NDIS Funding Changes From 1 October 2026: What Participants Need to Know

From 1 October 2026, the NDIS is reducing funding for some support categories in participant plans. This page explains what is changing, when it may affect your plan, and what you can do.

Last Modified: October 27, 2026

Key Dates for NDIS Funding Changes

1 October 2026: The changes start. They apply when a plan is created, reassessed or renewed.
1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027: The changes are introduced gradually over 12 months. Funding budgets for these supports will be changed for all participants during this period.
1 February 2027: Plans renewed from this date are affected.
Before your reassessment or renewal: You will be notified ahead of time. The NDIA will contact you 60 days before your plan renewal.

What Is Changing From 1 October 2026

In the 2026-27 Budget, the Australian Government announced it would reset funding for some NDIS supports from 1 October 2026. The change is made through a support determination, which is a legal instrument that lets the Minister reset funding for certain types of supports in current NDIS plans.

The reset reduces funding in two areas:

Social, economic and community participation supports: reduced by 50%
Improved daily living skills supports: reduced by 10%

Social, economic and community participation supports were previously called social, civic and community participation supports.

Which Parts of Your NDIS Plan Are Affected

Only these two support categories are affected. Some supports within these categories will not be affected, so check your plan to see which supports it includes.

Social, Economic and Community Participation Supports

This is the funding that helps you get out and take part in life. It covers community, social and recreational activities and events, and the name also includes economic participation. If you use this budget to get support for activities you enjoy, this category has the bigger cut. Its funding is reduced by 50%, so half of it is removed when your plan is reset.

Improved Daily Living Skills Supports

This funding pays for assessment, training and therapy that help you build or keep everyday skills and become more independent. The cut here is smaller at 10%, but it still means less money for these services after your plan is reset. If your goals depend on this kind of support, it’s worth working out which parts matter most to you before your reassessment.

What Is Not Changing in Your Plan

Funding changes will not affect any other parts of your plan. Your current plan and supports stay in place until your plan is reassessed or renewed.

When Your Plan Will Be Affected

Plans Created or Reassessed From 1 October 2026

The funding change applies as soon as a new plan starts. When you receive your reassessed plan, you will be told how much funding for these two categories has been reduced.

Plans Renewed in the Coming Year

Renewed plans are affected from 1 February 2027. All participants who have not had a plan created or reassessed since 1 October 2026 will have their plan renewed by 30 September 2027.

How Your Funding May Change

When the reset applies to your plan, funding for the two affected categories is reduced by the percentages above. The impact will be different for each participant. Every NDIS plan is based on individual goals, circumstances and support needs, and many people do not spend their entire plan.

Who Is Most Likely to Be Affected

Any participant with funding in these two categories will be affected when their plan is created, reassessed or renewed. How much it affects you depends on your goals, your support needs and how much of your plan you currently use. Participants with high support needs have additional safeguards, explained below.

Safeguards for Participants

Requesting an Unscheduled Reassessment

You can ask for an unscheduled reassessment if you have a significant and ongoing change in your support needs, functional capacity or circumstances. The NDIA has 90 days to decide whether you are eligible for a reassessment. The reassessment will consider whether your support needs have changed and whether your plan needs to change to meet them.

Plan Variation for High Support Needs Participants

A new plan variation pathway is available for participants with high support needs who receive 24-hour NDIS supports. You may be eligible if:

Your total plan budget for Assistance with Daily Life, Home and Living, and Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation is $215,030 or more, and
You receive 24-hour funded NDIS supports. These are supports available all day and night to meet your ongoing support needs related to your disability.

You must ask for a plan variation within 90 days of your social, economic and community participation or improved daily living skills funding being reduced. The NDIA cannot ask for a plan variation on your behalf. If a variation is approved, the NDIA may increase funding for specific supports so you can continue to access 24-hour disability supports.

Reviewing a Decision

You can ask for a review of decisions made under the high support needs pathway. This includes decisions about whether you meet the high support needs definition and whether a plan variation is approved.

What You Can Do Before Your Plan Is Reassessed

Check Your Plan and Reassessment Date

Look at your plan to see whether it includes social, economic and community participation supports or improved daily living skills supports. Watch for a notice from the NDIA before your reassessment or renewal, since you will be notified ahead of time. If you are unsure about your dates, visit ndis.gov.au.

Gather Evidence and Reports

Reassessments consider whether your support needs have changed. Think about how your needs or circumstances have changed and how your current supports help you. Keep any information that shows this so you can share it with the NDIA.

Talk to Your Support Coordinator or Planner

If someone helps you manage your plan, such as a support coordinator or plan manager, ask them to review your plan with you before your reassessment or renewal.

What Participants and Families Say

    
 
 
      Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Outstanding Collaboration and Client Outcomes!

As an allied health provider, working alongside this support coordination company is an absolute pleasure. They are incredibly proactive, professional, and genuinely dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for the participants we co-support.

Their communication is seamless; they respond to clinical reports quickly, action funding recommendations without delay, and ensure therapy budgets are optimally allocated. They treat the entire multidisciplinary team as a true partnership, which makes implementing intervention plans efficient and stress-free. It is clear they deeply understand the system framework and advocate fiercely for their clients' goals.

I always feel confident recommending my clients to their team, knowing they will receive exceptional, reliable, and compassionate coordination.
  
  Posted on Google  
 
    
   Ranga Raju manthena 
 
 
 
 
     Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I’ve been working with HYRE Coordination for a while now, and their professionalism really stands out. They communicate clearly, follow through on every task. They know the NDIS system inside out and make the whole process much easier to manage. It’s been a smooth, reliable experience from day one. Definitely a team you can trust.
  
  Posted on Google  
 
    
   Fez mo

Frequently Asked Questions

Will My NDIS Funding Be Cut on 1 October 2026?

Not on 1 October 2026 alone. Your current plan continues until it is reassessed or renewed. When that happens, funding for social, economic and community participation supports is reduced by 50%, and funding for improved daily living skills supports is reduced by 10%.

Is My Core Support Funding Changing?

The changes only apply to social, economic and community participation supports and improved daily living skills supports. Funding for other parts of your plan is not affected. Some supports within these two categories are also not affected.

What If I Have 24-Hour Support Needs?

You may be able to apply for a plan variation if your total plan budget for certain supports is $215,030 or more and you receive 24-hour NDIS supports. You must apply within 90 days of your funding being reduced. See the high support needs section above.

Can I Ask for a Reassessment Sooner?

Yes. If you have a significant and ongoing change in your support needs, functional capacity or circumstances, you can request an unscheduled reassessment. The NDIA has 90 days to decide whether you are eligible.

Where Can I Get Help With These Changes?

Visit ndis.gov.au for official information about the NDIS. The NDIA handles plan reassessments and plan variations.

Where to Get Help

Official NDIS information: ndis.gov.au
Government information on these changes: health.gov.au

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