NDIS changes 2026–2028: what's changing and when
Last updated . This page is updated when an official source publishes a change to these dates.
From 1 December 2026, NDIS claims must be made within 90 days of the support being delivered, down from two years. From 1 October 2026, funding for social, economic and community participation supports is reduced by 50%, and improved daily living skills by 10%, as plans are created, reassessed or renewed. From 1 February 2027, plan renewals replace plan continuations and unspent funds are not carried over. From 1 October 2027, the NDIA has published a launch date for a panel of plan managers, with a 6-month transition. The dates below are from the NDIS Act, the NDIA and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
Plain-English meanings of the terms on this page are in the NDIS glossary.
Timeline
The time limit to claim for a support became 2 years after the support was delivered.
Who it affects: Participants, plan managers and providers making NDIS claims.
90-day claiming ruleNDIS: Getting paid (print page, printed 30 April 2026)
The disability support worker cost model for 2026–27 took effect.
Who it affects: Providers who employ disability support workers, and the pricing of those supports.
Mandatory registration started to roll out for supported independent living (SIL) and platform providers.
Who it affects: SIL providers and platform providers.
The Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026 passed Parliament.
Who it affects: The NDIS, including participants, nominees, plan managers and providers.
The Bill received Royal Assent.
Who it affects: The NDIS, including participants, nominees, plan managers and providers.
Some measures in the new law commenced, 7 days after Royal Assent.
Who it affects: Participants, providers and the NDIA.
The Minister for Disability and the NDIS became the decision-maker on NDIS pricing.
Who it affects: Providers and participants whose supports have an NDIS price limit.
Rules for unscheduled plan reassessments tightened: only the participant, their plan nominee or their guardian/child representative can request one, there must be a significant and ongoing change, and the NDIA has 90 days to decide.
Who it affects: Participants asking for an unscheduled reassessment.
Budget resets and plan renewalsWhat to expect at reassessment or renewalDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing: About the changes to the NDIS (last updated 2 October 2026)
Section 45B of the NDIS Act starts. An NDIS provider, including a registered plan manager, keeps prescribed claim records for 7 years from the day the claim is made. A participant who makes the claim keeps them for 3 years. Another person who makes the claim, such as a nominee, keeps them for 5 years. The NDIS rules can prescribe the kind of record and a shorter period.
Who it affects: NDIS providers (including registered plan managers), participants who make a claim, and other people who make a claim.
90-day claiming ruleFederal Register of Legislation: NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026, section 2 and Schedule 2 (as made, 20 August 2026)
The Minister's first pricing determination for 2026–27 took effect, including the NDIS pricing schedule and the SDA pricing schedule. Maximum prices apply to NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants.
Who it affects: NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants, and their providers.
How to check invoices for fraudNDIS: New price limits set for NDIS supports (24 September 2026)
Funding for social, economic and community participation supports is reduced by 50%, and improved daily living skills by 10%, for new plans and plans that are reassessed. Critical supports are not part of this reset. It does not apply to new framework plans.
Who it affects: Participants with funding in those categories whose plans are new or reassessed.
Budget resets and plan renewalsWhat to expect at reassessment or renewalNDIS: Changes to support budgets from 1 October (1 October 2026)
A plan variation pathway opened for participants with high support needs who need continuous 24-hour care. An application is made within 90 days of a support determination applying.
Who it affects: Participants with high support needs who need continuous 24-hour care.
24-hour care plan variationDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing: Securing the NDIS for future generations timeline (last updated 15 September 2026)
The NDIA may suspend a plan if a participant does not respond to requests for information, after at least 5 attempts over 3 to 4 months.
Who it affects: Participants who do not respond to NDIA information requests.
Budget resets and plan renewalsWhat to expect at reassessment or renewalNDIS: Securing the NDIS for future generations (accessed 19 October 2026)
Thriving Kids, the first phase of foundational supports, began a phased rollout.
Who it affects: Children and families covered by the Thriving Kids rollout.
The NDIA does extra checks on claims submitted more than 90 days after a support is delivered. Those claims may be held for up to 28 days and may need more evidence.
Who it affects: Anyone whose claim is lodged more than 90 days after the support.
90-day claiming ruleNDIS: Increasing integrity checks on older claims (5 October 2026)
The NDIA asks plan managers for feedback through a request for information (RFI) on AusTender, open for 5 weeks.
Who it affects: Plan management providers.
Plan management panelNDIS: Changes to plan management (accessed 19 October 2026)
The time to make a claim is reduced from 2 years to 90 days after the support is delivered.
Who it affects: Self-managed participants, plan managers, and providers claiming NDIA-managed supports.
90-day claiming ruleDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing: About the changes to the NDIS (last updated 2 October 2026)
SCHADS Award Schedule E changes take effect. The NDIS pricing schedule is to be updated later in 2026.
Who it affects: Providers employing workers under the SCHADS Award, and those workers.
NDIS price increase from 1 December 2026NDIS: New price limits set for NDIS supports (24 September 2026)
Plan renewals replace plan continuations. Unspent funds are not carried over. A renewed plan is set at the assessed level, adjusted for current prices.
Who it affects: Participants whose plans reach a reassessment date from this day.
Budget resets and plan renewalsWhat to expect at reassessment or renewalDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing: About the changes to the NDIS (last updated 2 October 2026)
The budget reset for social, economic and community participation and improved daily living skills applies when plans are renewed.
Who it affects: Participants with funding in those categories whose plans are renewed.
Budget resets and plan renewalsDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing: Funding changes for NDIS supports (accessed 19 October 2026)
New reasonable and necessary criteria apply to new entrants, and are applied progressively to existing participants at reassessment, with clearer guidance on parental responsibility.
Who it affects: New NDIS entrants, and existing participants when their plans are reassessed.
New debt recovery rules start.
Who it affects: People the NDIA seeks to recover NDIS funds from.
New framework planning starts. Participants aged 18 and over move to new framework plans between April 2027 and 31 December 2030. The budget reset does not apply to new framework plans.
Who it affects: Participants aged 18 and over.
Budget resets and plan renewalsDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing: New framework planning (accessed 19 October 2026)
The NDIA publishes a request for tender for the plan management panel. Plan managers who want to join must apply.
Who it affects: Plan management providers.
Plan management panelNDIS: Changes to plan management (accessed 19 October 2026)
The plan management tender closes. The NDIA assesses applications and tells providers whether they are on the panel.
Who it affects: Plan management providers who applied.
Plan management panelNDIS: Changes to plan management (accessed 19 October 2026)
Expanded mandatory registration starts for higher-risk supports. All in-scope providers are to be registered by December 2030.
Who it affects: Providers of the higher-risk supports that are in scope.
Provider enrolment with the NDIA starts. All in-scope providers are to be enrolled by December 2027.
Who it affects: In-scope NDIS providers.
Whistleblower protections start.
Who it affects: People who make a whistleblower disclosure about the NDIS.
Everyone with funding in the social, economic and community participation or improved daily living skills categories should have had the budget reset applied.
Who it affects: Participants with funding in those categories.
Budget resets and plan renewalsDepartment of Health, Disability and Ageing: Funding changes for NDIS supports (accessed 19 October 2026)
The NDIA has published this date for the plan management panel launch, with a 6-month transition. Participants who use plan management will need to use a plan manager from the panel. The deed topics are already in the NDIS Act (Schedule 2 Part 6, section 73EA). That part has not commenced: it starts by proclamation, or on 1 September 2028 if it is not proclaimed within 24 months of Royal Assent on 20 August 2026.
Who it affects: Participants who use plan management, and plan managers.
Plan management panelNDIS: Changes to plan management (accessed 19 October 2026)
Thriving Kids is fully operational nationally. Access changes start for children aged 0–8 with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate needs.
Who it affects: Children aged 0–8 with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate needs.
Access changes using a functional capacity assessment start for new applicants. Existing participants are reassessed over 3 years.
Who it affects: New NDIS applicants, and existing participants over the following 3 years.
The plan management panel transition ends. Participants must use a plan manager from the panel, and plan managers who are not on it can no longer deliver plan management.
Who it affects: Participants who use plan management, and plan managers who are not on the panel.
Plan management panelNDIS: Changes to plan management (accessed 19 October 2026)
Tap-and-go claiming for self-managed participants is due through an improved NDIS App.
Who it affects: Self-managed participants.
A commissioned support coordination and connection service starts. Support coordination will not be funded in individual plans.
Who it affects: Participants who use support coordination, and support coordinators.
The move of participants aged 18 and over to new framework plans is due to be complete.
Who it affects: Participants aged 18 and over.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: New framework planning (accessed 19 October 2026)
Plan management panel from October 2027
The NDIA says it is changing how plan management services are priced, designed and delivered. It will set up a trusted panel of plan managers by 1 October 2027. Participants who use plan management will need to use a plan manager from that panel. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing describes this as choosing a plan management provider from a list approved by the government. Panel providers must meet strict quality, regulation and monitoring standards. The NDIS Act sets the topics a plan manager's deed must cover, in Schedule 2 Part 6 (section 73EA): integrity and governance, staff and key personnel, how claims are checked and submitted, information and communications technology, and related parties and conflicts of interest. That part has not commenced. It starts by proclamation, or on 1 September 2028 if it is not proclaimed within 24 months of Royal Assent on 20 August 2026. Until then, today's registration rules apply.
The NDIA says the aims are to improve the quality of plan management, improve integrity standards and reduce fraud. The Department says the Government aims to eliminate conflicts of interest in the plan management market. The published steps are a request for information from October 2026, a request for tender from April 2027, the tender closing from June 2027, the panel launching from October 2027 with a 6-month transition, and from April 2028 participants must use a panel plan manager.
The NDIS website says that right now you can continue using your plan and supports as usual. No plan manager has been selected. The NDIA will tell providers whether they are on the panel after the tender closes.
Forward Planning Plus is an NDIS registered plan manager. That registration is not a place on this panel. This page does not say we are on the panel, or that we will be selected.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 90-day claiming rule start?
From 1 December 2026, a claim must be made within 90 days of the day the support is delivered, down from two years. From 15 October 2026, claims lodged more than 90 days after the support may already be held for extra checks.
Do I have to change plan managers now?
No. The NDIS website says that right now you can continue using your plan and supports as usual. The plan management panel launches from 1 October 2027. The NDIA has not selected who will be on it.
Will unspent funds carry over?
From 1 February 2027, plan renewals replace plan continuations and unspent funds from the previous plan are not carried over. The renewed plan is set at the assessed level, adjusted for current prices.
Are all NDIS budgets being reduced?
No. The reset reduces social, economic and community participation supports by 50% and improved daily living skills supports by 10%. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing says critical supports, including supports in the home, are not part of this reset.
Is Forward Planning Plus on the plan management panel?
No panel list exists yet. The NDIA says it will tell providers whether they are on the panel after the tender closes from June 2027, and the panel launches from 1 October 2027. Being a registered plan manager now is not the same as being on that panel.
Questions about how a change affects your plan? Call 0405 589 006 or request a call back. Plan management is funded by the NDIA in your plan, so there is no cost to you.