What the NDIS does
The NDIS was created by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. It works like insurance: everyone is covered by it, and people who have, or acquire, a permanent and significant disability can get individual funding for the support they need, for as long as they need it.
It funds disability related supports that are reasonable and necessary, such as help with personal care, support workers, therapy, assistive technology, home modifications, support to work or study, and help to take part in community life. It does not pay for day to day living costs or things other systems are responsible for, such as health care and schooling.
How many people use it
On 30 June 2026 there were 782,013 active NDIS participants, including 162,781 children younger than 9, according to the NDIA's quarterly report to disability ministers. Many more people are supported through early connections for young children and through services outside the scheme.
Who can join
To join you must meet the access criteria in the NDIS Act:
- Be under 65 when you apply
- Live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, a permanent visa holder or a protected special category visa holder
- Have a permanent impairment that substantially reduces your everyday functioning, or be a person, often a young child, for whom early intervention is likely to reduce future support needs
How the NDIS works, step by step
- Apply: make an access request by phone or with the Access Request Form, with evidence of your disability
- Access decision: the NDIA decides whether you are eligible, usually within 21 days
- Your plan: the NDIA works with you to build a plan with your goals and funding for supports
- Manage your funding: the NDIA can manage it, a plan manager can pay providers for you, or you can self manage
- Choose providers: you pick who delivers your supports, and can change providers
- Reassessment: your plan is checked and renewed over time, or sooner if your needs change significantly
Who runs it
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) runs the scheme: it decides access, makes plans and pays for supports. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission regulates providers and workers, handles complaints and registration, and oversees restrictive practices. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing leads NDIS policy for the Australian Government. Since 27 August 2026 the Minister for the NDIS sets NDIS price limits, on advice from the NDIA.
Big changes from 2026 to 2030
The NDIS is in the middle of major reform. The Getting the NDIS Back on Track Act 2024 started it, and the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Act 2026, which became law on 20 August 2026, added more. Key dates:
- 1 July 2026: SIL providers and NDIS digital platforms must be registered
- 1 October 2026: social, economic and community participation budgets cut by 50% and improved daily living skills by 10%, as plans are created, reassessed or renewed. Thriving Kids starts rolling out
- 1 December 2026: claims must be made within 90 days of the service
- 1 February 2027: renewed plans no longer roll over unspent funds
- 1 April 2027: participants start moving to new framework plans based on a support needs assessment
- 1 July 2027: mandatory registration expands to personal care and daily living supports
- 1 January 2028: new access rules based on functional capacity
- 1 July 2028: a new support coordination and connection service begins
Support outside the NDIS
Most people with disability are not NDIS participants. Foundational supports, funded jointly by governments, are being built for people with disability outside the scheme, starting with Thriving Kids for young children with developmental delay or autism. Health, education, housing and employment services, such as Inclusive Employment Australia, also have their own responsibilities to people with disability.