What the NDIS Changes Mean for You – and How to Prepare

Whatever we think of the need for the changes, or of the merits of these, I think we also need to accept that at least most of this is happening, and prepare ourselves for the changes that are coming – and in some cases are already here.

Learn more about the confirmed 2026 changes and when each change starts.

Changes Impact Providers & Workers as well as Participants & Families

That the changes announced by government and enabled through the NDIS Amendment Bill will have a huge impact on participants (and families and carers) is clear, both from the size and range of changes announced, and from the reactions of the disability community who’ve mobilised to a very significant degree in their advocacy efforts since April.

It’s also the case that changes will impact providers and workers in the sector.

• Providers have been under significant financial pressure for several years already; the NDIA has not increased prices in keeping with cost increases, particularly for Support Coordination, ILOs, and allied health.
• For many providers, cuts to participant funding for Social and Community Participation will significantly impact income. Providers will need to examine management and other overhead costs (again) and may need to consider productivity improvements and workforce reductions to remain financially viable.
• In addition, cuts to Support Coordination (Coordination funding is already being reduced or removed from participant plans in our experience), coupled with seven years without a price increase and the approaching “end” of Support Coordination create a triple-threat to providers of Support Coordination services, and their staff.

What to Prepare: For Participants/Nominees/Carers/Families

We recommend that participants/nominees seek as much guidance as they can from their Support Coordinator in the coming year (starting now, ahead of the “04 cuts” commencing this October). Note, “04” refers to NDIS Support Category 04 = social & community participation.

If you don’t have a strong relationship with and trust in your Support Coordinator, consider a switch. My Supports may be able to make recommendations in your area if you wish.

More generally, we’ll provide support where we can, but if we are not your Support Coordinator there are some limits to what we can do (we can’t see all the same detail about plans that a Support Coordinator can, and if you need hours of plan preparation work, we are not funded to do this).

Cuts to Social and Community Participation Funding – from October

Make sure you are aware of your plan end dates at which time 04 budgets will likely be cut and commence planning for these impacts early. This may include:

• Deciding which community activities are the highest priority.
• If you have friends or family who can support some of these activities, starting to plan a weekly schedule for this.
• In some cases, it may be possible to share 04 supports (e.g. two NDIS participants engaging in the same activity with one support worker).

Cuts to Support Coordination Funding/Removal of Support Coordination

There is nearly two years to go before Support Coordination is scheduled to be removed from participant plans altogether. Before then there should be more information about what the “commissioned” alternative may look like.

However, we are also seeing Support Coordination reduced or removed from some participant plans on plan reviews already.

We recommend that participants/nominees/families who have concerns about potential reductions in Support Coordinator support, or the proposed removal of Support Coordination from NDIS plans, do everything they can to increase their own skills and capacity to understand and implement their NDIS plans.

This might include identifying, if you haven’t already, a key member of your network who can help you with NDIS funding reviews and plan implementation if your Support Coordinator is no longer funded to do so.

What to Prepare: For Workers

Support Workers

Support Workers who rely on income largely from community participation shifts should be aware that there may be some impact on hours from October onwards, as participant funding is cut on plan anniversaries from then. Our aim is to keep growing other services ahead of the cuts, so that where 04 hours reduce, we can offer other supports to replace them.

It’s important to remember that any cuts to participant 04 funding will be gradual (over a period of a year, as each plan is reviewed). In addition, while the “headline cut” may be 50% for many participants, the impact on actual support hours will be significantly less (on average) as the majority of participant plans are under-spent.

Support Coordinators

We’ve been communicating with our Support Coordinators, for well over a year now about the importance of growing core support hours over time. We’re also supporting our support coordinators with skill development and other support where we can.

Looking After Ourselves and Each Other

The fear of funding cuts in a participant’s plan, and the reality of these cuts (it’s already happening, in spite of the government’s timeframe that cuts will start from October), has a major impact on mental health, for participants, for family and carers, and for staff at providers like My Supports who care deeply about participant wellbeing and outcomes.

We are already hearing from our Team Leaders about the very real impact cuts are having on participants’ mental health, and in turn, on the mental health of our employees. It’s hugely important that we look after ourselves and each other.

Participants and carers: seek help early if you’re feeling anxious or distressed. Please reach out to your support coordinators, providers, or get help through the below free resources:

• Lifeline: lifeline.org.au or 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue: beyondblue.org.au or 1300 22 4636
• ReachOut: reachout.com