Originally Published: NDIS Insights with Dr George, Special Edition, April 2026

On April 22nd 2026, the NDIS Minister announced massive changes to our NDIS.

These changes will affect who gets access to the scheme, how support needs are assessed, and how much choice and control participants will continue to have over the supports we rely on.

In this edition of my NDIS Insights newsletter, I set out the main changes, with all the knowledge I have right now.

There is still a lot we do not know, and some details will depend on further consultation, legislation and implementation decisions.

But what is already clear is that these changes will have major consequences for people with disability, our families and providers.

1. Eligibility for the NDIS will tighten

It will be harder to get onto the NDIS. The Government says access to the NDIS will be based on a significant reduction in a person’s functional capacity that affects day-to-day living.

The government plans to:

• introduce standardised, evidence-based functional assessments for access
• remove diagnosis lists as a pathway into the NDIS
• more tightly assess whether the NDIS is the right system of support
• more tightly assess whether treatment could alleviate or remedy an impairment
• tighten the boundary between the NDIS and mainstream services

The Government has also said its initial modelling would reduce the projected number of people on the NDIS to around 600,000 by the end of the decade, instead of more than 900,000. This is a substantial narrowing of who can access our NDIS.

2. Plans and reassessments will tighten

The Government says it will:

• strengthen guidance about what counts as reasonable and necessary
• end plan rollovers
• stop unspent funds from being rolled over
• tighten the criteria for unscheduled reassessment requests

According to the government factsheet, tighter criteria for unscheduled reassessments are due to start 7 days after Royal Assent.

Tighter assessment of reasonable and necessary supports for new entrants, reassessments and renewals is proposed to begin progressively from 1 February 2027.

3. New framework planning has been delayed

New framework planning will no longer start this year.

The Government says rollout will now begin from 1 April 2027. Participants are expected to begin transitioning to the new framework planning model from that date.

This will involve a new support needs assessment process and a new budget method.

4. Social and community participation budgets will be cut back

One of the harshest changes announced is that our budgets for social, civic and community participation, and capacity building daily activities, will be reduced.

The Government says these changes will begin to be progressively applied from 1 October 2026.

It has also announced a $200 million Inclusive Communities Fund, which it says will be used to rebuild the capacity of community organisations to host participation activities.

For many participants, this will be one of the most concerning parts of the package. Social and community participation supports are often what make it possible to leave the house, maintain relationships, participate in community life and avoid social isolation.

5. Big changes are proposed for plan management, support coordination and pricing

The Government says it will:

• transfer responsibility for NDIS pricing decisions to the Minister for Disability and the NDIS
• consult on differentiated pricing for unregistered providers delivering some supports
• commission a panel of plan management providers
• create a newly commissioned support coordination and connection function
• consult on a commissioning approach for some home and living supports, including for Supported Independent Living participants who need 24/7 support

Key dates for these changes:

• consultation on commissioning home and living supports will begin in July 2026
• the new plan management approach will begin from 1 October 2027, with a 6-month transition period
• the new commissioned support coordination function will begin from 1 July 2028

6. Mandatory registration will expand

The Government says mandatory registration will be expanded for providers delivering support to participants considered most at risk of abuse or exploitation.

In the Minister’s speech, he described this as covering higher-risk supports including personal care, daily living supports and supports provided in closed settings.

Expansion of provider registration will begin from July 2027, with full implementation by the end of 2030.

This is a concerning change for people who rely on unregistered providers for our flexible and individualised support arrangements. It is deeply concerning that the Minister did not mention a self-directed registration category which was recommended by the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce.