(And what you can do now to prepare for your next plan.)

If your NDIS plan includes funding to get out into the community, you may have heard that some of that funding is changing. From 1 October 2026, the NDIS began resetting budgets for two types of supports. The changes are significant, but they don’t happen to everyone on the same day, and they don’t touch every part of your plan.

This guide explains, in plain language, what is changing, which supports are protected, when the change is likely to reach your plan, and practical steps you can take now.

What is changing from 1 October 2026?

New NDIS laws passed in August 2026 allow the Australian Government to reset funding for certain types of supports using a legal instrument called a support determination. The first one started on 1 October 2026. It reduces the amount available in participants’ plans for:

– Social, economic and community participation supports by 50%. You may know this as “social, civic and community participation” or community access. It is the funding often used for support to attend activities, outings, group programs and community events.
– Improved daily living skills supports by 10%. This was previously called “capacity building daily activities”.

According to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the community participation change is designed to bring average spending back to 2023 levels.

It is important to know that this is a reduction to the affected funding in those categories only. It is not a 50% cut to your whole NDIS plan.

When will the change affect my plan?

Your plan will not change overnight. You can keep using your current plan and supports as normal until your plan is next created, reassessed or renewed.

– From 1 October 2026: the change applies to new plans and plan reassessments.
– From 1 February 2027: it also applies when plans are renewed under the new plan renewal process.
– By 30 September 2027: participants who receive this funding and haven’t had a new or reassessed plan since 1 October 2026 will have their plan renewed. If your scheduled reassessment date is later than this, it will be brought forward.

The NDIA has said it will contact participants two to three months before a scheduled reassessment and 60 days before a plan renewal. Your new plan should show how much your funding in these categories has been reduced.

Which supports are protected?

The rest of your plan

The reset only applies to the two categories above. Other parts of your plan are not affected, including supports at home (such as personal care, community nursing care, help with medication and cleaning), home and vehicle modifications, personal mobility equipment and transport, continence and menstrual consumables, and Specialist Disability Accommodation.

Some supports within the affected categories

Certain types of support inside these categories are considered essential to health, safety and wellbeing, so they are excluded from the reduction:

– supports in employment
– disability-related health supports
– high intensity supports
– intensive and complex behaviour supports
– customised and wearable technology
– hearing services.

The NDIA will check whether your plan includes these supports when it applies the change. You don’t need to provide any extra information, and reassessed or renewed plans should clearly identify the funding that is not affected.

An extra safeguard for people with 24-hour support needs

A new plan variation pathway is available for participants with high support needs. You may be eligible if your combined budget for Assistance with Daily Life, Home and Living, and Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation was $215,030 or more before the reset, and you receive 24-hour funded NDIS supports.

Eligible participants (or their nominee) can apply within 90 days of the reset being applied to their plan. Someone else, such as a support worker or advocate, can help a participant who doesn’t have a nominee. If approved, any extra funding goes towards daily living and home and living supports, not back into community participation.

What this means for participants and families

The real impact will depend on how you currently use your funding. The Department gives the example of a participant with $50,000 a year for community participation who only uses $30,000. After the reset they would have $25,000, so their actual spending drops by $5,000. For people who use their full community participation budget, the impact will be larger and may mean fewer hours of support in the community.

Can I ask for a review?

You cannot request a review of the funding reset itself. However, you can still ask for a plan reassessment or variation at any time if you have a significant and ongoing change in your support needs, functional capacity or circumstances. This could include a change in living arrangements, education or employment, or the informal support you get from family and carers.

The reduction on its own is not treated as a significant change in circumstances. Also note that since August 2026, only participants, plan nominees or child representatives can request an unscheduled reassessment. Providers can no longer ask on your behalf.

Practical tips to prepare for your next plan

1. Check your plan dates. Log in to the my NDIS portal or app and note your scheduled reassessment date, so the change doesn’t catch you off guard.

2. Look at how you actually use your community participation funding. Ask your plan manager or providers for a summary of what has been spent over recent months. Knowing your real usage makes it easier to plan.

3. Decide what matters most. Think about which activities connect most closely to your goals, wellbeing and independence, and which could be combined or scheduled differently.

4. Talk to your providers early. A good provider will work with you on a realistic schedule within your new budget and the NDIS Pricing Arrangements.

5. Consider group activities where they suit you. Group-based supports are usually charged at a shared rate, so the same budget can often stretch further. It should always remain your choice.

6. Keep good records. Notes about your support needs, changes in your informal supports and how supports help you day to day are useful if your circumstances change. Under the new laws, participants and nominees also need to keep records of their NDIS supports and payments.

7. Use official sources and ask for help. Your support coordinator or Local Area Coordinator can help you understand your plan. Be cautious of social media posts that make claims without linking to official information.

Looking ahead: new framework planning

The new way of NDIS planning, called new framework planning, has been delayed and is now expected to start gradually from 1 April 2027. The Department has said the funding reset will not apply to new framework plans. More information about how participants will move to new framework plans is expected before it begins.

How Briighter Care can help

Briighter Care is an NDIS registered provider supporting participants across Sydney’s south-west and west, including Oran Park, Narellan, Gregory Hills, Liverpool and Penrith. We provide community support and companionship, group activities, personal care, community nursing care and support for participants with complex behaviour support needs, including implementing Positive Behaviour Support Plans.

If your plan is changing, we can:

– sit down with you and your family to review the community supports you currently receive with us
– work with you on a support schedule that fits your new budget, including our monthly group days and school holiday program where they suit you
– provide clear progress notes and reports that reflect your support needs, to help you prepare for plan meetings
– keep your supports as consistent as possible, because familiar faces matter.

We can’t predict the outcome of your plan or make decisions on the NDIA’s behalf, but we can help you feel informed and prepared.

The bottom line

The community participation funding changes are real and, for some families, significant. But they apply gradually, they only affect specific categories, and important supports are protected. Knowing your plan dates, understanding how you use your funding and talking with your providers early will put you in the best position.

Have questions about what the changes could mean for your supports? Contact the Briighter Care team or make a referral.

Useful resources

– Funding changes for NDIS supports (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing)
– Safeguards for high support needs participants (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing)
– What is a plan reassessment? (NDIS)
– Latest NDIS news (NDIS)

Information current as at 19 October 2026. This article provides general information only and is not legal or financial advice. Please refer to the NDIA or your support coordinator for advice about your individual plan.