New Framework Planning is part of a major overhaul of how NDIS plans are created and reviewed. The Australian Government is introducing a new planning framework to make the process:
- Fairer and more consistent across participants
- Easier to understand
- More focused on real support needs, not just diagnoses
- More transparent about how funding amounts are decided
You can read the official information here: New framework for NDIS planning – Department of Health and Aged Care
Where This Change Comes From
The changes are a response to the Independent Review of the NDIS, which found that many participants, families and carers experienced:
- Inconsistent decisions from one planner or plan to another
- Confusion about how budgets were worked out
- Planning that felt too focused on diagnosis instead of daily life and goals
Amendments to the NDIS Act passed in 2024 created the legal foundation for this new planning approach.
What New Framework Planning Will Look Like
The new framework restructures planning into clearer steps. Based on current information, it involves four key stages:
1. Preparing for a Support Needs Assessment
Before anything else, the NDIA will contact you to help you get ready. This may include:
- Explaining what the new assessment will involve
- Letting you know what information you might want to bring or think about
- Helping you understand how the process fits with your current plan
2. Support Needs Assessment
Instead of heavily relying on diagnosis reports alone, there will be a structured assessment focused on:
- Your daily life and routines
- How your disability affects what you can and cannot do
- Your goals, preferences and priorities
- The supports you already have and where the gaps are
This assessment is designed to capture real support needs in a consistent way, rather than being driven mainly by medical reports.
3. Building the Plan
The information from your support needs assessment will be used to:
- Determine your overall funding amount
- Shape which types of supports are included in your plan
- Provide a clear explanation of how your budget was calculated
The aim is that you can see the link between your assessed needs and the funding you receive, instead of the process feeling like a “black box.”
4. Using Your Plan
Once your new framework plan is approved, you will still be able to:
- Have a plan implementation discussion to go through how it works
- Choose and organise providers using your budget
- Use NDIS support categories to purchase reasonable and necessary supports
The day-to-day use of the plan will feel familiar, but the way it was built should be more transparent.
When These Changes Are Happening
The start of New Framework Planning has been delayed. The current intention is to begin rolling it out from mid 2026, and it will be introduced gradually, not all at once.
Until you move to the new framework, your current planning process, plan reviews and rights remain the same.
Key Things to Know Right Now
- The new framework is not yet in full operation.
- Detailed rules and procedures are still being developed and consulted on with the disability community.
- Participants will move to the new planning approach in stages over time, not on a single date.
What This Change Is Trying to Fix
People told the government that the current planning process can:
- Feel inconsistent and unfair
- Be confusing in how budgets are decided
- Require repeated evidence and reports
New Framework Planning is meant to:
- Focus more on practical, everyday support needs
- Make funding decisions more consistent
- Provide clearer explanations of how budgets are worked out
- Reduce unnecessary paperwork where possible
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