On 19 August 2026, Parliament passed the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026. Some changes are already in effect; others roll out through 2028. Here’s what’s confirmed, what’s coming, and what to do about it — based on the official details on the NDIS Securing the NDIS for Future Generations page.
If you’ve felt like the ground keeps shifting under the NDIS, you’re not imagining it. For participants, that raises an obvious worry: will my plan or my funding change without warning? For providers, it raises a different one: what do I need to change about how I operate, and by when? This is the NDIS new legislation explained plainly, for both audiences.
What’s already changed
Plan reassessment requests are more restricted
Only participants, plan nominees or child representatives can now request an early plan reassessment. You can still ask for one before your scheduled date if there’s been a significant and ongoing change to your functional capacity, support needs, or your living, education, work or informal support arrangements. The NDIA now has 90 days to decide whether to act on that request. Short-term or urgent changes still go through plan variations, which haven’t changed.
The Minister can now set NDIS pricing
The Minister for Disability and the NDIS can now make a formal pricing determination setting maximum amounts for NDIS supports, informed by NDIA advice through the existing Annual Pricing Review. Nothing changes immediately — current pricing arrangements still apply — but this is the legal mechanism future price changes will come through.
What’s coming soon: records, compliance and automation
These reforms don’t have a fixed date yet but are part of the same law, so they’re worth planning for now rather than later.
- Record keeping periods are getting longer and are role-specific: 3 years for participants, 5 years for nominees, 7 years for providers. Keep evidence of how funding was used — you may be asked to repay funding you can’t substantiate.
- Stronger compliance and information-gathering powers mean the NDIA can request information from participants and providers, and issue penalties to providers who don’t comply.
- Automated administrative actions (like claims and payment processing) may be handled by computer systems, with published oversight — but complex or discretionary decisions, like plan approvals, will still be made by people.
Changes from October 2026: support budgets and plan suspensions
This is the one most participants will feel directly, but not overnight. Social, civic and community participation supports and capacity building daily activities budgets will be progressively reset — only when your plan is reassessed or renewed, never mid-plan and never backdated. Funding for eating and drinking assistance, education supports, employment supports and disability-related health supports is unaffected.
If you have high support needs requiring continuous 24-hour care, a new plan variation pathway lets you apply within 90 days of a support determination applying to you, and the NDIA can increase funding through a variation to keep essential 24-hour supports running.
Separately, the NDIA will be able to suspend a plan if a participant doesn’t respond to information requests — but only after at least 5 reasonable attempts to contact you, your nominee or your authorised representative over an extended period.
What providers need on their calendar
- December 2026 — Claims must be submitted within 90 days of delivering a support. Build this into your billing cycle now.
- February 2027 — “Plan renewals” replace plan continuations. Unspent funds from the previous plan won’t carry over, and new “reasonable and necessary supports” criteria apply, including clearer expectations of what parents are expected to provide for a child with disability.
- April 2027 — The new way of planning begins rolling out.
- July 2027 — Mandatory registration expands to providers delivering personal care, daily living supports, and supports in closed settings.
- October 2027 — A trusted panel of plan management providers is established, with a 6-month transition window for affected participants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to do anything with my current NDIS plan right now?
No. You can keep using your plan and supports as usual. The NDIA has said it will notify anyone directly affected by a change, with the information and support needed to understand it.
Will my funding be cut without warning?
No. Support budget resets for social, civic and community participation and capacity building daily activities only take effect when your plan is reassessed or renewed — not immediately, and never backdated.
As a provider, what’s the single most urgent thing to prepare for?
The 90-day claiming timeframe starting December 2026, and the longer 7-year record keeping requirement. Both are process changes you can build into your systems well before they take effect.
Staying on top of NDIS legislation is part of how we support the families and providers we work with. If you have questions about how these changes affect your plan, your funding, or your services, get in touch with our team today — we’re here to help you make sense of it..