NDIS Planning Changes in 2026: How Providers Can Prepare

From mid-2026, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will introduce a new planning framework designed to make the process fairer, more consistent, and easier for participants. These changes respond to feedback from thousands of people with disability, families, carers, and providers, and are supported by legislative amendments made in October 2024.

What’s New?

The new planning framework introduces a person-centred and strengths-based approach, ensuring plans focus on disability support needs rather than functional impairment. This change aims to deliver fairer and more consistent budgets, reduce reliance on expensive reports, and provide simpler, more flexible plans that last longer and require fewer reviews.

A key feature of the new framework is the support needs assessment, which includes the following stages:

1. Arranging the meeting
   The assessor schedules a suitable time and place to meet with the participant. Participants may bring family members, support people or a carer.

2. Conducting the conversation
   During the meeting, the assessor has a structured discussion with the participant about their daily life and the types of support they need. This helps ensure budgets are fair and consistent.

3. Preparing the assessment report
   After the conversation, the assessor creates and submits a final Support Needs Assessment report. This report forms the basis for building the participant’s new NDIS plan budget.

4. Approval
   All plans are reviewed and, if suitable, approved by trained NDIS staff to ensure accuracy and compliance.

The support needs assessment will be undertaken by trained and skilled assessors, who complete a training and accreditation program developed with the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Disability Studies.

The assessment will use the I-CAN v6 tool, alongside a personal and environmental questionnaire, to create a report that informs the participant’s budget. For those with complex needs, additional health professional reports may still be required.

Budgets and Funding

Funding will be split into stated items, which must be used for specific supports, and a flexible budget that can be used across NDIS supports. Plans will cover longer periods, giving participants more certainty and fewer scheduled reviews. Review rights remain unchanged, with options for reassessment, internal review and external review through the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Framework Rollout

The rollout will begin in the middle of 2026 and will be phased, so many participants will not see changes immediately. Public consultation on the new rules starts early in 2026, and the disability community will continue to play a key role in shaping the process.

For more information, visit the https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/11024-update-new-way-planning or register for an Understanding the NDIS session.

Why This Matters for Providers

These changes will impact how providers manage compliance, policies, and staff training. Manual systems and outdated processes will make it harder to adapt quickly. Now is the time to:

1. Review your Quality Management System (QMS)

2. Update policies to reflect person-centred planning principles

3. Ensure staff are trained and ready for new processes

4. Plan for automation and structured workflows to reduce admin pressure

Plan Ahead with Centro QMS

Centro QMS helps providers stay ahead of major changes with:

1. Automated policy reviews and version control

2. Role-based responsibilities for clarity and accountability

3. Audit-ready registers for incidents, feedback, and improvements

4. Dashboards for real-time compliance visibility

Start preparing now so you’re ready when the new framework rolls out.
👉 Book a demo today and see how Centro QMS can help you adapt with confidence

Big changes are coming. Make sure your compliance systems are ready.