If you are an NDIS participant, you may have heard that the way NDIS plans are made is changing. The Australian Government is introducing a new way of planning called “new framework planning”. It is natural to wonder what this means for you and your supports.
The short answer: you do not need to do anything right now. Your current plan stays in place until you move to the new process, and the NDIA will give you information before anything changes for you. Adults will move across in stages between April 2027 and 31 December 2030.
This guide is based on information published by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. It explains what new framework planning is, what a support needs assessment is, what a flexible budget might look like, what stays the same, and when the changes are likely to reach you.
What is the “New Framework Planning” and Why is it Happening?
New framework planning is the government’s new process for creating and approving NDIS plans. It responds to the independent NDIS Review, which heard from thousands of people with disability, families, carers, and providers. A common message was that planning felt inconsistent: people with similar needs could end up with very different plans depending on who they spoke to, and many found it hard and stressful to justify their support needs.
According to the NDIA, the new way of planning is meant to give participants:
- More time with a trained assessor: So you can explain your support needs in a way that works for you.
- A clearer planning process: Focused on your support needs and goals.
- More consistent decisions: Supported by clearer NDIS rules and processes.
- A simpler plan: With a more flexible budget that is easier to use.
In short, the aim is for planning to be more predictable and less dependent on who you happen to speak to.
The Support Needs Assessment: A New Conversation
The main new step is a support needs assessment. It is the second of four steps the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has proposed for the new planning process: preparing for a support needs assessment, the assessment itself, building a plan, and using a plan.
The NDIA describes the assessment as a “guided conversation with a trained NDIS assessor to understand a participant’s disability support needs.” It is your chance to explain how your disability affects your life and what support you need to work towards your goals.
What we know so far:
- It is a conversation. The NDIA calls it a guided conversation, and it is meant to give you more time to explain your needs than current planning meetings do.
- It is run by a trained NDIS assessor. The assessment tool, how it is run, and what goes in the assessment report are being set out in new NDIS rules.
- It shapes your budget. The NDIA says the information will help create a fairer and more flexible budget.
- People still approve plans. NDIS plans will continue to be approved by trained NDIS staff, not automated systems.
Many practical details, such as how long the assessment takes and who can be there with you, have not been published yet. When you are told it is your turn, ask the NDIA what to expect and whether you can bring a support person.
Flexible Budgets: More Choice and Control?
The new plans are meant to come with a more flexible budget. Today, plans are split into separate support budgets, such as Core Supports and Capacity Building. Under the new framework, more of your funding is expected to sit in one flexible budget that you can use across a wider range of supports.
Flexible does not mean unlimited. The Department’s draft rules cover how the budget is calculated, how funding is released over time in funding periods, and any restrictions on how the flexible budget can be spent. Those details are still being finalised.
Participants have asked for more flexibility for a long time, because needs and priorities change during a plan. Clear guidance will matter too, so people know what they can and cannot spend the budget on.
What Stays the Same?
Some important things are not changing. You will still have:
- Choice and control: You still choose your providers and how your supports are delivered.
- A focus on your goals: Your goals are still the basis of your plan.
- The right to a review: If you disagree with a decision about your plan, you can still ask the NDIA for an internal review of the decision. If you still disagree, you can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in October 2024.
- Support from providers like Lanara: Your support workers keep helping you with daily life and your goals while the planning process changes around them. Learn more about our psychosocial support services.
Timeline: When Will These Changes Affect You?
For most people, the answer is not for a while yet. The changes are being rolled out in stages over several years:
- From mid-2026: The NDIA started testing the new framework planning process with a small number of participants.
- From April 2027: The NDIA begins introducing the new way of planning.
- April 2027 to 31 December 2030: All participants aged 18 and over move to new framework plans in stages, so many people will not notice any change at first.
Key things to know about the timeline:
- You do not need to do anything right now. Your current plan stays in place until you move to the new process.
- You will be told first. The NDIA says participants will receive information before anything changes for them.
- Children under 18 are not part of the initial changes.
Other parts of the 2026 NDIS laws, such as changes to plan reassessments and budgets, have their own dates. Our guide to navigating the May 2026 Federal Budget and NDIS changes covers those.
How You Can Have Your Say
The government is still writing the detailed rules for the new planning process, and it is asking the disability community for input.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing held a public consultation on the new NDIS Rules that will govern the new planning process. These rules explain exactly how things will work.
Update: this consultation closed on 6 March 2026, and the Department published a summary of the feedback on 19 August 2026. Further consultation on the new framework planning rules began in August 2026.
Consultations ask what matters in a planning process, what makes a good assessment, and how flexible budgets should work. To see what is open now, visit the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s new framework planning page.
You can also help test the new way of planning through workshops and other activities by joining the New Framework Planning Pool on the NDIS Engage website.
How Lanara is Preparing to Support You
We are following the NDIA’s updates on new framework planning closely. Here is what you can expect from us:
- Clear updates: When the NDIA or the Department publishes something that affects the people we support, we will explain it in plain language.
- Help getting ready: When it is your turn, we can help you think through your goals and how your support is going, so you go into your support needs assessment prepared.
- Support that adapts: As plans move to flexible budgets, we will work with you, and your plan manager or support coordinator, so your support keeps fitting your plan.
A Message of Reassurance
Changes to the NDIS can be worrying. For now, the most important thing to remember is that you do not need to do anything. Your current plan and supports stay in place, the changes will come in gradually, and you will be told before anything changes for you.
If you have questions about these changes, talk to your support worker or contact our team.
Official NDIS & Government Links
1. NDIS Announcement: New Way of Planning (9 February 2026)
https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/11083-update-new-way-planning-ndis
The NDIA’s main announcement explaining new framework planning, with Easy Read and Auslan versions.
2. Public Consultation on New NDIS Rules (closed 6 March 2026; feedback summary published 19 August 2026)
https://consultations.health.gov.au/ndis/nfp-public-consultation
What the Department asked, and a summary of the feedback it received.
3. New Framework Planning Pool, NDIS Engage (open until 31 December 2026)
https://engage.ndis.gov.au/projects/new-framework-planning-pool
Sign up to help test the new planning process through workshops and activities.
4. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: New Framework Planning
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/ndis-legislation-changes/rules/framework
The Department’s overview, with the transition dates and the rules for each step.
5. Improving the NDIS: Updates Hub
https://www.ndis.gov.au/changes-ndis
The NDIA’s central page for updates and improvements to the NDIS.
6. Changes to NDIS Legislation
https://www.ndis.gov.au/ndis-laws/securing-ndis-future-generations
The new NDIS laws passed by Parliament on 19 August 2026, with a timeline of what changes and when.
7. Earlier Update on New Framework Planning (5 September 2025)
https://www.ndis.gov.au/news/10864-update-changes-ndis-new-framework-planning-starting-mid-2026
The NDIA’s earlier announcement that new framework planning would start from mid-2026 rather than September 2025.