Fact sheet: What you need to know about the new NDIS rules

On 3 October 2024, the rules about the NDIS will start to change.

The people who work at the NDIS will help you understand the changes to your plan.

Even though the rules will change, the goal of the NDIS stays the same. The goal of the NDIS is to help people with disabilities pay for supports and services they need to live a good life.

This fact sheet is written by Women With Disabilities Australia. For the rest of this fact sheet, we use WWDA to stand for Women With Disabilities Australia.

We are sharing information about the new rules, because it is important that our community understands them. We wrote the fact sheet to help women, girls and gender-diverse people with disabilities learn the new rules about the NDIS. We will add to this fact sheet when the Governments tell us more about the new rules.

Do we agree with the changes?

At WWDA, we don’t agree with all the new rules, but the new rules are the law. You can learn why we don’t agree with all the new rules here and here.

We will keep talking to the Government about the new rules. We will tell them what changes work and what changes don’t work. WWDA has been working hard to make sure that the new rules work for the people in our community.

What is in this fact sheet?

This fact sheet talks about:

  • What the changes are
  • When the changes will happen
  • How to get help with the new rules
  • What to do if you lose a support you need

What are the changes?

The Government has made changes to the laws about the NDIS. Some of the changes were made because the NDIS Review recommended the changes.  However, the Government made other changes as well.

The new rules change:

  • What supports the NDIS will fund.
  • Some parts of NDIS plans, like how funding can be spent.

There are other changes too. When we have more information about the other changes, we will update this fact sheet.

Changes to NDIS supports

NDIS funding comes from your NDIS plan. NDIS funding pays for supports. Supports are things you need to help with your disability.   

The Government has made a new list of NDIS supports. It says:

  • What supports can be funded by the NDIS.
  • What supports can’t be funded by the NDIS.

After October 3, 2024, most people will only get NDIS funding for supports on the list.

These lists have been made quickly. They are temporary, which means they will not stay.  In the future, there will be different rules. Those rules will be made with people with disabilities. However, the new lists will be the rules for now.

The new lists tell you what the NDIS will pay for and what it won’t pay for.

The Government asked people with disabilities about the list. Groups like WWDA told the Government what should be on the list. The Government made some changes to the list but did not make all the changes WWDA said. We will keep talking to the Government about the supports people need.

The new list might make you feel good, because the information will be clear. You won’t have to wonder if a support will be paid for by the NDIS. You can check the list.

However, for many people, the new list will be hard. If a support you use is not on the list, you might need to pay for it yourself or stop using that support. In that case, the new list might make you worried or upset. We know that many people in our community use supports that are not on the list.

The Government says some people might be able to get funding for supports that are not on the new list. They will talk more about what this will look like soon. When they give more information, we will add it to this fact sheet.

If you are worried about the changes, talk to the NDIS, an advocate or a supporter. Ask whether the supports you need are on the new list. Explain why you need the supports you use. Ask for advice about what you can do. At the NDIS, you could talk to your Local Area Coordinator, call the NDIS on the phone, or chat with the NDIS on the website.

Some people are worried that if they make a mistake with the new changes, the NDIS will make them pay back money that has been spent on supports. The NDIS has said that they will support people to understand the new rules.

Changes to NDIS plans

When the new rules start, some things about NDIS plans will change, like how they talk about money.

How long NDIS plans last

Under the new rules, all new NDIS plans will be 12 months long. This change is temporary, which means it will not stay. In the future, some NDIS plans will be longer than 12 months. The Government will talk more about this later. When they give more information, we will add it to this fact sheet.

How NDIS plans talk about money

Under the new rules, all new NDIS plans will have a total budget. This change will stay.

At the moment, NDIS plans show how much NDIS funding someone has for each kind of support they can use. The NDIS Review said that people should be able to choose how much they want to spend on their different supports, as long as they don’t spend more than the total amount of money in their plan.

Under the new rules, new NDIS plans will show the whole amount for the whole NDIS plan. This will be the total budget for the NDIS plan.

You have to stick to the budget. You can’t spend more money than it says in your plan. When you get a new plan, your budget starts again. The NDIS says it will help people to make sure that their funding lasts for their whole plan.  

If you feel worried about these changes, talk to the NDIS, an advocate or a supporter. Ask if you will have enough money in your budget for the supports you need. Explain why you need the supports you use. Ask for advice about what you can do.

We will keep telling the NDIS about what is working and what is not working for the people in our community.

When will the changes happen?

Some of the changes start on October 3, 2024. These include the changes to:

  • NDIS supports
  • NDIS plans.

Other changes will happen later. When the government gives more information, we will add it to this fact sheet.

How to get help with the new rules

The NDIS will tell you about:

  • Changes to your NDIS supports.
  • Changes to your NDIS plan.

While you get used to the changes, you can check with the NDIS or your supporters before you spend money. You can ask:

  • Is this support on the new list?
  • Do I have enough money in my budget to pay for this support?

Keep a record of your talk. You could:

  • Ask if you can record the talk.
  • Send your questions by email and ask them to reply by email, too.
  • Ask the NDIS for a number from your talk, like a receipt.
  • Think of another way to get a record.

If there is a problem, you can show that you tried to follow the new rules.

What to do if you lose a support you need

Some people in our community are worried that they will lose access to a support they need because of the new rules.

If you lose access to a support you need you could:

Talk to someone at the NDIS.  This could be your Local Area Coordinator. Explain why you need the support. Remind them that the Government has said that some people can have access to supports that are not on the new list.

You can learn more about standing up for yourself on the Neve website, which was created by WWDA. Learn more here.

Find someone who can stand up for you. You could ask a supporter for help. You could find an advocate through the Disability Advocacy Network Australia, here.

You could look for a service in the National Disability Advocacy Program, here.

Join WWDA or another organisation that protects disability rights. WWDA cannot help you change your NDIS plan. Instead, we talk to the Government about the needs and experiences of women, girls and gender-diverse people with disabilities. We tell the Government what people in our community need and want. You can learn more about WWDA here.

How to find out more from the NDIS

You can learn more about these changes on the NDIS website, here.

You can get their newsletter, here.

You can also sign up to share what you think about these changes. You can find out how to do this on their website, here.

You can contact the NDIS to ask for help. You can visit their website or you can call them on this number: 1800 800 110. You can also talk to them online using the webchat feature at the top of the website.

If you speak a language other than English, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450.

If you have a speech or hearing impairment, you can call:

TTY: 1800 555 677

Speak and Listen: 1800 555 727

National Relay Service: 133 677

Website – www.accesshub.gov.au/about-the-nrs