The Commission and the NDIA are different
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) decides who can join the NDIS, builds plans and pays for supports. The NDIS Commission regulates the quality and safety of the supports people buy with that funding.
So a complaint about your plan or an NDIA decision goes to the NDIA. A complaint about a provider or worker goes to the Commission.
What the Commission does
- Registers providers, after an audit against the NDIS Practice Standards and a suitability check of the provider and its key personnel
- Sets and enforces the NDIS Code of Conduct, which applies to all NDIS providers and workers, registered or not
- Handles complaints about NDIS providers and workers
- Receives reportable incidents from registered providers, such as serious injury, abuse or neglect, and unauthorised restrictive practices
- Oversees behaviour support, including registering behaviour support practitioners and monitoring the use of regulated restrictive practices
- Leads national policy on NDIS worker screening
- Takes compliance and enforcement action, including infringement notices and banning orders, recorded on the NDIS Provider Register
How to make a complaint
Anyone can complain to the Commission about an NDIS provider or worker, including participants, families, workers and other providers. You can call 1800 035 544 or use the online complaint form on the Commission's website. You can complain anonymously, and you can have someone help you, such as an advocate.
It often helps to raise the issue with the provider first, but you do not have to. If someone is in immediate danger, call 000 first.
Checking a provider
The NDIS Provider Register lets you search registered providers and see their registration groups. A separate part of the register lists compliance and enforcement actions taken against providers and workers, including banning orders. It is worth checking both before you sign with a new provider.
What changed in 2026
- 1 July 2026: SIL providers and NDIS digital platforms must be registered, under new registration groups 0138 and 0137, with new SIL Practice Standards
- 27 August 2026: tougher fraud offences, and the Commission can issue anti promotion orders against misleading or predatory marketing
- 12 October 2026: a new NDIS Commission Portal opened alongside the existing portal, and new applications and behaviour support plans start in the new portal
- 27 November 2026: a ban on providers offering inducements or kickbacks begins
What is coming
From 1 July 2027 mandatory registration starts expanding to higher risk supports, such as personal care and daily living supports, with all providers in scope registered by December 2030. A new provider enrolment system and stronger whistleblower protections also start on 1 July 2027. Mandatory registration for support coordination has been paused while that service is redesigned.
For providers
Unregistered providers still answer to the Commission: the Code of Conduct, complaints and banning orders all apply to them. Registered providers also have conditions of registration, including incident management, complaints systems, worker screening for certain roles, audits, and notifying the Commission of changes such as new key personnel.