National Disability Insurance Scheme: What Happens to Your Plan at 65
Quick answer: The National Disability Insurance Scheme is undergoing the most significant reform since it launched. The headline change is Thriving Kids — a new $4 billion foundational supports programme for children aged 8 and under, beginning rollout from 1 October 2026 and reaching full national scale by 1 January 2028. Alongside this, new NDIS planning and assessment rules begin rolling out from mid-2026, mandatory registration for Supported Independent Living providers applies from 1 July 2026, and a long-term Navigator model is still being designed. This guide covers exactly what is confirmed, what is still in consultation, and what families need to know right now.
What Is the National Disability Insurance Scheme?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the Australian Government’s individual funding scheme for people with significant and permanent disability. It provides personalised funding plans covering supports such as personal care, therapy, equipment, and community participation, with the explicit aim of giving people with disability greater choice, control, and independence over their own lives.
The Scheme is administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). By 2025, it was supporting more than 630,000 participants nationally — a scale of growth that significantly exceeded original projections, and one of the central drivers behind the reform programme now underway.
Why the NDIS Is Being Reformed
The 2023 NDIS Review, led by Professor Bruce Bonyhady and Lisa Paul AO and delivered in December 2023, found that the Scheme had grown well beyond its original purpose. A significant share of that growth was driven not by genuine need for individualised disability support, but by gaps elsewhere — too few supports available in health, education, housing, and the broader community, which pushed families toward the NDIS simply because nothing else existed.
The Review’s central recommendation was not a bigger NDIS, but a stronger overall disability support ecosystem — with the NDIS remaining focused on people with significant and permanent disability, supported by a new layer of Foundational Supports available to a much broader group of people with disability, regardless of whether they hold an NDIS plan.
Thriving Kids — What’s Actually Confirmed
This is the single most significant — and most searched — change underway, so it’s worth being precise about exactly what has been confirmed versus what is still being finalised.
funding over 5 years
begin rollout
Thriving Kids
and NDIS access changes
Thriving Kids is the first Foundational Supports initiative to be implemented, targeted at children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs. Governments have jointly committed $4 billion over five years, with at least $1.4 billion of the Commonwealth’s $2 billion contribution flowing directly to states to deliver services. The programme will begin rollout in each state from no later than 1 October 2026, with full national scale expected by 1 January 2028.
What this means for children currently on an NDIS plan: children aged 8 and under who are already on the NDIS with developmental delay and/or autism and low-to-moderate support needs will be reassessed under the eligibility rules in place before 1 January 2028, as their plans come up for renewal. Children with permanent and significant disability, or substantially reduced functional capacity, remain eligible for the NDIS regardless of age. These access changes require amendments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013, which have not yet been passed by Parliament.
Thriving Kids supports are organised around three broad categories: low need, which emphasises parent-led and family-centred approaches; moderate need, where children access a wider range of structured supports; and children with significant permanent disability, who continue to be supported through the NDIS as before. Services are designed to be delivered in the everyday environments where children already live, learn, and play — homes, early childhood centres, and schools — rather than requiring a separate, standalone service system.
Foundational Supports Beyond Thriving Kids
Thriving Kids is the first and most developed piece of a much broader reform. Foundational Supports overall represent new, capped services designed to sit outside the NDIS entirely — available to people with disability whether or not they hold an NDIS plan. Governments have committed roughly $10 billion over five years to this broader programme, split evenly between the Commonwealth and the states, though a confirmed national rollout date for the adult and general components is still pending, with further public consultation continuing through 2026.
The intention behind Foundational Supports is straightforward — to stop the NDIS being the only door available to people with disability, including those whose needs are real but don’t require the scale of individualised funding the NDIS provides. Whether this genuinely reduces pressure on the NDIS, or simply shifts cost and complexity elsewhere, remains a significant point of debate among disability advocates and the sector.
NDIS Navigators — Still in Design, Not Yet Operating
One area where it’s important to be precise about timing: Navigators — the model intended to eventually replace Local Area Coordinators (LACs), support coordinators, and psychosocial recovery coaches — are not yet operating, and the realistic timeline is longer than some earlier coverage suggested.
The 2024–25 Federal Budget allocated $20 million over two years for preliminary Navigator design and consultation, alongside a $45 million Quality Supports Program that includes a support coordination pilot. A Foundational Supports Strategy is being developed through federal-state coordination across 2025–2026, with new framework planning expected to commence from mid-2026. The Navigator model itself is realistically expected to be co-designed, piloted, and gradually rolled out across 2026 to 2028 — not something families can access today.
Other Confirmed Changes Through 2026
NDIS Price Guide 2025–26: Understanding How Pricing Actually Works
One of the most practically important — and most searched — parts of understanding the NDIS is knowing how pricing actually works. The NDIS Price Guide, more formally split into the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and the NDIS Support Catalogue, sets the maximum hourly rate a registered provider can charge for each support item. These documents are reviewed and typically updated from 1 July each year following the NDIA’s Annual Pricing Review — the 2026–27 rates had not yet been formally published at the time of writing, so always check the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements directly before booking or invoicing any service.
For the 2025–26 period (effective from 1 July 2025), several pricing trends are worth understanding because they affect how far a plan’s funding genuinely stretches.
Support coordination — Levels 1 to 3, including Specialist Support Coordination — is how most participants actually interact with the NDIS day to day. Despite costs rising elsewhere in the economy, Level 2 and Level 3 support coordination rates have not increased for six consecutive years. This freeze is genuinely controversial within the sector, as it makes it progressively harder for providers to attract and retain experienced coordinators, which in turn affects the consistency and quality of support participants actually receive.
Recovery coaching — funded through a participant’s Capacity Building budget and designed specifically for people with psychosocial disability related to mental health conditions — saw its rate increase by 3.95% for 2025–26, broadly tracking the increase applied to standard support worker rates. Exact published rates vary slightly between official NDIS documentation and the date it was accessed, so always confirm the current rate against the live NDIS Support Catalogue rather than a fixed figure quoted elsewhere, including this guide.
Not every price moved upward in 2025–26 — several allied health and therapy support items, including physiotherapy, saw small price reductions compared to the previous year. This reflects the NDIA’s ongoing efforts to balance scheme sustainability against fair provider remuneration, rather than a uniform indexation applied across every support category.
Day-of-week and time-of-day pricing applies specifically to standard support work, high-intensity support work, and nursing supports — the categories that map directly back to SCHADS Award penalty rates. A Sunday support session can cost more than double the equivalent weekday rate, and public holiday rates are higher again. Importantly, several other common supports — support coordination, plan management, recovery coaching, behaviour support practitioners, and most therapy services — charge a single flat rate regardless of which day they’re delivered, so it’s worth checking which pricing model applies to each specific support in your plan.
If you think a provider has overcharged you
Check the specific line item code on your invoice against the current NDIS Support Catalogue. If the amount charged exceeds the published maximum price limit, raise it directly with your provider first. If it remains unresolved, speak with your support coordinator or plan manager, or contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission directly.
Understanding the Support Roles Around You — LACs, Support Coordinators and Recovery Coaches
Part of why the shift toward Navigators has generated so much interest is that the current landscape of support roles is genuinely confusing for many families. Here’s what each role actually does today, before any Navigator model replaces them.
Under the long-term Navigator model, these distinct roles are intended to eventually consolidate into a single, more consistent point of contact — but as covered above, that consolidation is still years away from full implementation, and all three roles continue operating as normal in 2026.
NDIS Reform Timeline — What’s Already Happened and What’s Still Coming
With so many overlapping reforms in motion, a single chronological view helps clarify where things genuinely stand.
What Families Should Actually Do Right Now
- If your child is 8 or under and currently on the NDIS — no immediate action is needed. Reassessment happens at plan renewal, not before, and the relevant Act amendments haven’t yet passed Parliament.
- If you run or use Supported Independent Living services — confirm registration status well before the 1 July 2026 deadline; this is a confirmed, fixed date with no flexibility.
- Check current NDIS pricing directly — always verify rates against the official NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, published and updated by the NDIA, rather than relying on a fixed figure from any third-party source including this one.
- Treat “Navigator” services as not yet available — if anyone claims to offer a Navigator service today, that claim should be treated with real scepticism, as the model is still in design and pilot phases.
- Go to the source for anything time-sensitive — ndis.gov.au and health.gov.au publish primary, authoritative updates on Thriving Kids and Foundational Supports as the rollout progresses.
NDIS and Aged Care — Where the Two Systems Meet
The NDIS and Australia’s aged care system are genuinely separate — different legislation, different funding models, different eligibility. Broadly, NDIS access requires a person to be under 65 at the time they first apply. There is, however, one point where the two systems intersect in a practical way: NDIS participants who turn 65 generally have the option to remain on the NDIS for existing supports rather than being moved into aged care, but if their needs change and residential aged care becomes appropriate, that transition involves a different assessment process and a different funding structure entirely — coordinated through My Aged Care rather than the NDIS.
If you are an NDIS participant or family approaching this transition point, it’s worth speaking directly with My Aged Care and your NDIS planner well in advance, as the two systems do not automatically communicate with each other.
Frequently Asked Questions — NDIS Reforms 2026
When does Thriving Kids start?
Thriving Kids begins rolling out state by state from no later than 1 October 2026, with full national scale expected by 1 January 2028. Specific service details and access points are being finalised progressively and will be confirmed closer to each state’s rollout date.
Will my child lose their NDIS plan because of Thriving Kids?
Not immediately. Children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism and low-to-moderate support needs will be reassessed as their existing plan comes up for renewal, under criteria currently in place until 1 January 2028. Children with permanent, significant disability or high support needs remain eligible for the NDIS regardless of age. The relevant legislative amendments have not yet passed.
Are NDIS Navigators available now?
No. Navigators are still in the design and consultation phase. A realistic rollout is expected gradually across 2026 to 2028, not as an immediately available service in 2026.
Where can I get authoritative, current information on NDIS reforms?
The NDIS website (ndis.gov.au) and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (health.gov.au) publish primary updates as reforms progress. Given how quickly details are still being finalised, always check these sources directly rather than relying on a fixed date from any secondary article.
What is the NDIS price guide and where do I find it?
The NDIS price guide refers to the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, alongside the NDIS Support Catalogue, both published by the NDIA. Together they set the maximum hourly rate a registered provider can charge for each support item. Rates are typically reviewed and updated from 1 July each year — always check the current version on ndis.gov.au before booking services.
What is the difference between a support coordinator and a Local Area Coordinator?
A Local Area Coordinator (LAC) typically helps people understand and access the NDIS and connect with community supports, often as a first point of contact. A Support Coordinator works specifically within a participant’s funded plan, helping them implement and get the most value from their existing supports. Some participants work with both, depending on their needs and plan.
What does a psychosocial recovery coach do, and is it mandatory?
A psychosocial recovery coach supports participants with psychosocial disability arising from mental health conditions, focusing on recovery-oriented goals and building skills and confidence. It is not mandatory — participants can choose not to have one, and some choose to have both a recovery coach and a support coordinator.
A Note on Where This Leaves Families
The honest summary of the NDIS in 2026 is that significant change is genuinely underway, but much of it is still in motion — confirmed in principle, funded, and dated, but not yet fully designed in practice. Thriving Kids has a real start date and real money behind it. Foundational Supports more broadly and the Navigator model are real commitments without confirmed national rollout details yet. For families navigating any of this, the most useful approach is healthy patience paired with direct contact with the NDIS and Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — rather than assuming any single source, including this one, has the final word on a system still being built.
If your family’s situation involves the intersection of NDIS supports and aged care — for example, an NDIS participant approaching 65, or a family managing both a disability plan and ageing parents — Superior Care Group can speak specifically to the aged care side of that picture. We operate two residential aged care homes in Queensland — Wellington Park in Wellington Point, South East Brisbane, and Merrimac Park on the Gold Coast — and we’re happy to talk through how aged care assessment and funding works alongside an existing NDIS plan.
Navigating NDIS and Aged Care Together?
We can talk through how the two systems work alongside each other.
Wellington Park — Wellington Point, Brisbane South East | (07) 3822 1876
Merrimac Park — Merrimac, Gold Coast | (07) 5618 1111
