What The New Changes To NDIS Funding Mean For Families

As of May 19, 2025, new and reassessed NDIS plans are getting a major update, and if you're supporting a neurodivergent child or navigating the system yourself, you might want to take a closer look.

What Are Funding Periods?

The biggest change? Funding will no longer be available as one big annual lump sum. Instead, it will be released in smaller instalments throughout the plan, known as “funding periods.”

Under recent reforms to Section 33 of the NDIS Act, the NDIA is introducing funding periods, which break down your NDIS budget into set timeframes (usually quarterly) and control when you can access those funds.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Most supports (including therapies and services) will be released quarterly

• Home and living supports will be released monthly

• Assistive Technology and Home Modifications will be released in full upfront

• Unspent funds can roll over into the next period, but not into your next plan

• You can only claim what’s available in your current period — no exceptions

• Claims over the allocated period amount will be rejected

In short, even if you’re approved for 12 or 24 months of funding, you may only be able to access a small portion of that at a time.

Why New Changes To NDIS Funding Has People Concerned

The NDIA says this is about safeguarding participants and limiting overspending, but many across the community, from disabled people, carers, and support providers, to advocacy groups like us, are worried.

Here’s why:

• Support needs aren’t static. Disability is often dynamic, meaning symptoms and support requirements fluctuate. Having rigid limits each quarter doesn’t reflect real life.
  

• It limits flexibility and choice. You can’t “front-load” supports (e.g. doing intensive therapy early in a plan), even if that’s what works best for you.
  

• It creates more admin for everyone. Particularly for people who self-manage their plans. For neurodivergent people with executive functioning challenges, this adds another layer of tracking, budgeting, and portal navigation.
  

• It assumes predictability where there is none. Support needs due to chronic illness, mental health, trauma, autism, ADHD, physical disability, and more can shift month-to-month. Rigid periods ignore this reality.
  

And let’s not forget: only around 12% of disabled Australians are on the NDIS. Those who are in the scheme are already navigating a system filled with red tape, long waitlists, and delays in reviews or plan changes.

Real-World Impacts Of New Changes To NDIS Funding

The new changes to NDIS funding affect everyone on the NDIS — adults, children, people living independently, carers supporting family members, rural and remote participants, First Nations people, and CALD communities.

Some of the potential ripple effects include:

• Delays in accessing urgent support

• Disruption to existing therapy or education plans

• Increased stress and burnout for carers and participants

• Service providers struggling to realign service agreements

Where to From Here?

If you’re currently navigating or preparing for a new plan, here are some suggested* next steps:

• Raise your concerns at your planning meeting. If you know you need more upfront (e.g. for school term programs or home setup), advocate for this early.
  

• Check that your service agreements with support professionals match your funding periods. If you’re plan-managed or self-managed, this is extra important.
  

• Be aware of the portal view. Only you (the participant), your support coordinator, or your plan manager can currently see your funding period breakdown.

For self-managed participants, particularly those managing their own plans while living with cognitive, sensory, or physical challenges, this could mean another layer of complexity. This is an important consideration that deserves attention in future reform discussions.

The Bottom Line

People with disability deserve systems built with them, not around them. We understand the need to safeguard the integrity of the scheme, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of flexibility, autonomy, or dignity. We’ll be watching closely to see how these changes roll out, how they’re monitored, and what kind of feedback is truly taken on board. Let’s keep the conversation going — because real support means listening to the people it’s meant to help.

*The information shared in this blog is objective and for informative purposes only. You are encouraged to seek advice regarding your plan and circumstances.