Do you get 24-hour NDIS supports? How the new high support needs plan variation works

Hi, it's the team at Forward Planning Plus. If someone you care for needs support around the clock, "budget cut" is a scary thing to read. So here's what the law actually says, in plain English, and the steps you can take now.

This is general information only. It isn't legal, financial or clinical advice.

What changed on 1 October 2026?

The Government is reducing two NDIS budgets as new plans are made or reassessed from 1 October 2026, and as plans are renewed from 1 February 2027:

• Social, economic and community participation: cut by 50%
• Improved daily living skills: cut by 10%

Other parts of your plan, like help with eating, drinking, dressing and toileting, are not affected.

The cut itself isn't a decision you can ask the NDIA to review. That's why this new safeguard matters.

We explain the wider changes on our NDIS changes page.

What is the high support needs plan variation?

Some people use community participation hours as part of their 24-hour care. If those hours are halved, there could be a gap in the day with no support.

The high support needs plan variation is a way to ask the NDIA to add funding to cover that gap. That way, safe 24-hour support can continue.

It comes from section 47B of the NDIS Act. The exact rules are in a legal instrument signed by the NDIS Minister on 28 September 2026. It started on 1 October 2026.

Who qualifies?

Under the instrument, you're a "high support needs participant" if both of these are true:

1. Your plan funds 24-hour care. NDIA records show that when your plan was made, money was set aside to fund supports covering continuous 24-hour care for your disability support needs. This counts money in daily living, home and living, or community participation. (If your plan was renewed, the NDIA looks at the original plan it came from.)
2. Your budgets add up to $215,030 or more. Your assistance with daily life, home and living, and community participation budgets must total at least $215,030. This is counted before the cut.

The Government says $215,030 is about the cost of 24-hour support shared between three people (a 1:3 ratio). "24-hour support" can include a mix of shared supports, one-to-one supports and overnight help.

One limit to know about: if your current plan is a renewed plan and the NDIA already made a decision on this kind of request for an earlier plan, you can't use this pathway again.

Not sure about your numbers? Look at your plan in the my NDIS portal or app, or ask your plan manager or support coordinator to go through it with you.

When will the NDIA say yes?

The NDIA must vary your plan if both of these are true:

• you qualify, and
• because of the cut, your funding is no longer enough to keep your 24-hour care supports going.

What does it give back, and what doesn't it?

It can:

• add funding to assistance with daily living and/or home and living. This covers the hours that would otherwise have no support.
• work out the amount day by day. It's based on the community participation hours you lost, priced at the cost of support at home at your usual ratio.

It can't:

• add back community participation or improved daily living skills funding
• add more than the amount the cut took off your plan

So the aim is to keep 24-hour care safe at home. It doesn't bring back outings or community activities.

How do you ask, and by when?

• Who asks: you, or your nominee. If you don't have a nominee, a support worker or advocate can help you ask. The NDIA can't start it for you.
• When: within 90 days of the day the cut started to apply to your plan. The NDIA can give you more time in exceptional circumstances, but only by telling you in writing.
• How: contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 7 pm local time) or talk to your my NDIS contact. The law lets the NDIA use an approved form, so ask them which form to use.

What happens next:

• The NDIA has 21 days to decide if you qualify, or to tell you it needs more time.
• If you qualify, it has another 21 days to decide whether to vary your plan, or to tell you it needs more time.
• If it misses these deadlines, the law treats it as a "no", and that decision is automatically reviewed.
• If your plan is varied, the NDIA must send you a copy of the new plan within 7 days.
• You can ask for a review of these decisions.

What are people worried about?

There's one concern you should know about.

The Act's own note says high support needs participants are broadly people who require continuous 24-hour care. But the test in the instrument looks at whether your plan was funded for 24-hour care.

The Saturday Paper (10 October 2026) reported that this difference could leave out many people whose families provide some of their daily care. Maeve Kennedy, CEO of Inclusion Australia, told the paper:

"The problem with the definition as it stands is that it measures how a person's support is funded, rather than the reality of their support needs."

That's what advocates are saying. It isn't a decision by the NDIA. If you think you need 24-hour care but your plan doesn't fund it, talk to the NDIA, your support coordinator or an independent advocate about your options.

What if you don't qualify?

You still have options:

• You can ask for a plan variation or an unscheduled plan reassessment if there's been a significant and ongoing change. This could be a change in your daily abilities, living arrangements, work or study, or the informal (unpaid) support around you.
• Some supports in the affected categories aren't cut at all. These include employment supports, disability-related health supports, high intensity supports and hearing services.

What can you do this week?

1. Check your plan date. Was your plan created or reassessed on or after 1 October 2026, or renewed on or after 1 February 2027? If so, write down the start date. Your 90 days count from when the cut started applying.
2. Add up the three budgets. Daily life, home and living, and community participation. Use the amounts before the cut.
3. Check your balance. Log in to the my NDIS portal or app and see what's left in each budget.
4. Map your 24-hour roster. Write down who supports you, when, and at what ratio. This shows where a gap could appear.
5. Contact the NDIA. Call 1800 800 110 or speak to your my NDIS contact to ask about the variation.
6. Get support. Your support coordinator or an independent advocate can help you prepare.

How can a plan manager help?

A plan manager can't apply for you. But we can help you see a shortfall early.

At Forward Planning Plus, we:

• process valid, correctly submitted invoices within 1–2 business days
• give you a portal that shows your budget
• send low-funding alerts, so you can act sooner

We don't lodge plan variation requests or give legal advice. Our role is plan management only.

Forward Planning Plus is a registered NDIS plan manager (NDIA registration 4050161030) with a Queensland-based team. Plan management is funded in your NDIS plan, so there's no cost to you. We'll call you back within 24 hours on business days (Mon–Fri).

• Register with Forward Planning Plus
• Switch your plan manager. You don't need the NDIA's approval to change plan managers, but your new plan manager must be recorded as a 'my provider' for your plan before they can be paid. Your new plan manager can send you a relationship request to accept in the my NDIS participant portal (under the 'relationships' tab), or you can call the NDIA on 1800 800 110. Tell your current plan manager before you make the change.
• Not sure what a term means? See our NDIS glossary

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