16 October 2026
This month, our NDIS update is about:
- general NDIS changes and news
- news for FitSkills21 and Club21 participants.
General NDIS changes and news
When opening the NDIS app or logging into the myplace portal, you may have received a notification about changes to NDIS support budgets from 1 October this year.
What has changed from 1 October 2026?
Under the new NDIS laws, there will be changes to funding for certain supports over the next 12 months.
These changes apply to anyone who has funding for Social, Economic and Community Participation and/or Improved Daily Living Skills in their NDIS plan.
Funding in these categories will be reduced by:
- 50% for Social, Economic and Community Participation
- 10% for Improved Daily Living Skills.
The changes will apply when a participant’s plan is reassessed or a new plan is created from 1 October 2026, or when a planis renewed from 1 February 2027.
What do you need to know?
The most important thing to understand is that your current NDIS funding is not automatically reduced on 1 October 2026.
Instead, the Australian Government is introducing what is called a “support determination”. This is the term being used for the changes that will reset funding for Social, Economic and Community Participation and Improved Daily Living Skills.
The support determination will be applied when your plan is reassessed or renewed. The Australian Government has advised that affected participants will have their funding reset progressively between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027.
What happens from February 2027?
From 1 February 2027, plan continuations will be replaced by plan renewals.
Under the current system, if the NDIS does not complete a reassessment, a plan can be continued, with funding generally carrying over and unspent funds remaining available.
Under the new arrangements, a plan renewal will create a new plan, rather than simply continuing the existing one. Unspent funds from your previous plan will not carry over into the renewed plan.
Reflecting on your own plan
Given these changes, it may be worth considering whether your current NDIS plan still accurately reflects your circumstances and support needs.
This may be particularly relevant if you have had multiple plan continuations or extensions and your plan has not been formally reassessed for some time. Your circumstances may have changed significantly since your current plan was originally developed, and the NDIS may not have the most up-to-date information about your needs.
Consider whether the NDIS has current information about:
- changes in your day-to-day circumstances or living arrangements
- changes or transitions in your education, employment or community participation
- changes in your functional capacity or support needs
- any new or changed diagnoses or impairments
- a current and accurate description of your disability, impairments and functional impact
- changes in the level, frequency or type of support you require
- changes in your goals or what you are working towards
- any significant changes in your informal supports, such as family or carers.
This doesn’t mean that everyone should request a plan reassessment. If your current plan accurately reflects your circumstances and is meeting your needs, you may decide that no action is required at this stage. However, given the significant changes now being introduced, it is worth taking some time to understand whether the NDIS has a current and accurate picture of your situation.
What should you do now?
Our suggestion is to not wait until your next plan renewal to discover that important information is missing or out of date. Take the opportunity to review what information the NDIS has about you or your child and consider whether it still accurately reflects your current circumstances and support needs.
We recommend that participants:
- Check the end/reassessment date of your current plan.
- Keep track of the supports you are using and how they assist you with your disability-related needs and goals.
- Keep relevant reports and evidence up to date, particularly where your support needs have changed.
- Don’t assume that all your NDIS funding will be reduced. The support determination applies to particular support categories, and some supports are specifically excluded from the changes.
- Talk with your Support Coordinator, Plan Manager or another trusted professional if you are unsure how the changes may affect you.
Some supports will not be affected
Importantly, there are also specific supports and funding that won’t be affected by these changes, including employment supports, disability-related health supports, high-intensity supports, intensive and complex behaviour supports, customised and wearable technology, and hearing services.
We’ll look more closely at the supports and funding that won’t be affected, and what this means for participants, in our next update.
Helpful information for FitSkills21 and Club21 program participants
As NDIS funding changes continue to be implemented, here is some information that may be helpful.
Claims for supports
The NDIS has advised that from 1 December 2026, claims for supports need to besubmitted within 90 days of the support being delivered. Claims made after 90 days will not be paid unless exceptional circumstances apply. This change is designed to encourage claims to be processed more promptly and ensure participant funding information remains up to date.
For most families, there is no immediate action required. However, it is a good reminder to regularly check your NDIS budget, keep records of supports received, and raise any funding questions early with your providers, Plan Manager or Support Coordinator.
What you can do
At Down Syndrome Victoria, we remain committed to supporting participants and families to access our services with confidence. As always, we encourage families to:
- Keep an eye on available NDIS funding and spending.
- Let us know if you have any concerns about your funding or plan.
- Speak with your Plan Manager or Support Coordinator if you need assistance understanding your budget.
- Contact us if you would like information about DSV services, quotes or invoicing arrangements.
Our focus
Our goal is to help families plan ahead and avoid unexpected expenses. We encourage families to regularly review their available NDIS funding, where funding is no longer available or a support is not covered under a participant’s plan to cover invoices, activity costs will be paid by the nominated representative.
We understand there have been several NDIS updates recently and that it can take time to understand what they mean for you and your family. Please be assured that DSV is continuing to monitor these changes and work closely with participants and families to support ongoing access to our programs and services.
Need help or have questions?
If you have questions or concerns about these changes or would like support to understand what they may mean for you, please get in contact with us. We’re happy to talk through your concerns and help you understand what steps you may need to consider. You write to us at info@dsav.asn.au
If you are part of our FitSkills21 or Club21 programs and have any questions or would like to discuss your individual circumstances, please contact Imogen Kinnear, Adult Support Manager, at ImogenK@dsav.asn.au or speak with your Program Manager.
We look forward to continuing to support you and your family.
You can also visit the NDIS website for updates, outlines of changes and Easy Read documents.