NDIS changes in 2026: what Perth participants need to know

The biggest NDIS changes in 2026 come from new laws passed on 19 August 2026. Some are already in force: since 27 August, only you, your nominee or your child representative can ask for a plan reassessment, and the Minister now sets NDIS price limits. From 1 October 2026, budgets for social, economic and community participation supports drop by 50% and improved daily living skills by 10% when a plan is new or reassessed. Eligibility rules don’t change until 1 January 2028.

This is general information, not legal, financial or planning advice, and it doesn’t consider your situation. Perth Disability Connect is an independent directory, not an NDIS provider, and we’re not part of the NDIS. NDIS rules are changing quickly, so check the linked source before you rely on them. This tracker is current as at 29 September 2026.

Many pages about the 2026 NDIS changes mix up what’s law, what has started and what’s only been announced. This tracker separates them, with a date and a source for each change.

What has changed in the NDIS in 2026?

The NDIS changes in 2026 come mainly from the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026. Parliament passed it on 19 August 2026, it received Royal Assent on 20 August, and the first parts started on 27 August 2026 (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, About the changes to the NDIS). Different parts start on different dates:

Change	When	Status at 29 September 2026
Only you, your nominee or child representative can ask for a plan reassessment	27 August 2026	In force
The Minister sets NDIS price limits	27 August 2026	In force. First pricing determination made 24 September 2026.
SIL and digital platform providers must be registered	1 July 2026	In force. SIL providers must be registered or have applied by 1 October 2026.
Budget reset: social, economic and community participation 50% lower, improved daily living skills 10% lower	1 October 2026 (new and reassessed plans), 1 February 2027 (renewals)	Starting
NDIA can suspend a plan if it can’t contact you	1 October 2026	Starting
Thriving Kids starts for children 8 and under	1 October 2026	Starting
Claims must be made within 90 days (was 2 years)	1 December 2026	Law passed
Plan renewals, with no carry-over of unspent funds	1 February 2027	Law passed
New reasonable and necessary criteria, including what parents are expected to provide	1 February 2027	Law passed
New way of planning and support needs assessments	1 April 2027	Announced. Testing now.
Wider mandatory registration for higher-risk supports	From 1 July 2027	Announced
Plan managers must be on an NDIA panel	1 October 2027	Announced
New eligibility rules; existing participants reassessed over 3 years	1 January 2028	Law passed

The NDIA says “Right now, you can continue using your plan and supports as usual” (NDIA, Securing the NDIS for future generations).

Are NDIS budgets being cut?

Yes, for 2 support categories, from 1 October 2026. The Department says “budget allocations for social, economic and community participation supports will be reduced by 50 per cent”. It also says “budget allocations for improved daily living skills supports will be reduced by 10 per cent.” Those were called “social, civic and community participation” and “capacity building daily activities” in older plans.

• When: when a plan is created or reassessed from 1 October 2026, or renewed from 1 February 2027. The Department says “Participants can continue using their current plan and supports until their plan is reassessed or renewed” (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing).
• What’s protected: the NDIA says “supports in employment, disability-related health supports, high intensity supports, and intensive and complex behaviour supports” in these categories won’t be affected (NDIA news, 17 September 2026). Other categories, such as supports in your home, home and vehicle modifications, continence consumables and SDA, aren’t part of the reset.
• It’s a budget change, not a spending target. The Department says the changes “will not necessarily result in a 50 or 10 per cent reduction in how much you spend as you may not be currently using all of your budget allocation.”
• You can’t ask for a review of the reset itself. The NDIA says “budget reductions aren’t a reviewable decision”.

The percentages aren’t written in the Act. The Act gives the Minister power to set them, and the Department said the Minister would make the 2 instruments on 1 October 2026 and that Parliament can scrutinise them. If you have 24-hour support needs, a new plan variation pathway lets you apply within 90 days of the reset being applied.

Who can ask for a plan reassessment now?

Since 27 August 2026, the NDIA says “only a participant, their nominee or their child representative can request a plan reassessment” (NDIA news, 27 August 2026). A provider can’t ask for you, even with your consent.

• You need to use the NDIA’s form and include recent evidence, which may come from a GP or health professional.
• The NDIA now has 90 days to decide. If it doesn’t decide in time, the request is treated as refused, and you can ask for a review.
• Plan variations are still there for urgent, minor or short-term changes. The NDIA says it decides “within 21 days once we have the information and evidence.”

Our guide to preparing for an NDIS plan reassessment covers what evidence helps.

What changes for NDIS plans in 2027?

In 2027, the way NDIS plans are made and renewed changes in 3 steps.

• From 1 February 2027, plans that aren’t reassessed are renewed with the same supports. The NDIA says “Unspent funds from the previous plan won’t be carried over.”
• From 1 February 2027, new reasonable and necessary criteria apply. They include “clearer guidelines around what a parent is expected to provide for a child with disability”, but not the extra support a child needs because of disability. They apply to current participants when their plan is next reassessed.
• From 1 April 2027, the new way of planning starts. You’ll have a support needs assessment, which the Department describes as a semi-structured interview with a trained NDIS assessor. It says the assessment “will not be used to determine access to the scheme” (NDIA, New way of planning).

Some pages say the new way of planning started in mid-2026. It didn’t: the NDIA is testing it from July to December 2026, and testing doesn’t change anyone’s plan. From 1 October 2027, the NDIA says participants will need to use a plan manager from its panel, with 6 months to switch.

Will NDIS eligibility change?

NDIS eligibility doesn’t change until 1 January 2028. The Department says “There are no changes to how people access the NDIS until 1 January 2028. People will continue applying to the NDIS in the same way until then.”

From 1 January 2028, access decisions will use a new standardised assessment of functional capacity. The Department says current participants will be reassessed against the new criteria “over a period of 3 years.” It also says “People with permanent and significant disability will still be able to access the NDIS.”

For young children, Thriving Kids starts rolling out from 1 October 2026 for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs. It’s the first phase of Foundational Supports, which are services outside the NDIS for people with disability and developmental delay. Our guide to the NDIS early childhood approach in WA explains what that means for Perth families. If you’re approaching 65, our guide to the NDIS age limit and aged care covers the separate age rules.

What’s changing for NDIS providers

The NDIS changes for providers affect who you can choose and what they can charge.

• Since 1 July 2026, SIL and NDIS digital platform providers must register with the NDIS Commission. If your SIL provider doesn’t register, the NDIA says you’ll get help to move, and “Your plan and funding will not change” (NDIA news, 9 June 2026).
• Mandatory registration for support coordination is paused. Separately, the Department says that from 1 July 2028 “You will no longer pay for support coordination services with funding from your NDIS plan”, because a new commissioned support coordination and connection service is planned. Wider registration for higher-risk supports, such as personal care, is announced from 1 July 2027, with all providers in scope registered by December 2030. The Department says “You will still be able to choose unregistered providers for other, lower risk supports.”
• On 24 September 2026, the Minister made the first pricing determination. The NDIA says “The price limits align with previous pricing guidance published by the NDIA and are effective immediately.” Different prices for registered and unregistered providers are still under consultation. Our guide to NDIS price limits covers how they work.
• From 1 December 2026, the time to make a claim for supports under a plan drops from 2 years to 90 days.

Our guide to registered and unregistered NDIS providers explains what registration does and doesn’t mean.

What you can do now

If the 2026 NDIS changes affect your plan, you still have options.

1. Keep using your plan as usual. The Department says the NDIA “will contact participants 2-3 months ahead of their reassessment date”, and 60 days before a plan renewal.
2. When your new plan arrives, check which budgets were reset and which were protected.
3. If your needs change in a significant and ongoing way, ask for a plan reassessment or variation. A reduction from the budget reset on its own doesn’t count as that change.
4. For decisions you can challenge, ask the NDIA for an internal review within 3 months. You then have 28 days to apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal (NDIA, How to request a review).
5. Get free help. The NDIS Appeals Program is free for people appealing to the Tribunal after an internal review, and our guide to free disability advocacy in Perth lists where to start.

The NDIA’s contact centre is on 1800 800 110, Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm local time.

Most of the 2026 NDIS changes happen at your next plan reassessment or renewal, not overnight. Know which date applies to you, keep your evidence up to date, and ask for help before a new plan arrives.

FAQ

Q: What are the NDIS changes in 2026? A: New laws passed on 19 August 2026 limit who can ask for a plan reassessment, give the Minister power over price limits, and allow budget resets from 1 October 2026. Eligibility changes don’t start until 1 January 2028.

Q: Is my NDIS funding being cut by 50%? A: No, not your whole plan. 2 parts are reduced: social, economic and community participation (by 50%) and improved daily living skills (by 10%). The reset only applies when your plan is new or reassessed from 1 October 2026, or renewed from 1 February 2027. Protected supports, such as employment supports, aren’t reduced, and other categories aren’t part of the reset.

Q: Can my provider ask for a plan reassessment? A: No. Since 27 August 2026, only you, your nominee or your child representative can ask for a plan reassessment.

Q: When does the new way of NDIS planning start? A: From 1 April 2027. The NDIA is testing it from July to December 2026, and testing doesn’t change anyone’s plan.

Q: Is anyone being removed from the NDIS? A: Not now. Access rules don’t change until 1 January 2028. From then, existing participants will be reassessed against new criteria over 3 years, and the Department says people with permanent and significant disability will still be able to access the NDIS.

Q: Is Perth Disability Connect part of the NDIS? A: No. We’re an independent directory that scores providers on their public Google reviews. We don’t give planning or eligibility advice, and we’re not part of the NDIS.