New NDIS Planning Framework: What’s Changing for Participants

Last updated: 30 October 2026

The new NDIS planning framework is a different way of building NDIS plans, where a support needs assessment informs a single flexible budget plus a few stated supports, and the NDIA says it will start rolling out from April 2027. Until you are moved across, you keep an “old framework” plan and use it as normal. Separate from that, budget reductions for some community participation and daily living skills funding started on 1 October 2026. Families in Western Sydney are hearing a lot of mixed messages, so here is what is confirmed and what is still planned.

Contents

• What is the new NDIS planning framework?
• Old framework plans vs new framework plans
• When does the NDIS needs assessment start?
• What changed on 1 October 2026?
• What should participants do now?
• What stays the same
• Getting help with the changes from Skillwise in Western Sydney
• Frequently asked questions

What is the new NDIS planning framework?

The new NDIS planning framework is the planning model set up by changes to the NDIS Act in 2024. Plans will be based on a support needs assessment, with funding given as a flexible budget, stated supports, or both.

The starting point is the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Act 2024, which commenced on 3 October 2024 (Department of Social Services). It created two kinds of plans: the plans people already had, now called old framework plans, and new framework plans that follow a needs assessment (Bill plain English summary).

A second set of laws passed Parliament on 19 August 2026, with changes to access, planning, funding and pricing phased in over several years (NDIS). The October budget reductions come from this second round of changes.

Old framework plans vs new framework plans

An old framework plan is the plan most participants have today, with funding set across support categories. A new framework plan will be built from a needs assessment report and will put most funding into one flexible budget.

Here is how the two compare, based on what has been published so far.

Two things already apply to everyone. The new definition of NDIS supports took effect on 3 October 2024, and funding periods are in effect for new and reassessed plans (NDIS summary of legislation changes). Funding periods mean your money is released in parts across the plan so it lasts the full length.

When does the NDIS needs assessment start?

The NDIA says support needs assessments will be introduced from April 2027, with participant testing happening first (NDIS new way of planning). The rollout was originally aimed at mid-2026 and was pushed back to give more time for testing.

A trained assessor will have a structured conversation with you about your daily life, and you can bring family or carers. The assessment is based on the I-CAN version 6 tool, combined with a questionnaire about your personal and environmental circumstances (NDIS update, December 2025). NDIA staff still approve plans.

This timeline shows confirmed and planned dates. Planned dates can still change.

The NDIA has not said publicly which participants move first. The Department says the rules will set out which groups move and when (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing).

What changed on 1 October 2026?

From 1 October 2026, the NDIA started reducing two budget categories when plans are created or reassessed, and from 1 February 2027 when plans are renewed. It applies to old framework plans, so it affects people now.

The NDIA lists the affected budgets as Social, Economic and Community Participation and Improved Daily Living Skills, phased in over 12 months (NDIS). The government’s impact analysis sets the reductions at 50 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, applied to old framework plans (Office of Impact Analysis). Because some supports inside those categories are exempt, the real effect is different for each person.

This table shows what is affected and what is protected.

There is also a separate plan variation pathway for people with very high needs. It applies if your combined 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 supports (NDIS). If you live in Supported Independent Living, check whether this applies. Our guide on what SIL is and how it works explains how SIL sits in a plan.

We expect families to feel the community participation change most. If your plan funds group activities and community programs or life skills building, look at those lines first when your next plan arrives.

What should participants do now?

Keep using your current plan as normal and get your evidence in order before your next reassessment.

Check your plan and service agreements

Look at your plan end date, your funding periods, and how much sits in community participation and daily living skills. Ask your providers to go through your NDIS service agreement with you so hours match what your plan can pay for. Our guide to using your core supports funding can help here.

Reassessment, variation or review?

These options get mixed up all the time. The table shows when each one fits, based on the NDIA’s reassessment notice (NDIS) and review page (NDIS reviews).

One catch: the NDIA says the 1 October budget reduction “isn’t a reviewable decision”. So if your budget dropped, the stronger route is usually showing that your needs have changed, not disputing the reduction itself.

Build your evidence now

Evidence matters more than anything else here. Keep recent reports from your GP and therapists, and note any lasting changes in your daily functioning, living situation, work or study, or informal supports. Those are the grounds the NDIA lists for a reassessment.

A tip from our team: write down what support you actually use each week, and what happens on weeks you go without it. Real examples are far easier for a planner to understand than general statements.

A support coordinator can help put this together. Our explainer on support coordination vs plan management sets out the difference.

What stays the same

For most people, a lot stays the same for now. Your current plan keeps working, your review rights continue, and you can still choose your own providers.

The NDIA says participants can keep using plans and supports as usual and that it will contact you if a change affects you (NDIS). It also points out that plans have always gone up or down as needs change, so not every change in a new plan comes from the reforms. The NDIA has flagged separate changes to plan management, so watch for updates on that.

Still unknown: the order in which groups move to new framework plans, and the final rules for turning assessment results into a budget. We will update this page as official information comes out.

Getting help with the changes from Skillwise in Western Sydney

Skillwise is a registered NDIS provider in Rooty Hill, supporting participants across Blacktown, Mount Druitt, St Marys and Western Sydney. We can go through your current supports with you and explain how the October changes and the new NDIS planning framework may affect them.

Funding decisions are made by the NDIA, so we cannot promise any plan outcome. We can help you understand your plan, keep clear records of the supports you use, and talk through community participation and social support, daily living and life skills, and Supported Independent Living. If you need help with a reassessment, we can also connect you with support coordination.

Call us on 0474 151 264 or send us a message.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have a new framework plan?

Probably not yet. The NDIA says the new way of planning, including support needs assessments, starts rolling out from April 2027, so almost every participant still has an old framework plan. The NDIA has said it will contact you when a change affects you, so watch for letters and emails from the agency.

Will my current plan be cut before it ends?

Not because of the October change alone. The reductions apply when a plan is created or reassessed from 1 October 2026, and when it is renewed from 1 February 2027. If you ask for a reassessment, your new plan would be built under the current rules, so think carefully and get advice first.

Can I appeal the 50% community participation reduction?

Not directly. The NDIA says the budget reduction is not a reviewable decision. You can still ask for a reassessment or variation if your needs have changed significantly, and people with very high support needs and 24-hour funded supports may be able to use a separate plan variation pathway.

Are personal care and SIL affected by the October cuts?

Generally no. The NDIA lists eating, drinking, dressing, toileting, medication, cleaning and laundry supports as not affected, along with specialist disability accommodation. SIL is not one of the two reduced categories, but check your own plan, as community access funding often sits alongside it.