There has been a lot of discussion over the last few months about reforms to the NDIS, particularly in the last budget release and the legislation changes currently going through parliament. The main message is that many people in our community, participants, families, and providers, feel anxious, confused, or unsure about what these reforms mean.
This update is here to help you understand:
The Australian Government is making changes to the NDIS to improve how the system works and make it more sustainable in the long term. These reforms are based on recommendations from the NDIS Review (Dec 2023) but do not seem to consider the Disability Royal Commission into violence and abuse (Sept 2023).
New laws are being debated in the Senate. The final outcomes will not be known until the next sitting in August. The focus is intended to shift toward fairness, consistency, and sustainability. They strongly emphasise the importance of early intervention, foundational supports, plan management and support coordination and clearer rules about what the NDIS does and does not fund.
There is increased attention on fraud, compliance, plan management and registration for SIL providers. Some participants have already noticed; more have requested plan reviews, tighter decisions, and changes in how supports are described and justified.
The reforms will not happen all at once; they will be rolled out over the next few years. Commitment to discussion with the community and information sharing as changes occur.
These are supports available outside the NDIS, for people with disability who may not have a plan, which are expected to include community-based supports, early supports for children, and peer programs. These will be delivered through states, territories, and community organisations.
These have not yet been agreed to by the states and have not yet been built. It’s important that these are built first before people are moved off the NDIS.
The government is working toward a defined list of what NDIS funding covers and what it doesn’t, this will reduce flexibility in some areas.
Plans may move towards more standardised budgets and mat require stronger links between goals, outcomes and funded supports. There will also be increased monitoring of how funding is used.
A new system of “NDIS Navigator” is being designed which aims to help people both understand the system and be more connected to mainstream and community supports.
There are efforts to improve overall provider quality, workforce capacity, pricing and sustainability, as well as a greater focus on safeguarding participants.
While the goal of reform is to improve the system, change can feel uncertain and overwhelming. Some people may experience concerns, confusion, frustration about the possible changes to their supports as well as difficulty navigating multiple systems.
It is important to remember that the NDIS is still here to support people with disability and your voice, goals, and needs still matter. There are also plenty of opportunities for you to help shape how these changes happen.
There are practical and powerful ways you can be involved.
You can:
Focus on trusted sources of information.
Helpful strategies:
With changes coming to funding decisions, it’s important to clearly show why supports are needed.
You can:
NDIS reforms are placing more emphasis on community-based supports.
Consider:
Advocacy doesn’t have to be formal, it can start with a conversation.
You can:
Better outcomes happen when we work collectively.
By working together, we can influence how reforms are implemented and ensure they reflect real needs, not just policy intentions.
We will send you templates that you can use for writing to your local and federal politicians.
We understand that these changes may feel unsettling. Many people are worried about what the future might look like.
An opportunity to build a system that is:
Your voice, your experience, and your advocacy are critical in shaping what comes next.
You are not alone in this, we will continue to share updates, provide guidance, and stand alongside you every step of the way.
We acknowledge the connections of First Nations People of Australia to the land, sea and community on which we live and work. As custodians of this sacred land we respect and acknowledge Elders, past, present and emerging.
