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Just a short edition today, but an important issue. This piece by Georgia van Toon and Helen Dickinson examines the new assessment process for NDIS supports. It promises a simpler pathway, focusing on “disability support needs, rather than functional impairments”.

It also significantly slashes the bureaucratic requirements previously needed to keep plans going, and this would obviously seem to be a good thing. But it also reduces transparency. Why?

The key point is the system is changing. Significantly. The unanswered question is why?

We’re continuing to revamp our technical platform so we can bring you the answer and keep you up to date on what’s happening to the NDIS.

Best, Nic Stuart, [email protected]

Here’s what you need to know . . .

The government has announced a new tool to assess the needs of people with disability for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Instead of having to gather and submit medical reports, new applicants and existing participants being reassessed will have an interview with a National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) assessor.

The government says the new process will make support planning simpler, fairer, and more accessible.

But last week’s announcement has left important questions unanswered. Most notably, how will the outcome of these assessments determine the level of support someone gets? And what evidence will be used in place of doctors’ reports?

With minimal consultation so far and little transparency, confidence in the new system is already low.

What’s changing? The independent NDIS review reported to the federal government in December 2023 and recommended a raft of reforms. It found current processes for assessing people for the NDIS supports are unfair and inefficient. Gathering evidence from treating doctors and allied health professionals can be time-consuming, due to long wait times for appointments. Appointments can also be expensive.

As a result, those with the ability and means to collect or purchase additional information are favoured in this process. It also means the scheme often focuses on medical diagnosis and not on the functional impairments that arise from these diagnoses.

From mid-2026, participants aged over 16 will have their needs assessed by an NDIA assessor. This shifts the role of gathering and interpreting information to the agency.

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