We’re making changes to the NDIS to improve the quality and integrity of plan management services and be more responsive to participant needs.
What are the changes
We’re changing how plan management services are priced and designed for participants.
We’ll establish a trusted panel of plan managers from 1 October 2027. Participants will need to use a plan manager from the panel. Affected participants will be supported to transition to a provider on the panel over 6 months.
Plan managers on the panel will continue to play an important role in supporting participants to manage their NDIS budgets.
Why we’re making the changes
We’re making the changes to:
- make it easier for participants to pay providers and manage their NDIS funding
- strengthen how we detect and address fraud and participant safety concerns
- make sure providers are only paid for services delivered to participants.
How we’ll make the changes
This timeline explains when the changes will happen:
2026
- We’ll explain the expected changes to plan management, including how the changes may affect participants, plan management businesses and other providers.
- We’ll ask plan managers for feedback through a request for information (RFI), which will be published on the NDIS Engage website. The RFI will seek feedback on the design and implementation of the plan management panel. We’ll use this feedback to help inform the approach to market and support plan managers and participants through the change.
2027
From April
- We’ll publish an approach to market for the plan management panel on the AusTender website. If plan managers want to join the panel, they must apply through this process.
- The approach to market will include the requirements plan managers must meet to be selected for the panel.
From June
- The approach to market closes. We’ll assess applications and tell providers whether they are on the panel or not.
From October
- We’ll launch the plan management panel. There’ll be a 6-month transition period. During the transition period, we’ll support affected participants to move to a plan manager on the panel if their current plan manager isn’t on the panel.
2028
From April
- The transition period ends. The new plan management panel is in place.
- Participants must now use a plan manager from the panel.
- Plan managers who aren’t part of the plan management panel can no longer deliver plan management services to participants.