17/02/2026
From July this year, NDIA are changing the way they review NDIS plans. Instead of the participant/parent bringing reports from their allied health professionals, NDIA will be assessing the participant's support needs themselves. The resulting data will be put through an algorithm on the computer, which will determine the amount of funding in the new plan. The NDIA staff member won't be able to change that amount. Even the Administrative Review Tribunal won't be able to change the amount - it can only order that NDIA repeat the assessment.
Every Australian Counts are collecting feedback on the proposed new process through this survey. If you have a spare 5-10 minutes to fill it in, your feedback will be appreciated.
Personally, some of the concerns I have with the new process are:
1) That the validity of the assessments they plan to use (I-CANS and PECQ) will be dubious when the assessment is modified for NDIS use, and completed mostly by people without an allied health background. (My understanding is that they will have no obligation to consider allied health reports.)
2) How the data will be used, as in what score means which level of funding. I'm sure using a computer algorithm will mean more consistency between plans, as marketed - but will it be set up to be consistently better for participants, or consistently cheaper for the NDIS? Considering that NDIA are introducing a swathe of cost cutting measures, I'm concerned it will be the latter.
3) That the results won't be able to be amended by a human or changed through external review (ART). Given the NDIA's history of making wrong decisions (as evidenced by 75% of NDIA decisions being changed when challenged at ART level), that is a worry.
The Government is consulting on new NDIS planning rules, including changes to:
• Support Needs Assessments
• How budgets are set
• How decisions are made and explained
Every Australian Counts is preparing a submission, and we want it grounded in real lived experience.
If you are an NDIS participant, family member, carer, support worker or advocate, your perspective matters. This short survey is your chance to share what these proposed changes could mean in practice.
You don’t need to read all the consultation material to take part. You can simply tell us:
• What makes planning fair and safe
• What needs to be transparent
• What helps protect choice, control and flexibility
⏰ The consultation closes 6 March 2026.
We’ll use survey responses (de-identified unless you say otherwise) to strengthen our submission and advocate for safeguards that work in real life.
👉 Take the survey: https://forms.office.com/r/EsbqZ3gcXM
A note of care: the survey discusses changes that may feel stressful. Support is available via Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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