What's changing in the NDIS — and what's actually law yet
There's a lot of noise about NDIS reform right now, and a lot of it is being sold to providers as settled fact when it isn't. Here's the honest version.
What is law today
Mandatory registration for SIL and platform providers — since 1 July 2026.
If you deliver supported independent living, you now need to be registered. A new set of SIL Practice Standards (Module 5A) also came into force on the same day, sitting on top of the Core Module. SIL is a certification pathway.
1 October 2026 — the deadline that matters.
If you were delivering SIL before 1 July 2026 without being registered, you need to have applied for registration by 1 October 2026 to keep delivering SIL.
If you were already registered, the new standards apply from the day the Commissioner decides your registration variation — but you're expected to comply in the meantime regardless. There is no compliance holiday, whatever anyone tells you.
Mandatory registration for support coordination is paused.
The Commission has said it is paused while further reform is considered. Nobody should be selling you a support coordination registration deadline.
Selling your business now carries notification and audit obligations — since 1 July 2026.
Amended Rules require a registered provider to notify as soon as it becomes aware that a sale will occur, and a new audit is required where there are significant changes to governance or operations. The stated aim is to stop the trade in registered 'shelf' businesses. If you are buying, selling or restructuring, this applies to you now.
Announced, but not part of the Bill
1 October 2026 — participant budgets for some supports are being reset. Budget allocations for social, civic and community participation are being reduced by 50%, and capacity-building daily activity allocations by 10%, applied progressively as plans are renewed or reassessed over 12 months. Budgets for critical supports are not affected, and participants needing continuous 24/7 supports keep those at all times.
We flag this because it isn't a compliance obligation — it's a revenue one. If a large share of your income comes from those line items, it's worth modelling now rather than discovering it at your next plan renewal.
The Thriving Kids rollout for children aged 8 and under also begins from 1 October 2026, with design still being worked through with states and territories.
What is proposed, and not yet law
The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 was introduced to Parliament on *14 May 2026*. It has not passed. The Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee is due to report on *14 August 2026*. Until it passes and receives Royal Assent, everything below is a proposal.
| Proposed date | What would change |
|---|---|
| 1 December 2026 | The time to claim for supports would drop from 2 years to 90 days |
| 7 days after Royal Assent | Records relating to payment and receipt of NDIS funds must be kept for 7 years, with a civil penalty for failure |
| 1 February 2027 | Plan rollover changes; unspent funds no longer carried forward |
| 1 April 2027 | Participants begin moving to new framework planning |
| 1 July 2027 | Provider enrolment with the NDIA begins — identifying information and a validated bank account, separate from registration |
| 1 July 2027 → December 2030 | Mandatory registration expands to providers of higher-risk supports, rolling out over three and a half years |
| 1 October 2027 | Plan management moves to an NDIA-approved panel, with a 6-month transition |
| 1 January 2028 | Access to the scheme assessed on functional capacity; existing participants reassessed progressively over 3 years |
| 1 July 2028 | Support coordination commissioned directly by the NDIA and no longer funded in participant plans |
We can't tell you if you're caught by the 2027 expansion yet, and neither can anyone else. The list of "higher risk supports" hasn't been published. The Department has given personal care, daily living supports and supports in closed settings as examples. What we can tell you is that it is funded: the NDIA has said the 2026–27 Budget funded this expansion from 1 July 2027, and that the intent is for 90% of NDIS payments to go to registered providers. Funding is not law — the Bill still has to pass — but this is not a proposal anyone should assume will quietly disappear. When the list is published, we'll update this page within the week.
Two things we'd want to know if we were you
If you're a plan manager: plan management is proposed to move to an NDIA panel from 1 October 2027. If that proceeds, only panel providers will be able to deliver it. We'd think hard before signing anyone — us included — to a long compliance contract without factoring that in.
If you're a support coordinator: support coordination is proposed to stop being funded in participant plans from 1 July 2028, moving to direct NDIA appointment through a merit-based process. Its mandatory registration is already paused.
We'd rather tell you this and sell you less. It's the same reason our prices are on the website.
What's still only a consultation
The NDIA is consulting until 31 October 2026 on whether to commission part of the SIL market for participants needing 24/7 supports. No decision has been made. Consultation is also open on expanded differentiated pricing for unregistered providers and the Inclusive Communities Fund.
Last verified: 26 July 2026. We re-check this page monthly, and immediately after any parliamentary milestone. Sources: Federal Register of Legislation · NDIS Commission — mandatory registration · Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — About the changes to the NDIS