The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is one of Australia’s most important social reforms. The NDIS needs to be protected for people with permanent and significant disability and for future generations who will rely on it.
This timeline outlines the key dates for implementing the Government’s plan to secure the future of the NDIS. This includes when legislation will be introduced, when consultation will occur and when changes for participants and providers will begin.
This timeline will be updated as further dates are confirmed following consultation and design work.
Bold = Key changes commence for participants and providers
2026
Mid-May
- NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill introduced to Parliament.
7 days after Royal Assent
- Tighter criteria for unscheduled plan reassessments begins. Participants will still be able to request unscheduled reassessments when there have been significant and ongoing changes to support needs. Only participants, plan nominees or guardians will be able to request unscheduled reassessments.
- Participants and providers begin to have new requirements to retain records relating to NDIS claims.
- The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will have stronger compliance, enforcement and information gathering powers to tackle fraud and non-compliance and respond faster to suspicious behaviour.
- The Minister for Disability and the NDIS will become the decision-maker on NDIS pricing.
Mid-June
- Technical Advisory Group established to provide advice on new eligibility process to determine access to the NDIS based on functional capacity.
1 July
- Rollout of mandatory registration begins for Supported Independent Living (SIL) and platform providers.
- Consultation begins on:
- Design of a commissioning approach for home and living supports for SIL participants who need 24/7 support to ensure participants receive the best supports and address provider viability challenges.
- Expanding differentiated pricing for unregistered providers.
- Design of the Inclusive Communities Fund and market reforms for social and community participation and capacity building activities to ensure genuinely inclusive activities are available in the market.
Early August
- Consultation begins on:
- Updated new framework planning rules.
- New eligibility process to determine access to the NDIS.
31 August
- Consultation concludes for:
- Expanding differentiated pricing for unregistered providers.
- Design of the Inclusive Communities Fund.
30 September
- Consultation concludes for:
- Updated new framework planning rules.
- New eligibility assessment to determine access to the NDIS.
1 October
- Phased rollout of Thriving Kids supports begins, with children aged 8 and under with development delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs and their families able to access supports outside the NDIS.
- Participant support budgets for social, civic and community participation supports and capacity building daily activities are progressively reset as plans are reassessed or renewed.
31 October
- Consultation concludes for:
- Commissioning Supported Independent Living (SIL).
- Market reforms for social and community participation and capacity building activities.
2027
1 February
- Changes to plan rollovers begin for all participants. As plans reach their scheduled reassessment dates, a renewed plan will be created and unspent funds from the previous plan will not be carried over.
- Tighter assessment of reasonable and necessary support for new entrants begins, with new criteria the NDIA must consider in determining what supports are funded. This will be progressively applied to current participants as they go through usual reassessments.
1 April
- Participants start to transition to new framework planning.
1 July
- Rollout of expanded mandatory registration requirements for providers of higher risk activities like personal care, daily living supports and supports provided in closed settings begins, with all providers in scope to be registered by December 2030.
- Rollout of new enrolment system with a minimum basic level of identifiable information on most NDIS providers begins, with all providers in scope to be enrolled by December 2027.
1 October
- New panel of plan management providers begins with 6-month transition period.
2028
1 January
- Access changes begin for new applicants, with existing participants reassessed over 2 years:
- Eligibility determined based on a new standardised, evidence-based assessment of functional capacity as informed by the Technical Advisory Group.
- More consistent assessment of permanence and whether an impairment can be alleviated or treated.
- More consistent assessment of access to other compensation schemes.
- Thriving Kids services are fully operational nationally.
- Access changes for new applicants aged 0-8 eligible for Thriving Kids begin:
- Children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs will be supported by Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS.
- Children aged 8 and under enrolled in the NDIS prior to 1 January 2028 with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs will be subject to reassessment under the eligibility criteria in place prior to 1 January 2028.
- Children with permanent and significant disability and children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have substantially reduced functional capacity (high support needs) will remain eligible for the NDIS, subject to usual arrangements.
1 July
- New support coordination and connection with commissioned service begins.
2030
31 December
- New framework planning transition period ends. All participants will have been transitioned to new framework plans.
Date last updated: