The NDIS Functional Capacity TAG, explained
The Australian Government has established a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for NDIS Functional Capacity. It is an expert body set up to advise on how a person's functional capacity should be assessed when determining access to the NDIS. It is early-stage and advisory, but it is worth knowing about, because it signals the direction NDIS access is heading.
What the TAG is
The TAG is an independent advisory group that brings together national expertise across disability, clinical practice and assessment, including people with lived experience of disability. Its role is to give government independent, evidence-based advice, not to run the scheme or make individual decisions.
What it will do
The group's task is to help develop a robust and consistent framework for assessing what the NDIS calls substantially reduced functional capacity, for the purpose of access. In practice, that means advising on the assessment approaches, tools and thresholds that could be used, so that access decisions are more consistent and equitable. The work supports a 2026-27 Budget measure to strengthen NDIS access pathways.
What it will not do
This is the part worth being clear on. The TAG does not decide who can and cannot access the NDIS. It advises Commonwealth, state and territory governments on the framework, tools and thresholds. Any changes to how access is assessed would follow later, through consultation and new NDIS Rules, not from the group itself.
Why it is happening now
The independent NDIS Review found that the current approach to access can be inconsistent and inequitable, and does not always target support the way the Scheme originally intended. The TAG is part of the response, aimed at making the basis for access decisions clearer and more consistent.
What happens next
The TAG began its work in mid-2026, and its advice will be shaped by consultation with the disability community and the sector, expected to run across the second half of the year. Its terms of reference and membership are published online. For providers and participants who want a say in how functional capacity is assessed, the consultation process is the place to engage.
What it means for providers
There is nothing to action today, this is a reform in the making, not a rule in force. But the direction is clear: NDIS access is moving toward standardised, evidence-based assessment. For providers, that reinforces the value of clear, well-kept documentation of the supports you deliver and the outcomes participants achieve. We will keep tracking the TAG's work and flag anything that changes what providers need to do. In the meantime, if you would like to see how Centro QMS keeps your records clear and audit-ready through a period of constant change, book a demo.
Source: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. These reforms are in consultation and not yet settled. General information only.
