Understanding the Latest NDIS Changes: What Participants, Families and Support Coordinators Need to Know
- Krystal Smith
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is undergoing significant updates that will shape how participants, families, and support coordinators plan and access supports. Recent changes include new pricing arrangements, shifts in therapy funding, updates to the official Supports List, and a redesigned planning framework due to roll out in mid-2026. Staying informed about these changes is essential for making the best use of your NDIS plan, maintaining budget stability, and ensuring your supports continue to meet your needs.
In this post, we break down the key updates, what they mean for you, and the practical steps you can take to stay ahead and well-prepared.
Updated Pricing Arrangements and What They Mean
The NDIS has revised its pricing arrangements to better reflect the cost of delivering supports. This update aims to improve access to quality services while maintaining financial sustainability.
New Price Limits: The NDIS introduced new price limits for many supports, including therapy, personal care, and community participation. These limits set the maximum amount providers can charge.
Impact on Budgets: For participants, this means some supports may cost more or less than before. It’s important to review your current plan budget and discuss with your support coordinator how these changes affect your funding.
Provider Choice: The pricing update encourages providers to offer competitive rates, which could increase options for participants seeking services.
Example: If your therapy provider’s hourly rate was previously $120 and the new price limit is $110, your plan budget might not cover the full cost if the provider does not adjust their fees. You may need to negotiate or find alternative providers within the new pricing framework.
Therapy Funding Adjustments
Therapy supports are a key part of many NDIS plans. The latest changes include adjustments to how therapy funding is allocated and managed.
More Flexible Use: Therapy funding can now be used more flexibly across different therapy types, allowing participants to tailor supports to their needs.
Focus on Outcomes: The NDIS is placing greater emphasis on measurable outcomes from therapy, encouraging providers to work with participants on clear goals.
Budget Considerations: Therapy budgets may be adjusted to reflect the new pricing and funding rules, so it’s important to monitor your plan and discuss any concerns with your planner or support coordinator.
Practical Tip: Keep detailed records of therapy sessions and progress reports. This information helps when reviewing your plan or requesting plan reviews to ensure therapy funding matches your needs.
Therapy rooms are adapting to new NDIS funding rules to better support participant goals.
Changes to the Supports List
The NDIS Supports List, which outlines the types of supports participants can access, has been updated to reflect current needs and priorities.
New Supports Added: Some new supports have been introduced, including more options for assistive technology and community engagement.
Supports Removed or Modified: Certain supports have been removed or changed to better align with participant outcomes and scheme sustainability.
Clarification on Support Categories: The list now provides clearer definitions and examples of supports, helping participants and coordinators understand what is available.
How This Affects You: Review your current supports against the updated list. Some supports you use may now fall under different categories or have new guidelines for access.
The Upcoming Planning Framework Starting Mid-2026
One of the most significant changes is the introduction of a new planning framework set to begin in mid-2026. This framework will change how plans are developed, reviewed, and managed.
Participant-Centered Planning: The new framework focuses more on participant goals and aspirations, with plans designed around what matters most to each individual.
Simplified Processes: Planning and review processes will be streamlined to reduce paperwork and make it easier to update plans as needs change.
Greater Use of Technology: Digital tools will play a bigger role in planning, allowing participants and coordinators to access and manage plans online.
Budget Flexibility: Plans may offer more flexibility in how budgets are used, supporting a wider range of supports and services.
Preparing for the Change: Start thinking about your long-term goals and how your supports help you achieve them. Keep records of your progress and any challenges you face. This will help when transitioning to the new planning framework.
Digital tools will enhance how participants and coordinators manage NDIS plans under the new framework.
Practical Steps to Stay Prepared
To make the most of these changes, participants, families, and support coordinators can take several practical steps:
Review Your Current Plan: Check how your supports and budgets align with the new pricing and Supports List.
Communicate with Providers: Discuss pricing changes with your service providers to understand how they affect your supports.
Work Closely with Support Coordinators: They can help navigate changes, negotiate with providers, and plan for the new framework.
Keep Records: Maintain detailed notes on supports used, progress made, and any issues encountered.
Stay Informed: Follow official NDIS updates and attend information sessions or workshops.
Plan for Mid-2026: Begin gathering information and thinking about your goals to prepare for the new planning framework.
What This Means for Participants and Families
NDIS Price Changes – November 2025 Update
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) 2025–26 were updated in late 2025, with changes effective 24 November Below is a breakdown of key support categories – Therapy supports, Personal Care, Community Participation, and Psychosocial Recovery Coaching – highlighting the exact support item codes, previous price limits, and new price limits introduced in the November update. All pricing is per hour and reflects the national (standard) rate, unless otherwise noted.
Therapy Supports (Allied Health & Creative Therapies)
Therapy services saw targeted adjustments in November 2025. Notably, price caps for Art Therapy and Music Therapy were reduced significantly, aligning these creative therapies with counselling. Meanwhile, standard allied health therapy rates for professions like Occupational Therapy and Psychology remained unchanged in this update (having been set earlier on 1 July 2025). Providers are also now required to claim under the specific therapist’s line item (e.g. using the Psychologist item for psychology services rather than a generic code).
Table: Therapy Support Items – Price Limit Changes (Nov 2025)
Support Item (Line Number) | Previous Price Limit (pre-Nov 2025) | New Price Limit (from 24 Nov 2025) |
Art Therapist (15_610_0128_1_3) – Assessment/ Therapy session | $193.99 per | $156.16 per |
Music Therapist (15_615_0128_1_3) – Assessment/ Therapy session | $193.99 per | $156.16 per |
These reductions were recommended by an independent review of art and music therapy, bringing their price limits in line with counselling . For example, providers must now claim art therapy under the dedicated Art Therapist item at $156.16/hr instead of the old $193.99/hr . The Music Therapist item likewise dropped from $193.99 to $156.16 per hour, matching the Art Therapist .
Other allied health therapy rates did not change in the November update. For instance, Occupational Therapy (item 15_617_0128_1_3) remained capped at $193.99/hr, and Psychology (item 15_054_0128_1_3) stayed at $232.99/hr – the higher nationally-consistent rate set in July Similarly, Physiotherapy continued at $183.99/hr, and professions like Speech Pathology, Podiatry, Dietetics, etc., saw no mid-year price . The generic “Other Professional” line item (15_056_0128_1_3) also remained $193.99/hr; however, per the updated guidance, this code should not be used for supports where a specific professional item exists (e.g. psychology, art or music therapy).
Personal Care (Daily Living Support)
Personal care support items (assistance with daily self-care activities) had no price limit changes in the November 2025 update. All rates set on 1 July 2025 remained in . For example, the standard weekday daytime rate for Assistance with Self-Care Activities – Standard (01_011_0107_1_1) is still $70.23 per hour (national), with higher rates for evenings, nights, weekends, and public holidays as previously established. High-intensity personal care supports similarly saw no pricing adjustment in November. In summary, the price limits for one-to-one support by disability support workers (for daily activities/personal care) are unchanged – providers should continue to refer to the 1 July 2025 price schedule for these services.
(Note: The only changes affecting this category were the removal of COVID-19 related addendum items, such as temporary billing for personal protective equipment, as the pandemic measures have been . This did not alter the base hourly rates for personal care supports.)
Social & Community Participation Supports
Likewise, Social and Community Participation supports did not receive any new price adjustments in the November update. This includes both core supports for community access (e.g. a support worker assisting a participant to engage in social or recreational activities) and relevant capacity-building programs. The hourly price limits for assistance with community participation mirror the personal care rates and remained the same. For example, the line item 04_104_0125_6_1 – “Access Community Social and Rec Activities – Standard, Weekday Daytime” – continues to have a $70.23/hr price cap (standard rate) with customary loadings for after-hours and regional/remote as before.
The November 2025 updates for this category were administrative: the NDIA updated certain support item descriptions (e.g. clarifying definitions of “Community Social and Recreational Activities”, “Innovative Community Participation”, etc.) to align with the official NDIS Support. However, no changes were made to the dollar price limits for community participation supports. Providers should continue to charge at or below the existing limits (e.g. $70.23/hr for standard support, higher for weekends/public holidays) as per the July 2025 price guide.
Psychosocial Recovery Coaching
Psychosocial Recovery Coaching support items also saw no price change in the November 2025 update – their rates remained the same as earlier in 2025. Recovery coaches are funded under capacity-building supports (registration group 0106) with different price limits based on time of day/week. These rates were unchanged on 24 November. For completeness, below are the ongoing price limits for psychosocial recovery coach supports (item codes 07_101_0106_6_3 to 07_106_0106_6_3), which remained constant:
Table: Psychosocial Recovery Coach price limits (no changes in Nov 2025)
As shown above, weekday daytime remains $105.43/hr, scaling up to $234.23/hr on public These figures are identical to the pre-November levels, indicating no increase or reduction was applied mid-year. Providers of recovery coaching should note that only MMM (Modified Monash Model) reclassifications were updated in November (affecting which locations qualify for remote loadings on travel claims), but the core service price limits for coaching did not change.
Thank You for Reading
We appreciate your engagement and interest in the evolving landscape of the NDIS. As we navigate these changes together, it's essential to stay informed and connected as a community of participants and providers.
Staying Informed Together
By working collaboratively, we can ensure that person-centered supports remain at the forefront of our efforts. Let's continue to share knowledge, resources, and support one another as we adapt to the changes ahead.
Thank you once again for your commitment to this important journey!
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