Article Highlights:

The Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill passed Parliament on 19 August 2026, with the first NDIS changes taking effect seven days after the Governor-General signs it and further changes staged through to July 2028. Current plans and supports remain unchanged, new record-keeping periods apply, and participants who need continuous 24-hour care gain a new plan-variation pathway.
This article sets out each change and the date it takes effect: how early plan reassessment requests now work; the record-keeping rules for participants, nominees, and NDIS providers; the new pricing determination power; and the automated processing of claims. It then covers the support determinations beginning in October 2026, the reset of social, civic and community participation budgets, and what the Senate amendments mean for participants under Supported Independent Living. 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 passed Parliament on 19 August 2026. The Senate agreed to it on 18 August, and the House of Representatives agreed to the Senate amendments the following day. It becomes law once the Governor-General signs it, and the first NDIS changes take effect 7 days later, with further changes rolling out through to 2028.

If you or someone you care for uses the NDIS, the most important thing to know right now is that your plan and your supports continue as normal. 

What is the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill?

It is legislation that amends the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. The stated purpose is to put the scheme on a sustainable long-term footing. 

The Securing the NDIS for Future Generations bill focuses on three key areas:

  1.  Clarifying who is eligible and what supports the NDIS funds,
  2.  Addressing fraud and non-compliance, and
  3. Updating how the Scheme is governed and administered.

Do I need to do anything right now?

No. If you're an NDIS participant currently receiving support, you can continue using your plan and your supports exactly as you do today. The NDIA has said it will let communicate with participants what is happening, and when, and communicate if there is a change that affects a participants current arrangements. The existing NDIS plan stays in place until it is due for reassessment or renewal.

NDIS changes starting in the first week

Five changes take effect seven days after the legislation is signed.

1. How plan reassessment requests work

Only participants, plan nominees or child representatives can request an early plan reassessment. You can still ask for one when there is a significant and ongoing change to your functional capacity and support needs, or to your living, education, work or informal support arrangements. 

The NDIA then has up to 90 days to decide whether to reassess your plan. Short-term or urgent changes are still handled through a plan variation rather than a reassessment.

2. NDIS record keeping changes for participants, nominees and providers.

Record-keeping periods are set in law from the commencement date, and they differ based on three cohorts:

  • Participants: 3 years
  • Nominees: 5 years
  • Providers: 7 years

If you cannot produce records showing NDIS funding was used correctly, you may be asked to pay money back. Keeping invoices, receipts and service agreements together in one place is the simplest way to stay covered.

3. New information gathering powers and penalties

The NDIA has stronger compliance and enforcement powers to respond faster to fraud and non-compliance. Participants and providers may be asked to provide information, and penalties can apply to providers who do not comply.

4. How NDIS pricing decisions will be made

The Minister for Disability and the NDIS can now set maximum prices for NDIS supports through a pricing determination, informed by NDIA advice through the existing Annual Pricing Review. There is no immediate change to NDIS pricing, and current pricing arrangements continue to apply.

5. Automated processing of claims and payments

Computer systems can now be used to automate some administrative actions, such as claims and payment processing. Decisions that are complex, discretionary or require judgement will still be made by people, and the NDIA must publish details of where automated systems are used.

New protections for participants with 24-hour support

This is the change that shifted most during the Senate debate, and it matters for anyone using supported independent living or a 24-hour support roster.

From October 2026, support budgets for social, civic, and community participation, and for capacity-building daily activities, will be progressively reset as plans are reassessed or renewed. Alongside that reset, the Senate added a new plan variation pathway for participants assessed as having high support needs.

Who counts as having high support needs on the NDIS?

The NDIA describes this group as 

participants who require continuous 24-hour care to meet their disability-related care needs. 

Supporting material indicates that the definition will also require that those needs arise directly from an impairment that meets the disability or early intervention requirements. The definition is not fixed in the legislation and will be set through rules made after the Act commences, so the final wording could differ.

How is the new NDIS plan variation pathway expected to work?

The operating detail sits in the supplementary explanatory memorandum and in NDIS rules still to be made, rather than in the legislation itself. 

Based on the analysis published by National Disability Services, the peak body for disability providers, the pathway is expected to work like this:

  • Participants have 90 days from the start of a support determination to apply.
  • Funding can be reallocated only up to the amount removed by the support determination, so the total value of your plan does not increase.
  • Funding can be restored to assistance with daily living, home and living, or another support group prescribed by the Minister.
  • Funding cannot be restored to social, civic and community participation, or to improved daily living.
  • Decisions about whether you meet the definition, and whether your plan should be varied, are expected to be reviewable.

Timeframes for the NDIA to respond, and the grounds for extending the 90-day window, are still to be confirmed. 

Worth knowing

The pathway is designed to protect continuity of essential in-home care. It does not restore community participation funding, nor is it a general exemption from a support determination. If community access, employment or social supports are part of how your week works, it is worth raising that early with your support co-ordinator or your local Just Better Care office.

What is the Timeline of NDIS changes?

The remaining reforms are staged over the next two years.


Oct
2026

Support determinations begin. The new plan variation pathway opens. Plans can be suspended if a participant does not respond to information requests, after at least five reasonable attempts to make contact.

Dec
2026

Claims must be submitted within 90 days of a support being delivered.

Feb
2027

Plan renewals replace plan continuations. Unspent funds will not carry over. New criteria apply to what counts as reasonable and necessary, including clearer guidance on what a parent is expected to provide for a child with disability. These apply to new participants first and are then applied to existing participants progressively, at their next plan reassessment.

Apr
2027

The new way of planning begins to roll out.

Jul
2027

Mandatory registration expands to some providers, including those delivering personal care, daily living supports and supports in closed settings.

Oct
2027

A trusted panel of plan management providers is established, with a six-month transition period.

Jan
2028

NDIS eligibility changes begin for new applicants, based on a standardised, evidence-based assessment of functional capacity. Existing participants are reassessed over a three-year period.

Jul
2028

A new commissioned support co-ordination and connection function begins.


Talk to your local Just Better Care

If you are unsure what the NDIS changes mean for your supports, your local Just Better Care office can provide their expertise and advice to maximise your NDIS plan.

Find your local Just Better Care office

Frequently Asked Questions about the NDIS reforms?

Will my NDIS funding be cut?

Not automatically, and not right now. From October 2026, budgets for social, civic, and community participation, and for capacity-building daily activities, will be progressively reset as plans are reassessed or renewed. Plans may also go up or down as your needs change over time, which is normal and separate from these reforms.

What happens to my unspent NDIS funding?

Starting in February 2027, when plan renewals replace plan continuations, unspent funds from a previous plan will not be carried over to the new plan.

Do the NDIS eligibility changes affect me if I am already a participant?

The new access and eligibility process starts with new applicants from January 2028. Existing participants will be reassessed against the new criteria over the following three years.

Can I still ask for an urgent change to my plan?

Yes. Short-term and urgent changes continue to be handled through plan variations. The 90-day decision timeframe applies to requests for an early plan reassessment, which is a different process.

Where can I get help understanding my plan?

Your support co-ordinator, your plan manager or your provider can talk you through what a change means in practice. Your local Just Better Care office can also help you work out what a change in funding would mean for your weekly supports.

More information about the NDIS reforms

This article is a general summary of publicly available information and is current as at 21 August 2026. It is not advice about your individual plan. For decisions about your own supports, speak with the NDIA, your support co-ordinator or your plan manager.