NDIS New Framework 2025 Explained: Every Change That Affects Your Plan

The NDIS has changed more in the past 12 months than at any point since it launched in 2013. The NDIS Amendment (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) Act 2024 passed Parliament in August 2024 and began rolling out immediately. By October 2024, new rules about what the NDIS will and will not fund were already in effect — affecting every participant in Australia.

If you have an NDIS plan, or you are supporting someone who does, understanding these changes is not optional. The new framework alters what you can spend your funding on, how your budget is calculated, and what rights you have when something goes wrong.

This guide explains every major change in plain English — what is new, what it means for your plan, and what you need to do right now.

Change 1: New NDIS Support Lists — What the Scheme Will and Won't Fund

This is the most immediate and widely felt change. From 3 October 2024, new NDIS Support Lists define precisely what the NDIS will fund — and what it will not. These lists replace the previous "reasonable and necessary" framework as the first test for any support.

There are two new lists:

• NDIS Supports List: Supports that ARE funded by the NDIS. These relate directly to a participant's disability and include things like personal care, specialist therapies, assistive technology, home modifications, supported independent living, and support coordination.
• Non-NDIS Supports List: Supports that are NOT funded by the NDIS under any circumstances. This includes day-to-day living costs that everyone pays for (food, rent, utilities), supports that should be funded by other government systems (Medicare, aged care, education), and supports that are not related to disability.

The key principle underlying the new lists is that NDIS funding must relate to your disability. If a support would be needed regardless of disability — or if it is the responsibility of another government system — it is not an NDIS support.

Change 2: Foundational Supports — A New Tier for People Who Don't Qualify for NDIS

One of the most significant structural changes is the introduction of Foundational Supports — a new tier of government-funded services sitting below the NDIS for Australians with disability who do not meet the NDIS access criteria.

Previously, if you were assessed as not meeting the NDIS disability or early intervention requirements, you were largely left without support. Foundational Supports change that by funding:

• Community-based disability services (information, navigation, peer support)
• Early childhood supports for children who do not yet meet NDIS criteria
• Foundational support services delivered by states and territories
• Information and referral services to help people find the right pathway

Change 3: How Your Budget Is Calculated — Needs Assessment Reform

The old "reasonable and necessary" test for funding decisions has long been criticised for being inconsistent, opaque, and unfair. The new framework introduces a more structured approach to deciding how much funding a participant receives.

Under the reforms, the NDIA is building a new needs assessment process designed to:

• Apply consistent criteria across all participants with similar support needs
• Give participants clearer reasons for why a particular funding level was set
• Reduce the large discrepancies in plan values for people with similar disabilities and circumstances
• Make the link between functional impairment and funding more transparent

Change 4: Stronger Review Rights and the Participant Service Guarantee

The reforms significantly strengthen what happens when the NDIA makes a decision you disagree with. Two key improvements stand out:

Internal Review Improvements

Previously, requesting an internal review of an NDIS decision was a confusing, time-consuming process with no guaranteed timeframes. The new framework introduces:

• Clearer timeframes for internal review decisions (28 days for most decisions)
• A right to ask for a statement of reasons explaining the decision
• Improved access to independent advocacy support during the review process
• Stronger protections to ensure your existing supports continue while a review is underway

Participant Service Guarantee

The NDIA now has a legislated Participant Service Guarantee — specific timeframes within which decisions must be made. Key timeframes include:

• Access decisions: 21 days from receiving a complete access request
• Plan approvals: 56 days from plan development meeting
• Plan review decisions: 21 days for most review types
• Internal review decisions: 28 days

Change 5: New Rules for Unregistered Providers

The reforms tighten the rules around using NDIS funding with unregistered providers — that is, providers who deliver services but have not gone through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission registration process.

Key changes for participants who self-manage or plan-manage their funding:

• Unregistered providers must now comply with the new NDIS Support Lists — they cannot charge for supports that are on the Non-NDIS Supports List
• The NDIA has increased monitoring of unregistered provider invoices, particularly for high-value or unusual claims
• Participants retain the right to choose unregistered providers for most supports, but both parties are responsible for ensuring the support is on the NDIS Supports List
• New rules require unregistered providers to give participants a written service agreement for services above $1,000

Change 6: Early Childhood Pathway Changes

Families with young children with disability or developmental concerns will see significant changes to the early childhood pathway. The new framework:

• Extends the early childhood approach to children up to age 9 (previously age 6 for some pathways)
• Introduces Early Childhood Partners with expanded roles in coordinating supports
• Creates a clearer bridge between Foundational Supports and NDIS access for children who need ongoing funding
• Provides more family-centred planning support during the early childhood years
• Aligns with the National Disability Strategy's focus on inclusion in mainstream early education settings

What Has NOT Changed

Amid all the change, it is worth being clear about what the reforms did not alter. These core principles remain intact:

• Choice and control: Participants retain the right to choose their own providers and how their supports are delivered
• Plan management options: Self-managed, plan-managed, and NDIA-managed funding remain available
• Support categories: Core, Capacity Building, and Capital supports continue as the three funding buckets
• Existing plans are protected: Your current plan and funding levels remain in place until your next scheduled review
• AAT review rights: You can still appeal NDIS decisions to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal if internal review does not resolve your concern

What You Should Do Right Now

Here are the practical steps every participant and carer should take in response to the new framework:

• Review your current spending against the new Support Lists. The NDIS publishes the full list at ndis.gov.au. If any current supports are on the Non-NDIS Supports List, speak to your plan manager or support coordinator.
• Check your plan review date. The new needs assessment approach will apply when your plan is next reviewed — knowing when that is lets you prepare.
• Gather evidence of your current support needs. Under the new framework, clear functional evidence makes a stronger case for the funding you need. Start collecting reports from therapists, GPs, and specialists.
• Understand your new review rights. If the NDIA makes a decision you believe is wrong, you have stronger and faster rights to challenge it than before.
• Talk to your LAC or support coordinator. They should be briefed on the changes and can walk you through how they apply to your specific plan.