NDIS changes timeline 2026 to 2030: what they mean for you

What’s happening: The NDIA is upgrading the way claims and payments work, so every claim is checked against the support that was actually delivered. This is being rolled out over the next few years.

What it means for you: Not much changes day to day, and that’s the point. These are behind-the-scenes checks designed to catch fraud and make sure funding goes to real supports for real people.

What’s happening: From 1 July 2026, registration became mandatory for providers of Supported Independent Living (SIL, where you’re supported to live in your own home) and for platform providers (for example, apps that connect you directly with support workers).

By 1 October 2026, your SIL provider must be registered, or have applied to register, to keep delivering your supports.

What it means for you: Your plan and your funding don’t change. If your SIL supports are provided by Aruma, your supports stay the same. Aruma is a registered provider.

If your SIL provider is not already registered, they will need to apply, and you don’t need to do anything. Registration means your provider is held to national quality and safety standards, which is good news for you.

If your provider doesn’t register, the NDIA will be in touch to help you find a registered SIL provider that can help you. You can also check out our blog here about the SIL 2026 changes or chat to our team if you need to find a SIL provider near you.

What’s happening: From this date, budgets for social, civic and community participation, and for capacity building daily activities, may start to be reset.

This might mean a reduction in social and community participation budgets and capacity building daily activity budgets. This will be phased in gradually as plans are reassessed or renewed, not overnight.

What it means for you: We understand that supports for critical care and daily living are protected and are not affected by this reset. However, please speak to your provider if you notice changes to funding in these areas.

If you use funding for social and community activities, you may notice a change to that part of your budget when your plan is next renewed.

It’s worth planning ahead: your provider can help you get the most from each session, and group activities can be a lower-cost way to stay connected.

What’s happening: A new program called Thriving Kids will roll out. It supports children aged eight and under who have developmental delay and/or autism with lower support needs, through local state-based services rather than the NDIS.

What it means for you: If you have a young child with lower support needs, their support may come through Thriving Kids in the future.

Children with permanent and significant disability, and those with high support needs, should stay eligible for the NDIS.

What’s happening: The time a provider has to claim for a support drops from two years to 90 days. Any support delivered from 1 December 2026 must be claimed within 90 days.

What it means for you: Your plan doesn’t change. It will encourage providers to bill promptly, which should mean your plan balance gives you a clearer, up-to-date picture of what you’ve got left to spend. If you’re plan managed, your plan manager and providers will simply need to invoice a little faster.

What’s happening: The way plan renewals work changes for everyone. When your plan reaches its scheduled reassessment date and a renewed plan is created, any unspent funds from your old plan won’t carry over into the new one. Each new plan starts with its own budget.

What it means for you: It’s worth using the supports you’re funded for across your plan, rather than leaving funding to build up, because it won’t carry over if your plan renews after 1 February 2027. If you’re not sure you’re making the most of your plan, your planner, support coordinator, or our team can help you map it out.

What’s happening: There are new, tighter rules about what counts as a reasonable and necessary support. People newly joining the NDIS will be assessed under these rules first. For people already on the NDIS, the new rules will be applied gradually, as part of the plan reassessment process.

What it means for you: If you’re already a participant, nothing changes straight away. When your plan is next reassessed, the NDIA will weigh up the new criteria when deciding what’s funded. Keeping simple records of the supports you use and how they help you means your needs are well documented when that time comes.

What’s happening: A new way of building plans, called new framework planning, starts to roll out. It uses an assessment of your support needs to work out your supports and budget. Existing participants will move across to the new approach gradually.

What it means for you: You don’t need to do anything right now. Your current plan continues until it’s your turn to move across, and that happens gradually through to 31 December 2030, not all at once. When your time comes, your planner will talk you through what it means for your supports.

What’s happening: Registration becomes mandatory for more types of providers, starting with higher-risk supports like personal care, help with daily living, and supports delivered in closed settings, which are places where people live or spend their day in a more contained environment like supported accommodation homes.

What it means for you: This is about safety and quality. It means more of the providers delivering hands-on, personal supports are held to national standards, which is good news for anyone receiving that kind of care.

What’s happening: A new enrolment system begins, so the NDIA holds basic details on most providers. Most providers will need to enrol from this date.

What it means for you: This one works quietly in the background. It helps the NDIA keep better track of who’s delivering supports and where the funding goes, which means less fraud and more money going to the supports people need.

What’s happening: A new panel of plan management providers begins, with a six-month transition period for people to move across.

What it means for you: If you’re plan managed, you may need to move to a provider on the new panel during the transition. If you’re not plan managed, this one doesn’t affect you.

What’s happening: For new applicants, access to the NDIS is decided using a new, standardised assessment of functional capacity, rather than diagnosis lists. Existing participants are reassessed gradually over about three years.

What it means for you: If you’re already a participant, you won’t be reassessed straight away. From 2028, existing participants will be reassessed against the new criteria over about three years. Many will continue, but some people with lower support needs may no longer be eligible and would move to other supports. People with permanent and significant disability keep their access, and the NDIA will give you information well in advance of any reassessment.

What’s happening: Thriving Kids is now fully up and running across the country, and access changes begin for new applicants aged eight and under.

What it means for you: For new applications, families of young children with lower support needs will be pointed towards Thriving Kids rather than the NDIS. Children already enrolled in the NDIS before 1 January 2028 will be reassessed under the rules that were in place before that date. Children with permanent and significant disability, and those with high support needs, stay with the NDIS.

What’s happening: A new model for support coordination begins, where coordinators are chosen from a government-approved list.

What it means for you: If you have funded support coordination, your coordinator may change over to the new model. The aim is more consistent, better-quality coordination.

What’s happening: Having started in April 2027, by 31 December 2030, the move to new framework planning is complete and every participant is on a new plan.

What it means for you: This is the finish line for the transition. By now you’ll be settled into the new planning approach, with the changes above fully in place.