reduction in someone’s actual spending where the full existing allocation is not currently being used.[2]
The Government says the support determination changes will not affect funding for a number of critical supports, including supports relating to daily care in the home, disability-related health, employment, home and vehicle modifications, personal mobility equipment and transport, some consumables and Specialist Disability Accommodation.[2][4]
The final amendments also introduced further safeguards.
These specifically exclude certain types of supports from support determinations, including:
This is particularly relevant for participants who require complex Behaviour Support.
It means the Government’s final amendments specifically protect complex behaviour supports from this particular support determination mechanism.
However, this does not mean Behaviour Support funding can never change.
Funding decisions may still be affected by an individual participant’s circumstances, support needs, plan and the applicable NDIS funding criteria.
The safeguard specifically relates to the new support determination process.
The amendments also introduce a new pathway for participants with high support needs who require continuous 24-hour disability-related care.
Where a support determination affects an eligible participant, they will be able to request a plan variation within 90 days of the determination applying to their plan.[2][4]
The NDIA will be able to increase funding through a plan variation where necessary to make sure essential continuous care is maintained.
This was one of the safeguards introduced following advocacy from people with disability, families and disability organisations.
Further planning changes begin on 1 February 2027.
The NDIA will apply new criteria when considering what supports are reasonable and necessary to fund.[2][3]
One important area involves the role of parents and informal supports.
The new criteria will provide clearer guidance about what parents are ordinarily expected to provide for a child, including areas such as supervision, personal care, transport, emotional support and behavioural support.
However, this does not include additional support a child requires because of their disability compared with another child of a similar age without disability.[3][4]
The amendments also require consideration of the potential risk of harm to informal supports, family relationships and informal support networks where necessary support is not funded.[4]
For families providing significant unpaid disability-related support, this distinction is important.
From 1 February 2027, the NDIA will introduce a new plan renewal process.[3]
When a participant reaches their reassessment date, their plan may either be reassessed by an NDIA planner or renewed with the same level of supports for which they were previously assessed, adjusted for current prices.
This will replace the process often referred to as a plan continuation.
Another significant change is that unspent funding from the previous plan will not carry over into the renewed plan.[3]
Participants should therefore pay close attention to information from the NDIA as these arrangements begin.
The NDIS’s new planning system, known as new framework planning, is expected to begin rolling out progressively from April 2027.[2][5]
A key part of the new process will be the support needs assessment.
The NDIA describes this as a guided conversation between a participant and a trained assessor designed to understand disability-related support needs across everyday life.[5]
The information from the assessment will help inform a participant’s budget under the new framework planning system.
The NDIA is continuing to test the approach before rollout.
Participants currently taking part in testing do so voluntarily, and participation does not change their existing plan, funding, supports or NDIS eligibility.[5]
Participants will transition to the new way of planning progressively rather than everyone moving to the new system at once.
The legislation also introduces clearer requirements around keeping evidence of NDIS payments and supports.
The relevant legislative provisions commenced on 27 August 2026, although the NDIA has indicated that further information will be provided about exactly how participants should meet the requirements.[1][3]
Participants or their plan managers will need to keep relevant records for NDIS support payments for three years.
Different record-retention periods apply to nominees and providers.[3]
This makes good record keeping increasingly important, particularly for self-managed participants.
The legislation also introduces additional protections around how NDIS debts are raised and recovered, but these provisions do not commence until 20 February 2027.[1]
Once they commence, the NDIA will need to notify a participant or provider that a debt exists and explain why.
Participants will have 28 days to respond to a debt notification, while providers will have 14 days.[4]
The low-value debt waiver threshold will also rise from $200 to $500, meaning the NDIA can waive debts below $500 where recovery would not be cost-effective.[4]
These safeguards are separate from the record-keeping provisions that commenced in August.
The legislation also establishes a framework allowing computer systems to be used for some administrative NDIS actions, including areas such as claims and payment processing.[1][3]
Safeguards apply.
The NDIA says decisions that are complex, discretionary or require judgement will continue to be made by people.
There must also be human oversight of automated processes, participants retain review rights, and the NDIA must publish information explaining where and how automated systems are being used.[2][3]
The aim is to automate administrative processes rather than remove human judgement from complex participant planning decisions.
A number of integrity measures also form part of the new legislation.
Some commenced on 27 August 2026, while others have later commencement dates.[1]
For example, new provisions prohibiting certain provider inducements and kickbacks are due to commence on 20 November 2026, while expanded whistleblower protections commence on 1 July 2027.[1][4]
The Government says the reforms are intended to strengthen action against fraud, misleading information, inappropriate provider behaviour and misuse of NDIS funds.
Scheme integrity is important, but safeguards also need to ensure that legitimate participants continue to have access to disability-related supports they need.
Not necessarily.
Some NDIS laws are now in effect, but that does not mean every participant’s plan or funding changed on 27 August.
The NDIA currently advises participants that they can continue using their existing plan and supports as usual and that participants will be contacted when a change affects them.[3]
Other significant reforms have later dates:
27 August 2026: unscheduled reassessment changes and several administrative and integrity measures
1 October 2026: support determination provisions begin
1 December 2026: shorter claiming timeframe begins
1 February 2027: plan renewals and new reasonable and necessary criteria begin
20 February 2027: debt recovery safeguards commence
April 2027: new framework planning begins progressively
1 January 2028: major changes to NDIS access and functional capacity assessment begin.[1][2][3]
There is no need to assume that your support will suddenly disappear because new legislation has passed.
However, staying informed and keeping clear evidence is becoming increasingly important.
It can be helpful to keep information showing how your disability affects everyday functioning, the supports you currently use, what those supports are intended to achieve, changes in your functional capacity or circumstances, and any risks that may arise if appropriate disability-related support is unavailable.
If you receive communication from the NDIA about changes to your plan, read it carefully and ask questions if anything is unclear.
For more information about the broader direction of NDIS planning, you may also find our articles Why the NDIS Is Focusing More on Outcomes Than Ever Before and NDIS New Framework Planning: What Participants Need to Know useful.
Royal Assent was not the end of the NDIS reform process.
Many changes will depend on future NDIS Rules, Ministerial instruments, NDIA policy, implementation guidance and how the reforms work for participants in practice.
The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations welcomed several of the safeguards added before the legislation passed, while also emphasising the need to monitor what happens to people with disability when the new powers are implemented.[6]
That remains an important point.
For participants and families, understanding when a change starts, what it actually applies to and whether it affects your individual plan will be more useful than assuming every NDIS reform announcement applies immediately.
At Support Agency, we’re here to help participants and families understand their supports and work towards meaningful, individual goals. Our team provides Behaviour Support, Music Therapy and other disability supports based on each person’s individual needs and circumstances.
Information in this article is current as at 2 September 2026. NDIS reforms continue to develop and implementation details may change. This article provides general information and should not be considered legal, financial or individual NDIS planning advice.
[1] Australian Government, Federal Register of Legislation. National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026, No. 66, 2026. Assented to 20 August 2026.
https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2026A00066/latest/text
[2] Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. About the changes to the NDIS. Updated August 2026.
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/ndis-legislation-changes/amendments/ndis-amendment-securing-the-ndis-for-future-generations-bill-2026/about-the-changes-to-the-ndis
[3] National Disability Insurance Agency. Securing the NDIS for future generations. Updated 1 September 2026.
https://www.ndis.gov.au/ndis-laws/securing-ndis-future-generations
[4] Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Final changes to the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. August 2026.
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-08/final-changes-to-the-ndis-amendment-securing-the-ndis-for-future-generations-bill-2026.pdf
[5] National Disability Insurance Agency. New way of planning. Updated 27 August 2026.
https://www.ndis.gov.au/changes-ndis/new-way-planning
[6] Australian Federation of Disability Organisations. Senate passes NDIS Bill with further safeguards: AFDO says real test is what happens to people with disability. Media release, 19 August 2026.