NDIS funding changes from 1 October 2026: the 50% and 10% reset explained
By the Supportd team · Checked against official sources on 14 October 2026
The short answer
From 1 October 2026, funding for social, economic and community participation supports is reduced by 50%, and funding for improved daily living skills supports by 10%. It only happens when your plan is created, reassessed or renewed, and your current plan keeps working until then.
What is changing
In the 2026/27 Budget the government announced a reset of funding for two groups of NDIS supports. The change is made through a legal instrument called a support determination, which the Minister made under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026.
When the reset is applied to your plan, the amount available is reduced by:
- 50% for social, economic and community participation supports (previously called social, civic and community participation)
- 10% for improved daily living skills supports (previously called capacity building daily activities)
When it applies to your plan
Nothing changed overnight on 1 October. The reset is applied over 12 months, at the point your plan is created, reassessed or renewed.
- From 1 October 2026: new plans and plan reassessments (scheduled or unscheduled)
- From 1 February 2027: plan renewals as well
- By 30 September 2027: every affected participant will have had their plan renewed. If your scheduled reassessment date is on or after 1 October 2027, it will be brought forward
- The NDIA contacts participants 2 to 3 months before a scheduled reassessment, and 60 days before a renewal
What is protected
The reset only touches the two categories above. These parts of your plan are not affected:
- Supports in your home, such as help with eating, drinking, dressing, toileting, laundry, cleaning, community nursing care and medication
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Personal mobility equipment and transport
- Continence and menstrual consumables
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Supports inside the two categories that are also protected
Some supports sit inside the affected categories but are excluded from the reset because they are essential to health, safety and wellbeing. If your plan has these and payments have been made for them, the NDIA leaves them out of the reduction automatically. You do not need to send anything.
- Supports in employment
- Disability related health supports
- High intensity supports
- Intensive and complex behaviour supports
- Customised and wearable technology
- Hearing services
What it means in dollars
The reduction applies to the budget, not to what you actually spend. The government gives this example: a participant has $50,000 a year for community participation but only uses $30,000. After the reset they have $25,000 available, so their real spending drops by $5,000, not $25,000.
Your new plan will show both your total funding and the funding available after the change.
Can you challenge it?
You cannot request a review of the reset itself, and the reduction on its own does not count as a significant and ongoing change for a reassessment.
You can still ask for a plan variation or an unscheduled reassessment if your support needs or circumstances have changed in a significant and ongoing way, for example a change in your living arrangements, work, study or the informal support you get from family. If you are in a crisis or have experienced fraud, contact the NDIA about a variation.
If you receive 24 hour disability support, there is a separate variation pathway. See our page on the high support needs plan variation.
When new framework planning starts, the reset stops
Participants start moving to new framework planning from 1 April 2027. The funding reset does not apply to new framework plans, so once you move to one, the reset no longer applies to you.
What to do now
- Check your plan dates. The change reaches you at your next reassessment or renewal, not before.
- Look at what you actually spend on community participation and daily living skills. If you use less than half the budget, the real impact may be small.
- Talk to your providers now about which supports matter most, so hours can be prioritised if your budget drops.
- If you rely on group programs or community access, ask your provider whether a different ratio or schedule would stretch the funding further.
- Keep notes on any change in your needs or circumstances. That is what a variation or unscheduled reassessment is based on.
Need to find a provider who fits your new plan?
Leave your details and a real person on our team will look for the support you need near you and come back to you within 48 hours.
Common questions
Did my NDIS plan change on 1 October 2026?
No. The reset is applied when your plan is created, reassessed or renewed between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027. Until then you keep using your current plan and supports.
Is support worker help at home affected?
No. Supports in your home, such as personal care, cleaning, meals and medication, are not affected. The reset only applies to social, economic and community participation and improved daily living skills supports.
Is the 50% cut taken from what I spend or from my budget?
From the budget. If you were not spending your whole community participation budget, the actual drop in what you can spend may be much smaller than 50%.
Can I appeal the reduction?
Not the reset itself. You can still request a plan variation or an unscheduled reassessment if your needs or circumstances have changed in a significant and ongoing way.
Related on Supportd
Sources
- Funding changes for NDIS supports (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing)
- About the changes to the NDIS (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing)
- Securing the NDIS for future generations timeline (September 2026)
General information only, checked on 14 October 2026. Dates and details can change as rules are finalised. For decisions about your own plan, contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 or talk to your support coordinator.