Changes to some NDIS plan budgets will begin from 1 October 2026. These changes will be introduced gradually over a 12-month period as participants’ plans are renewed or reassessed.
If you receive NDIS funding for social and community participation or capacity building and improved daily living, it is important to understand what the changes could mean for your supports.
What is changing?
From 1 October 2026, social and community participation budgets will reduce by 50%, while capacity building and improved daily living budgets will reduce by 10%.
The changes will not happen for everyone on 1 October. They will be introduced progressively when your plan is renewed or reassessed during the 12-month period.
A reduction to a budget does not necessarily mean you will have to reduce your spending by the same percentage. The impact will depend on your individual plan and how much of your current funding you use.
Which supports will not be affected?
The budget changes will not affect funding for a number of critical supports, including:
- nursing care and other critical supports at home
- home or vehicle modifications
- consumables for incontinence or menstruation
- high intensity supports
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
This means that if you have funding for these supports, the changes to social and community participation and capacity building budgets will not reduce that funding.
What if you receive continuous 24/7 care?
If you have funding for continuous 24/7 care and the budget reductions affect your ability to maintain your essential supports, you will be able to apply for a plan variation to have your funding increased or maintained.
The new plan variation pathway is specifically intended to support people with high support needs who require continuous 24-hour disability-related care.
What if your support needs have changed?
If there have been bigger and ongoing changes to your support needs, you can still ask for your plan to be reassessed.
The NDIA still allow participants to ask for a plan reassessment if their circumstances or support needs have changed significantly. They can ask for this at any time and do not need to wait for their current plan to end.
If you are concerned about how these changes may affect you, consider talking to your support coordinator, plan manager or NDIS contact about your individual circumstances and the supports you currently receive.
