The NDIS is changing, with new reforms being introduced progressively from 2026 onwards.
If your child or family member is an NDIS participant on the Gold Coast, you may be wondering what these changes mean for their current NDIS plan, physiotherapy and other supports.
The most important thing to know right now is:
You can continue using your current NDIS plan and supports as usual unless the NDIA tells you that a change applies to your plan.
Many of the NDIS changes will be introduced gradually as plans are reassessed or renewed over the coming years.
Here are some of the key changes families should know about.
What is changing with the NDIS in 2026?
The NDIS reforms include changes to:
- NDIS plan reassessments and renewals
- Capacity Building and community participation funding
- reasonable and necessary support decisions
- claiming timeframes
- the way future NDIS plans are developed
- NDIS access and functional capacity assessments.
Not all of these changes will happen at once.
Changes to NDIS plan reassessments
The rules around requesting an unscheduled plan reassessment are becoming tighter.
Only the participant, their plan nominee or guardian can request an unscheduled reassessment.
Generally, there will need to have been a significant and ongoing change in the participant’s functional capacity and support needs, or an unanticipated significant and ongoing change in areas such as living arrangements, education, employment or informal supports.
What does this mean for families?
If your child’s needs have significantly changed, having clear and current evidence may be increasingly important.
Depending on your child’s needs, physiotherapy reports may provide evidence about changes in areas such as:
- Mobility and walking
- Transfers and physical assistance
- Balance and falls
- Gross motor development
- Strength and endurance
- Fatigue
- Equipment and assistive technology needs
- Participation at home, school and in the community.
While your physiotherapist cannot request an unscheduled reassessment on your behalf, they can provide relevant clinical evidence about your child’s function and support needs.
Capacity Building funding changes from October 2026
From 1 October 2026, the Government will begin progressively resetting funding for some NDIS supports.
The Government has announced:
- A 10% reduction to Capacity Building Daily Activities, referred to as Improved Daily Living Skills.
- A 50% reduction to Social, Civic and Community Participation budget allocations.
Importantly, this does not mean every NDIS participant will have their funding reduced on 1 October 2026.
The changes will be introduced progressively as new plans are approved or plans are reassessed, and then through the plan renewal process from February 2027.
The Government has also stated that critical supports will be protected from these reductions.
What could this mean for physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy and other allied health supports may be funded through Capacity Building budgets for some participants.
However, the announced 10% reduction should not be interpreted as every participant automatically receiving 10% less physiotherapy funding.
How the changes affect an individual participant will depend on their plan, funded supports and circumstances.
For now, families should continue using their existing NDIS plan and therapy supports as usual unless advised otherwise by the NDIA.
New 90-day NDIS claiming timeframe
From December 2026, NDIS claims will generally need to be submitted within 90 days of a support being delivered.
This is particularly relevant for providers, plan managers and self-managed participants.
For families who self-manage their NDIS funding, it will become even more important to submit claims and keep records promptly rather than allowing invoices to accumulate for long periods.
NDIS plan renewals change from February 2027
From 1 February 2027, changes to NDIS plan rollovers will begin.
When a plan reaches its scheduled reassessment date, the plan may either be reassessed or a renewed plan may be created.
One important change is that:
Unspent funding from the previous plan will no longer carry over into the renewed plan.
This means families may want to keep a closer eye on plan dates and discuss upcoming therapy, assessments, equipment needs and reports with their treating team ahead of the plan end date.
Changes to reasonable and necessary supports
From February 2027, new criteria will also begin to apply when the NDIA determines which supports are considered reasonable and necessary.
For children, there will be clearer guidance around what support a parent would ordinarily be expected to provide.
This may include areas such as:
- Supervision
- Personal care
- Transport
- Emotional support
- Behavioural support.
Importantly, this does not include the additional support a child requires because of their disability compared with another child of a similar age without disability.
What does this mean for paediatric NDIS reports?
For children, it may become increasingly important for reports to clearly explain what additional support is required because of the child’s disability.
For example, all young children require some supervision. However, a child with disability may require significantly greater supervision, physical assistance, equipment or support than another child of the same age.
Clearly explaining this difference can help demonstrate the functional impact of a child’s disability and their disability-related support needs.
A new way of creating NDIS plans from April 2027
From 1 April 2027, participants will gradually begin transitioning to a new way of creating NDIS plans, known as new framework planning.
The new planning process is expected to consider factors such as a person’s:
- Functional capacity
- Disability support needs
- Life stage
- Individual circumstances and environment.
The transition will happen gradually over several years.
Participants will continue using their existing plan until they transition to the new planning process and should be informed before the change applies to them.
NDIS access changes from 2028
Further changes to NDIS eligibility and access are planned from January 2028.
For new applicants, eligibility will move towards a standardised, evidence-based assessment of functional capacity.
Changes for existing participants are expected to occur progressively rather than everyone being reassessed at once.
What about Thriving Kids?
Families of younger children may also have heard about Thriving Kids.
Thriving Kids is being developed to provide additional supports outside the NDIS for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low-to-moderate support needs.
Changes will be introduced progressively.
Children with permanent and significant disability, as well as children with developmental delay and/or autism who have substantially reduced functional capacity and high support needs, are intended to remain eligible for the NDIS where they meet the relevant eligibility requirements.
There is still further detail to come about how these changes will work in practice.
If your child currently has an NDIS plan, there is no need to stop or change their current therapy because of Thriving Kids at this stage.
What should NDIS families do now?
For most families, there is no need to make immediate changes to your child’s physiotherapy or other supports because of the reforms.
For now:
- Continue using your current NDIS plan.
- Know when your plan is due for reassessment or renewal.
- Keep relevant reports and supporting documentation.
- Let your treating team know if there has been a significant change in function or support needs.
- Plan ahead if your child may require an assessment, report or assistive technology recommendation.
- Ask questions if you receive a new plan and are unsure how your therapy funding has changed.
Most importantly, try not to panic when you see headlines about NDIS changes. The reforms are being introduced progressively and how they affect each participant will depend on their individual circumstances.
NDIS Physiotherapy on the Gold Coast
At Ohana Physiotherapy in Robina, we provide paediatric and disability physiotherapy for babies, children, adolescents and adults across the Gold Coast.
Depending on individual needs, our physiotherapists can support areas including:
- Gross motor development
- Mobility and walking
- Transfers
- Strength, balance and coordination
- Falls and mobility
- Hydrotherapy
- Assistive technology and equipment
- Orthotic recommendations
- Functional physiotherapy assessments
- NDIS physiotherapy reports
- Evidence following a change in functional needs
- Physiotherapy at home, school and in the community.
If you have an upcoming NDIS plan reassessment or your child’s needs have changed, our team can help you understand what physiotherapy assessment or supporting evidence may be appropriate.
Contact Ohana Physiotherapy in Robina to discuss NDIS physiotherapy support on the Gold Coast.
Information current as at September 2026. NDIS reforms are being introduced progressively and implementation details may change. This article provides general information only and does not provide individual NDIS, legal or financial advice. Families should refer to the NDIA for information specific to their NDIS plan.