NDIS Reforms 2026: What’s Changing, When, and Who Is Affected

The NDIS reforms 2026 are now the most significant changes to the Scheme since it began in 2013. The Australian Government introduced the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 on 14 May 2026. The NDIA confirmed on 14 May 2026 that the Government had introduced the Bill to Parliament. As at 10 August 2026 the Bill had not yet passed, and the NDIA’s position is unchanged: “Nothing will change for now. Participants can keep using their current plan and do not need to do anything. Current NDIS rules and planning arrangements will stay the same until after the law is passed.” Check the current status at ndis.gov.au before relying on any implementation date below, because every date in this timeline depends on the Bill passing. Throughout 2026, 2027 and 2028, a sequence of changes will roll out across eligibility, planning, funding, provider registration, and the way the NDIA pays providers.

This guide is the hub article. It explains what the Bill actually does, lays out the verified implementation timeline, identifies who is affected, and links down to the deeper Centre of Hope guides on each specific reform. Every date and definition we use is cross-checked against the Parliament of Australia bill page, the NDIA website, and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

Quick summary: NDIS reforms 2026

• Bill introduced 14 May 2026. Second reading agreed 28 May 2026. Still before Parliament as at 10 August 2026.
• Seven key reform areas: eligibility (functional capacity), planning (new framework planning), claims (90-day window), funding (Minister can reduce supports for specified groups), commissioning (plan management 2027, support coordination 2028), Foundational Supports (Thriving Kids 1 October 2026), and fraud and integrity (expanded NDIA powers).
• 1 July 2026 changes: mandatory SIL provider registration, social and community participation funding adjustments, consultation on commissioned SIL model.
• 1 October 2026: Thriving Kids rollout begins for children under 9 with developmental delay or autism (low-to-moderate needs).
• 1 December 2026: claim window for supports reduced from 2 years to 90 days.
• 1 April 2027: new framework planning commences for participants over 18 (delayed from mid-2026).
• 1 October 2027: commissioned plan management panel begins.
• 1 January 2028: functional capacity eligibility framework applies to NEW (prospective) participants.
• 1 July 2028: commissioned support coordination function begins.

The Bill, in the Government’s own words

The NDIA’s published page on Securing the NDIS for Future Generations (current as of 14 May 2026) states:

“The Government introduced the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 on 14 May 2026 to give effect to the changes announced in the 2026-27 Budget. Changes focus on: clarifying eligibility and the supports the NDIS funds; addressing fraud within the NDIS; updating governance and administrative arrangements. The NDIS needs to be protected for people with permanent and significant disability and for future generations who will rely on it.”

The Parliament of Australia bill summary specifies the seven legislative purposes:

1. Define functional capacity as the basis for access decisions
2. Limit unscheduled plan reassessments and introduce plan end dates and renewal processes
3. Clarify the requirement that support needs must be directly related to a participant’s eligible impairments
4. Enable the Minister to reduce funding for specified groups of supports
5. Refine the framework for assessing “reasonable and necessary” supports and update the principles applying to participants and their plans
6. Expand the NDIA’s powers to identify, investigate, and respond to fraud and non-compliance
7. Amend governance arrangements relating to pricing, indexation of old framework plans, and automation of administrative actions

The Bill also makes consequential amendments to the Crimes Act 1914 and supports the implementation of new framework planning arrangements introduced under the Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1 Act 2024.

The full NDIS reforms 2026-2028 implementation timeline

The table below sets out the verified timeline of implementation dates, what specifically changes on each date, and who is affected. As a result, you can find your situation and see when the change applies to you.

Importantly, the timeline depends on the Bill passing Parliament. As of 27 June 2026, the Bill is before Parliament and most of these dates assume legislative passage in line with the Government’s stated schedule. Therefore, dates may shift if the Bill is amended, delayed, or returned by the Senate.

Reform area 1: Eligibility and functional capacity

The Bill introduces a statutory definition of functional capacity and uses it as the basis for NDIS access decisions. Specifically, the new framework replaces diagnosis-based eligibility with an assessment of the actual impact of a person’s impairments on their daily life, in combination with their environment and aspirations.

What stays the same

• Existing NDIS participants do NOT lose access. From 1 January 2028 there are two separate access changes. General access changes begin for new applicants, with eligibility determined by a new standardised, evidence-based assessment of functional capacity informed by the Technical Advisory Group, and existing participants reassessed over three years. Separately, children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism at low to moderate support needs move to Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS.
• Permanent and significant disability remains the threshold for entry.
• The right to internal review and the Administrative Review Tribunal continues.

What changes

• From 1 January 2028, Access changes begin for new applicants using a new standardised functional capacity assessment, and children aged 8 and under with low to moderate support needs move to Thriving Kids. Separately, the NDIA is introducing support needs assessments from April 2027, developed with the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Disability Studies, which the NDIA describes as an information-gathering step to create fairer budgets in plans.
• The Bill clarifies that support needs must be directly related to a participant’s eligible impairments. As a result, supports for unrelated conditions cannot be funded.
• The Bill clarifies the definition of permanence by introducing the concept of “all appropriate treatment”.
• Children under 9 with developmental delay or autism (low-to-moderate needs) shift from the NDIS to Foundational Supports (Thriving Kids) from 1 October 2026. For more, see our Thriving Kids Explained guide and NDIS Access Changes for Children Under 8.

Reform area 2: Planning (new framework planning)

The new framework planning model is the most significant operational change for participants. Specifically, it replaces the current planning approach with a structured process around budgets, plan end dates, and reassessment.

What changes

• From 1 April 2027, new framework planning rolls out for participants over 18 with less complex situations. Importantly, this is a delay from the original mid-2026 target.
• Plan end dates and renewal processes become standard.
• Unscheduled plan reassessments are limited, with the Bill setting clearer rules around when these are triggered.
• Indexation rules update for participants still on “old framework” plans.

For a deeper look at the planning changes specifically, see our NDIS Planning Changes 2026 guide and NDIS Plan Assessment Tool Explained.

Reform area 3: Claims (90-day window)

This is one of the most operationally important changes for plan managers and providers. As a result, every plan-managed participant, plan management provider, and service provider needs to be ready.

What changes

• From 1 December 2026, the time to make a claim for supports under a participant’s plan reduces from 2 years to 90 days.
• Providers who do not invoice within 90 days will lose the ability to claim from the NDIS.
• Plan managers must process invoices faster and chase provider invoicing closer to service delivery.

For NDIS providers, this is a payroll-and-billing operational shift. For participants, it should mean cleaner plan-balance visibility. For plan managers, it raises operational standards. For a deeper look at how plan management is changing overall, see our Plan Management vs Support Coordination guide.

Reform area 4: Ministerial power to reduce funding

This is the most controversial provision in the Bill. Specifically, it empowers the Minister to reduce funding for specified groups of supports.

What this means in practice

• The Minister can issue a determination to reduce the NDIS funding allocated to a particular category of supports.
• This is a class-wide power, not an individual decision-making power.
• It requires consultation but the Minister retains the final decision.
• Some social and community participation funding adjustments begin from 1 July 2026, using existing administrative levers ahead of the Bill’s passage.

Disability advocacy organisations have raised concerns about the breadth of this power, particularly around the sequencing of funding changes ahead of the new planning arrangements taking effect. As a result, the Senate inquiry process during May 2026 attracted substantial submissions on this provision.

Reform area 5: Commissioning (plan management 2027, support coordination 2028)

The NDIA is moving toward a “commissioned” model for two services it previously left to the open market: plan management and support coordination.

What commissioning means

• Commissioned model: the NDIA contracts a curated panel of providers to deliver the service. Only providers on the panel can deliver it.
• Open market (current model): any registered or unregistered provider can deliver the service, subject to participant choice.
• Rationale: the NDIA argues quality and integrity. Specifically, by commissioning a smaller panel, the NDIA can set higher service standards and reduce fraud risk.
• Trade-off: reduced choice for participants and consolidation of providers.

Plan Management: 1 October 2027

• The commissioned plan management panel begins 1 October 2027.
• Six-month transition period.
• Plan-managed participants whose current provider is on the panel: no change.
• Plan-managed participants whose current provider is NOT on the panel: must move during the transition.

Support Coordination: 1 July 2028

• The newly commissioned support coordination function begins 1 July 2028.
• The NDIA appoints providers directly under the new arrangement.
• Details on transition arrangements are still being finalised.

For a deeper look at choosing a support coordinator under the current (and future) model, see our Independent vs Agency NDIS Support Coordinator guide and our NDIS Support Coordination Levels Explained guide.

Reform area 6: Foundational Supports (Thriving Kids)

Thriving Kids is the first phase of “Foundational Supports”, a new tier of disability support sitting outside the NDIS. The Australian Government and state and territory governments jointly commit $4 billion over 5 years.

The NDIA’s published page on Thriving Kids states verbatim:

“This investment will support children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs, and their families, carers and kin. From 1 October 2026, children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs will start to access support through Thriving Kids. Thriving Kids will be fully rolled out by 1 January 2028.”

Importantly, the NDIA also states verbatim: “Children with permanent and significant disability, including those with developmental delay and/or autism with high support needs, will continue to be eligible for the NDIS, subject to usual arrangements.”

For a deeper look at what Thriving Kids means for families, see our Thriving Kids Explained guide.

Reform area 7: Fraud, compliance, and integrity

The Bill expands the NDIA’s powers to identify, investigate, and respond to fraud and non-compliance. As a result, every NDIS provider should expect closer audit attention from 1 July 2026 onwards.

What expands

• The NDIA can require information and documents from providers and others involved in claims.
• The NDIA can conduct on-site visits and audits.
• Penalties for fraud and over-claiming increase.
• The Bill makes consequential amendments to the Crimes Act 1914 to align serious fraud offences.

For NDIS providers, this raises the bar on documentation, audit-readiness, and Code of Conduct compliance. For more on the standards that apply, see our NDIS Code of Conduct Explained 2026 guide. For SIL providers specifically, see our NDIS SIL Mandatory Registration 2026 guide.

What stays the same after the NDIS reforms 2026

Importantly, several core protections remain unchanged.

• Existing participants’ eligibility is preserved. The 1 January 2028 access changes apply to new applicants. Existing participants are not removed from the Scheme, but are to be reassessed over a three year period.
• Reasonable and necessary remains the funding test. The Bill refines how this test is applied but does not remove it.
• Choice and control remain core principles, although the commissioning model narrows provider choice for plan management and support coordination.
• The right to internal review and the Administrative Review Tribunal continues.
• The role of Local Area Coordinators continues, expanding under the new framework planning approach. For more, see our Local Area Coordinator NDIS 2026 guide.

Who is affected by the NDIS reforms 2026?

Different groups face different timelines and impacts. Below is a quick guide to which reforms affect you.

If you are an existing NDIS participant aged 9 or over

• Your eligibility is unchanged.
• The 1 December 2026 claim window change affects you (your plan manager and providers must invoice within 90 days).
• If you are over 18 with less complex needs, new framework planning may apply from 1 April 2027 at your next reassessment.
• If you are plan-managed, the 1 October 2027 panel change may require a provider transition.
• If you have funded support coordination, the 1 July 2028 commissioned function applies.

If you are a family with a child under 9

• If your child has developmental delay or autism with LOW-TO-MODERATE support needs, your child shifts from the NDIS to Thriving Kids from 1 October 2026.
• If your child has PERMANENT AND SIGNIFICANT disability (including autism with HIGH support needs), your child remains in the NDIS.
• The transition period is 1 October 2026 to 1 January 2028.

If you are applying to the NDIS from 1 January 2028

• If your child is aged 8 or under with developmental delay or autism at low to moderate support needs, the access arrangements change from that date.
• For everyone else, the section 24 disability requirements continue to apply as they do today.
• The changes require amendments to the NDIS Act 2013, so the detail can still shift.

If you are an NDIS provider

• 1 July 2026: SIL mandatory registration applies if you deliver SIL.
• 1 December 2026: 90-day invoice window. Update your billing systems and plan management agreements.
• 1 October 2027: plan management commissioned panel applies if you deliver plan management.
• 1 July 2028: support coordination commissioned function applies if you deliver support coordination.
• By end of 2030: expanded provider registration across additional support types.
• Expect closer NDIA audit attention from 1 July 2026 onwards.

FAQ: NDIS Reforms 2026

What are the NDIS reforms 2026?

The NDIS reforms 2026 are the package of changes given effect by the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026, introduced to Parliament on 14 May 2026. They cover eligibility (functional capacity from 1 January 2028), planning (new framework from 1 April 2027), claims (90-day window from 1 December 2026), commissioning (plan management 2027, support coordination 2028), Foundational Supports (Thriving Kids from 1 October 2026), and fraud integrity (expanded NDIA powers from 1 July 2026).

Has the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026 passed Parliament?

Not yet. As at 10 August 2026 the Bill was still before Parliament. Specifically, it was introduced on 14 May 2026, the second reading was agreed on 28 May 2026 in the House of Representatives, and the Bill remains under parliamentary consideration. The Senate referred the Bill to inquiry, with submissions closing 29 May 2026. Implementation dates assume passage in line with the Government’s stated schedule.

Will I lose my NDIS plan?

No, not because of these reforms. Existing participants’ eligibility is unchanged. The 1 January 2028 access changes apply to new applicants. Existing participants are not removed from the Scheme, but are to be reassessed over a three year period. Your plan continues to be assessed under the reasonable and necessary test.

What is functional capacity?

Functional capacity is a measure of the actual impact of a person’s impairments on their daily life, in combination with their environment and aspirations. The NDIA is introducing support needs assessments from April 2027, developed with the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Disability Studies. The NDIA has said it will use the Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN v6), a tool developed by the Centre for Disability Studies, “as a base for developing” the new assessment, alongside a new personal and environmental circumstances questionnaire. The NDIA describes support needs assessments as an information-gathering step to create fairer budgets in plans, so they shape plan funding rather than the access decision.

What changes on 1 July 2026?

Three things. First, SIL providers must hold mandatory NDIS registration. Second, some social and community participation funding adjustments apply through existing administrative levers. Third, consultation opens on a commissioned model for home and living supports (SIL). The bigger Bill-driven changes start later in 2026.

When does Thriving Kids start?

From 1 October 2026, children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism with low-to-moderate support needs start accessing support through Thriving Kids. The full rollout is at scale by 1 January 2028. Children with permanent and significant disability remain eligible for the NDIS.

What is the 90-day claim window?

From 1 December 2026, providers have 90 days from service delivery to claim payment for supports under a participant’s plan, down from the current 2-year window. This means providers must invoice promptly, plan managers must process invoices faster, and participants will see plan balances more accurately reflect committed spending.

What is a commissioned model?

A commissioned model is one where the NDIA contracts a curated panel of providers to deliver a service. Specifically, only providers on the panel can deliver that service. This applies to plan management from 1 October 2027 and support coordination from 1 July 2028.

How will the reforms affect my support coordinator?

Until 1 July 2028, your current support coordinator continues as today. From 1 July 2028, support coordination becomes a newly commissioned function. The NDIA appoints providers directly under the new arrangement. If your current provider is selected, nothing changes. If not, transition arrangements apply.

Where can I read the Bill?

The full text, explanatory memorandum, and parliamentary debate are at the Parliament of Australia bill page (search “Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026” on aph.gov.au). The NDIA’s plain-English summary is at ndis.gov.au/ndis-laws/securing-ndis-future-generations.

How Centre of Hope is responding to the reforms

Centre of Hope is a Registered NDIS Provider in New South Wales delivering Support Coordination at Levels 2 and 3 across the state. Across 2026, 2027 and 2028, we are preparing for each reform stage:

• 1 July 2026: SIL is not in our current service mix, so the SIL mandatory registration change does not affect our services. Importantly, fraud-integrity standards apply to us as a registered provider; our audit-readiness program is in place.
• 1 December 2026: our claims processes and provider relationships are being updated to support the 90-day claim window.
• 1 April 2027: we are training our coordinators on new framework planning so that we can support participants through the transition.
• 1 October 2027: plan management is not in our current service mix, so the commissioned plan management panel does not affect our services directly. We refer participants to plan managers we trust and we will be tracking which providers join the panel.
• 1 July 2028: the newly commissioned support coordination function will affect our core service. We are tracking the commissioning design closely.

For participants we work with, the message is straightforward. The reforms are significant, but most affect the future shape of the Scheme rather than your current plan today. As a result, the right approach is to stay informed, attend your scheduled reassessment, and use your support coordinator and LAC to navigate the changes as they apply to you.

Your goals. Your plan. Our support.

The NDIS reforms 2026 represent the biggest reset of the Scheme since 2013. For existing participants, the most important thing to know is that you are protected. For new applicants from 1 January 2028, eligibility is assessed using the new standardised functional capacity assessment. For families of children aged 8 and under with low to moderate support needs, Thriving Kids becomes the pathway instead of the NDIS from the same date. For families with young children, Thriving Kids becomes the front door from 1 October 2026. For providers, the audit, claims, and commissioning regime tightens steadily through 2028.

If you are an NDIS participant in New South Wales and you want to talk through how any of the 2026, 2027 or 2028 changes affect your specific situation, get in touch.

Call us: 0432 250 900
Visit: centreofhope.com.au
Email: hello@centreofhope.com.au
Refer: Submit a referral

Related Reading

• NDIS Planning Changes 2026
• Thriving Kids Explained 2026
• NDIS Access Changes for Children Under 8
• Local Area Coordinator NDIS 2026
• Plan Management vs Support Coordination 2026
• Independent vs Agency NDIS Support Coordinator
• NDIS Support Coordination Levels Explained
• NDIS SIL Mandatory Registration 2026
• NDIS Code of Conduct Explained 2026
• NDIS Plan Assessment Tool Explained
• SCHADS Award Increase 2026

This article is general information only and does not replace personal advice from the NDIA, an LAC, or a qualified support coordinator. Information is current as at 27 June 2026 and reflects: the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 (introduced 14 May 2026, second reading agreed 28 May 2026, before Parliament at time of writing); the NDIA’s published page at ndis.gov.au/ndis-laws/securing-ndis-future-generations (current as of 14 May 2026); the NDIA’s published page on Thriving Kids at ndis.gov.au/news/11085-thriving-kids (dated 5 February 2026); and the Parliament of Australia bill summary at aph.gov.au. Implementation dates assume the Bill passes Parliament in line with the Government’s stated schedule. For authoritative information, visit ndis.gov.au or call the NDIS on 1800 800 110. This guide is not legal or financial advice.