NDIS Changes in 2025/2026: What Participants Need to Know

The NDIS is evolving — here’s what’s changed

The National Disability Insurance Scheme has been going through one of its most significant periods of change in recent years. If you’re a participant, a carer, or a family member navigating the system, it’s worth understanding what’s new — and what it means for you in practical terms.

Here’s a plain-English rundown of the key changes happening across 2025 and 2026.

New NDIS legislation came into effect

The NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track) Act introduced a number of significant changes to how the scheme operates. Some of the most important include a clearer definition of what the NDIS will and won’t fund, stronger requirements around “reasonable and necessary” supports, and a new focus on what are called “NDIS supports” — a more defined list of what can be funded under the scheme.

This has caused some confusion for participants, particularly around whether supports they’ve previously accessed will continue to be funded. The short answer is that existing plans aren’t immediately affected, but changes may show up at your next plan review.

A stronger focus on “NDIS supports”

One of the bigger shifts is the introduction of a more defined framework for what counts as an “NDIS support.” The NDIA has published guidance on what is and isn’t included, and some items that were previously funded in grey areas may now be treated differently.

If you’re unsure whether a specific support you’re currently using will continue to be funded, it’s worth raising this at your next plan review — or contacting your plan manager or LAC for guidance.

Myplace portal upgrades

The NDIA has been rolling out improvements to the myplace participant portal — the online platform participants use to view their plans and manage their supports. Updates have been focused on making it easier to track spending, view plan details, and communicate with the NDIA.

If you haven’t logged in for a while, it’s worth having a look — the interface has improved and there’s more information available than there used to be.

Increased scrutiny on provider registration and quality

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has been stepping up its oversight of registered providers, with a stronger focus on compliance, worker screening, and quality of care. This is broadly a good thing for participants — it means higher standards across the board.

If you’re using unregistered providers (which is allowed under plan management or self-management), it’s still worth doing your own due diligence on who you’re working with.

Price updates to the Support Catalogue

As they do each financial year, the NDIA updated the NDIS Support Catalogue with revised pricing for various support types. Some support categories saw price increases in line with wage growth and cost of living pressures, while others were adjusted or restructured.

Your plan manager will automatically apply the correct rates when processing invoices, so you don’t need to track these changes yourself — but it’s useful to know they happen each year.

What should you do?

Stay informed. The NDIA website and your plan manager are good sources of up-to-date information about changes that affect you specifically.

Prepare for your plan review. If changes to the scheme might affect your supports, your plan review is the time to raise this and make sure your plan reflects your current needs.

Ask questions. If something doesn’t make sense or you’re worried about how a change might affect you, talk to your plan manager or LAC. You don’t have to navigate this alone.

We’re here to help you stay on top of it

At The Plan Management People, we keep a close eye on NDIS changes so our participants don’t have to. We’ll always apply the correct pricing, flag anything that might affect your plan, and answer your questions in plain English — no jargon, no runaround.

If you’re not already with us and you’d like a plan manager who actually keeps you informed, we’d love to chat.

📞 Call us: 0456 977 362
💌 Email: admin@pmpeople.com.au
🌐 Visit: www.planmanagementpeople.com.au