NDIS rules: Public consultation on new framework planning

Key theme

Feedback

How we have actioned

Communication and information

• More details in easy, accessible, plain language formats.
• Meaningful engagement on reform design.

• We want the resources we produce to be useful to as many people as possible. For future engagements, we will ensure communication products are provided in a broader range of formats, such as:
  • Easy Read
  • translated and plain language versions
  • screen‑reader accessible documents
  • explainer videos.

Assessments and evidence

• More detail on the support needs assessment, plan variation and reassessment processes.
• Qualified assessors with knowledge and understanding of disability.
• Trauma-informed assessments, that are culturally safe, person-centred and consider lived experience.
• Consideration of professional evidence, including from long-term treating practitioners.
• Validated assessment tools.
• Assessment reports that outline real needs of participants, including hard days and changes over time.

• We will be providing more details on new framework planning through a public consultation during August-October 2026 via our Consultation Hub. This will include details on:
  • how a participant’s disability support needs will be assessed
  • how reasonable and necessary budgets will be developed
  • how a participant can use their plan
  • how a new framework plan can be changed.
• Feedback related to assessor workforce and cultural safety have been shared with the NDIA to help shape their work.
• The University of Melbourne has partnered with the Centre for Disability Studies to provide a support needs assessment tool to the NDIA. The tool is based on the Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN v6). There is ongoing testing and validation of the tool underway with participants and the University.
• Under new framework planning, a support needs assessment gathers information about a participant’s daily life, goals and support needs to help determine the reasonable and necessary supports and plan budget. This may include supporting evidence from a health professional or treating medical practitioner, if needed.
• Plans can be updated through a plan variation to change a specific part of a plan and will be used for short term changes.
• Test support needs assessments are being completed with participants so NDIA can test the processes and use the results to refine the assessment and budget method rules based on real life experience of assessment and budget processes.

Transparency and decision-making

• Clear planning processes with better visibility of timelines.
• Better information on review and appeal pathways, including any changes and examples of the processes.
• Quick but fair review and appeal processes to avoid participant impacts.
• Clear Notice of Impairment decisions, including correction pathways.
• Transparency on funding decisions, with human oversight in decision-making.
• Participants have access to all assessment reports.

• Feedback related to planning processes, transparency on funding decisions and timeframes have been shared with the NDIA to help shape their work.
• Participants will continue to have review and appeal rights if they disagree with a decision.

Budgets and supports

• Detailed information on how assessments inform budgets, including the budget model’s domain scores and weightings.  
• Greater funding flexibility should be introduced.
• Not replacing funded supports with informal care.
• Recognition of informal supports as an additional safeguard/support.
• Address regional service gaps and budgets to reflect service availability.

• Further information and details about the budget method calculations will be provided later in 2026 after more testing is done.
• We will be sharing exposure drafts of all new framework rules. This will be available for information and further consultation later in 2026.
  • Exposure drafts are draft versions of the new NDIS rules. They will show the proposed wording before the rules are finalised and demonstrate how feedback has informed these rules.
• A key objective of new framework planning is to move towards allocating budgets that are person centred rather than deciding funding based on the costs of each individual supports.
  • This approach is intended to improve the NDIS experience for participants by providing greater flexibility and enabling participants to exercise more choice and control over how they use their funding to meet their goals and needs.
• We recognise that unpaid carers and informal supports play an important role in supporting people with disability.
• We are committed to monitoring the impacts of these reforms and listening to community feedback through consultation. This will help identify and understand any impacts on unpaid carers including women and families who provide informal care.
• Government is progressing broader market and service reforms to strengthen market stewardship and improve the availability, accessibility and sustainability of supports, particularly in areas where services are limited.
  • This includes consultation on reforms to participant support markets, measures to address thin markets, and new commissioning approaches to help improve service coverage in regional and remote communities.
  • These reforms are intended to strengthen the broader disability support system and ensure people can access appropriate supports regardless of where they live.

Safety, carers and ongoing support

• Strong focus on participant safety, with access to support person/s at all stages across the process, as well as interpreters and advocates.
• Recognition and support for carers.
• More practical support after plan approval.

• Participants can have a support person with them during the support needs assessment, such as a family member, nominee or advocate. Access to interpreters will also remain available for participants.
• Feedback related to support, including for carers and after plan approval have been shared with the NDIA to help shape their work.

Operational and administrative processes

• Clear and accessible communications, including on NDIA processes and timeframes. 
• Flexible assessment options e.g. in person, online, over a series of conversations if needed.
• Clarity on who conducts assessments, including giving participants choice of assessor.
• Better understanding of implementation and transition, including continuity of existing arrangements.
• Clarity on the use of automation and AI tools.

• Feedback related to operational and administrative processes has been shared with the NDIA to inform planning practice, workforce capability, communication, accessibility and participant experience. This includes transition and continuity of existing arrangements.
• New framework planning will introduce a standardised assessment process (called a support needs assessment) using a structured, reliable and independently validated methodology delivered by trained and accredited assessors.
• Changes are being made to how some NDIS administrative processes can be supported by automated systems such as processing thousands of claims received by the Agency every day. These changes will be subject to significant safeguards. The budget method calculations will be set out in detail in the rules.
  • This will ensure participants, representative organisations and other interested parties can see how budgets are calculated.
• The NDIA are continuing testing and validation activity with participants to shape the initial implementation and rollout.