24/04/2026
I know the changes have been daunting !!
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NDIS Changes
NDIS changes – announced April 2026
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Disability and the NDIS, Mark Butler, has announced proposed changes to the NDIS.
NDIS eligibility
* Eligibility for the NDIS is expected to change from January 2028 for both new and existing participants
* It is proposed access will no longer be based on diagnosis but will be decided by a standardised functional capacity assessment
* NDIS eligibility will depend on a significant reduction in a person’s functional capacity that impacts their day-to-day living
* All existing participants will have their eligibility to remain on the NDIS reassessed, as their plan comes up for renewal
Planning
* The new framework planning, using a support needs assessment, will now begin from 1 April 2027. This will determine the size of a participant’s plan
* From July 2026, participants are expected to only be able to request a plan reassessment if there are exceptional changes in circumstances
What’s in a plan
* Social and Community Participation and Capacity Building Daily Activities funding in plans is expected to be reduced. How much these budgets are reduced will vary. This change is proposed to be rolled out from October 2026.
Who can provide services
* Plan management, support coordination and Supported Independent Living will be limited to a smaller group of approved providers
* Personal care and daily living supports will need to be delivered by registered providers. No start date has been confirmed
Digital payment system
* A new digital payment system is planned, where providers will need to enrol so payments can be made directly and with greater visibility
Support outside the NDIS
* The government has announced a $200 million fund to make activities such as sport, arts and volunteering more accessible for people with disability
Thriving Kids – what’s been announced
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Disability and the NDIS, Mark Butler, has announced an overview of Thriving Kids and released a report from the Thriving Kids Advisory Group.
National Cabinet has committed $4 billion over five years.
At this stage, the announcement is very high level. Many details are still being worked out.
* Thriving Kids will start from 1 October 2026
* It will be fully rolled out by 1 January 2028
The Australian Government will manage national parts of the program, like information and evaluation. State governments will run parenting programs and targeted supports.
What this means right now
Nothing changes at the moment.
* Children aged 0–8 who are already on the NDIS can stay on the NDIS under the current rules
* Children aged 0–8 who are identified as having developmental delay or disability can still access the NDIS under the current rules
* There are no changes for children aged 9 and over who are NDIS participants
“under the current rules” means the existing NDIS eligibility and reassessment rules apply.
When will things change?
From October 2026
* Thriving Kids will begin rolling out
From 1 January 2028
* The NDIS access rules will change for children aged 0–8
From this point:
* Children aged 0–8 with significant and permanent disability will continue to access the NDIS. This includes children with developmental delay or autism who have high support needs.
* Children aged 0–8 with low to moderate support needs will receive support through Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS
What support will Thriving Kids provide?
Thriving Kids support will include:
* Early identification�Help from GPs, child and family nurses, and other professionals to identify developmental delays
* Information and advice for families�Free phone and online support
* Parenting supports and programs�Including peer support groups, playgroups and parenting courses
* Targeted supports�Such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and access to low-cost assistive technology, aids and equipment
What else we know
* No diagnosis will be needed to access Thriving Kids support
* Support will be offered in different ways – online, in groups, and one-to-one
* Supports will be free, with no gap fees
* There will be a strong focus on helping children in their everyday environments, like home, childcare and kindergarten
* Support will be evidence based, neuro-affirming, child and family centred
New support needs assessment
The NDIS has announced that from July 2026 it will start to use the I-Can Support Needs Assessment. This will replace getting reports from allied health practitioners. ��What we know so far:
* Will be for participants aged 16 and older
* Parents or other supporters will be able to attend assessment meetings with participants
* The I-Can assessment is undertaken by trained professionals
* The assessment is a conversation that focuses on 12 key support areas
* Further assessments will be used for people with complex disability support needs
Music and art therapy to continue
After an independent Review of Art and Music Therapies, it is confirmed they will continue to be available under the NDIS.
The Review’s key recommendations include:
* Art and music therapies should be delivered by a qualified therapist who is registered with a recognised professional association
* A new national price limit of $156.16 per hour for art and music therapy, in line with the maximum payment rate for counselling
* A clearer distinction between art and music as a therapeutic support, and art and music as a non-therapeutic support NDIS funding cannot directly be used to cover the cost of art and music activities, however funding can be used for supports to enable participation in art or music activities, just not the cost of the activity itself
The Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) Guide will be updated to reflect the new pricing for art and music therapies, which will take effect from 24 November 2025.
In the meantime, participants can keep accessing the supports outlined in their plans.
Travel pricing
The NDIS have released the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, which start on the 1st July 2025.
The biggest change for families is that the NDIS has cut the travel price for allied health therapists to half the therapy rate. There is also a limit on how much travel time therapists can claim.
As a result, many therapists are now working out if they can continue to offer therapy at home, kindergartens, or schools.
The best thing to do is to contact your children’s therapists to ask if they will still travel to you.
NDIS funding periods
The NDIS has introduced funding periods for all new and reassessed plans that start from the 19th May 2025.
Funding periods start on the first day of your child’s plan.
Most plans will have three-month funding periods. This means the funding in your child’s plan will be released in smaller chunks, every three months.
You will receive a budget for core and capacity building every three months. This may affect how you plan school holidays, especially during the longer summer break.
If you have a budget for assistive technology or home modifications, funds will be released in full at the start of the plan.
If you don’t use all the money in one period, it will be rolled into the next period. But any money left at the end of your child’s plan won’t be rolled into a new plan.
When you or your plan manager claims for a service that goes across two funding periods, you must make two separate claims.
You will be able to see how you are tracking against the funding period in your NDIS portal.
Generally, plans will have three-month funding periods, but the NDIS can set the funding period from one month to 12 months.
