<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Health Minister Mark Butler has announced a major </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ndis-announcement-mark-butler-national-press-club-speech/9eeadad4-6e3c-4e39-b003-b8f594127adb" rel="" target="_blank" title="overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)"><span>overhaul of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)</span></a><span> designed to save the government $35 billion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The changes will result in an estimated </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ndis-changes-who-does-it-impact-families-worried-about-being-reassessed/12bf5759-a583-43bf-bb88-5f4a33ec1606" rel="" target="_blank" title="160,000 recipients being cut"><span>160,000 recipients being cut</span></a><span> from the scheme, which currently costs more than $50 billion a year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Butler aims to cut the average annual plan spend by about $5000, down from $31,000 to around $26,000.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-april-23-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/a233896c-f0d2-4024-bd3c-3cce661a51ab" target="_blank"><strong><span>Iran seizes two ships, disables a third as ceasefire erodes</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also revealed plans for sweeping changes across NDIS eligibility, budget cuts and new requirements for providers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fraud and non-compliance, which has reportedly cost the scheme billions, will also be addressed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Here's what we know about the planned changes to the NDIS so far.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/ndis-changes-what-we-actually-know-about-overhaul-explainer/1d5ac093-7675-4197-9a3b-9950b890e3f0" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/police-officers-injured-separate-shooting-incidents-south-west-sydney/a3941bc5-3e15-498c-a8fd-c096900a9c2e" target="_blank"><strong><span>Police injured in night of chaos in Sydney's south-west</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What is the NDIS?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The NDIS was established to support people in Australia living with permanent and significant disability.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It provides funding that allows people with disability to access support services, assistive technology, home modifications and more.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The NDIS is government-funded and Butler said it was designed to support about 410,000 people.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Today, it supports more than 750,000 participants, and the overhaul is aimed at reducing that figure to 600,000 in the years ahead.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What are the planned changes to the NDIS in 2026?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Next month, Butler will introduce </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ndis-changes-announcement/22da4bdd-95d2-4ab8-a9f0-1ee26918dc90" rel="" target="_blank" title="new legislation to overhaul the NDIS"><span>new legislation to overhaul the NDIS</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Planned changes to the scheme include:</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><span>introducing new eligibility assessments</span></li><li><span>removing diagnosis lists to determine eligibility</span></li><li><span>reducing the frequency of plan reassessments</span></li><li><span>ending the roll-over of unspent funds each year</span></li><li><span>cutting budgets for the "social and community participation" category</span></li><li><span>expanding mandatory registration categories for providers</span></li><li><span>introducing a new digital payment system</span></li></ul></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> The changes won't start coming into effect until July, at the earliest.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government will introduce the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill after the 2026-27 Budget is handed down in May.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government has also indicated that more reforms will be introduced in the future.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/alleged-roofing-scam-warning-sydney-inner-west/9eb3590f-d64c-4e83-b213-9d27e44e7538" target="_blank"><strong><span>Warning over alleged roofing repair scammer in Sydney</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span></span><strong><span>Who will be eligible for the NDIS?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NDIS eligibility will be soon determined through functional assessment, not a diagnosis list.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A new eligibility assessment tool will be designed and introduced in January 2028.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It will be used to reassess existing participants and evaluate new applicants, and is expected to cut the number of participants by about 160,000.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Who is being removed from the NDIS?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Up to 160,000 people will be removed from the NDIS under the new eligibility rules in a bid to save billions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Participants with lower support needs or higher functional capacity will be removed from the scheme, Butler said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's likely that </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/measure-twice-cut-once-nervousness-grows-as-people-with-autism-face-ndis-exit/50b35621-d983-4e9d-9180-bf046563fa27" rel="" target="_blank" title="many of those cut will be people with autism"><span>many of those cut will be people with autism</span></a><span>, who already account for nearly half of all current NDIS participants.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-election-redistricting-gerrymandering-plan-backfires-virginia-congressional-race-referendum-results/efd3d84b-11a5-4cd7-b2f9-55d802facccd" target="_blank"><strong><span>Donald Trump's bid to secure power for his party just backfired big time</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/6gSoOy0QSwQfiSJCxPf-qzErTlk=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2025%2F08%2F714883%2Fpickerimage.jpg"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>How will the NDIS changes affect people with autism?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Eligibility changes are likely to have a significant impact on participants with autism.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many of those who have lower support needs and qualified for the NDIS through the diagnosis list will no longer be eligible.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That includes thousands of young children, many of whom will probably be moved to the government's new Thriving Kids program, which was announced last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In September, Butler proposed </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ndis-changes-children-with-mild-autism-what-does-this-mean-for-them-explainer/74639ec2-a4f5-4b6d-b92a-7d2e055a39d9" rel="" target="_blank" title='children with "mild to moderate" autism'><span>children with "mild to moderate" autism</span></a><span> or developmental delays be removed from the NDIS and diverted to the new program by July 2027.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He did not provide an exact definition of "mild to moderate" autism.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The $4 billion state-run program does not exist yet and Queensland has already refused to sign on, leaving a big question mark hanging over the futures of children with autism who are moved off the NDIS under the government's changes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Will the NDIS changes affect providers?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yes, though not all providers will be affected.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The proposed changes include a crackdown on unregistered providers by expanding the categories of mandatory registration.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Those categories will now include "higher risk activities" including personal care, daily living supports and supports provided in closed settings.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As a result, some – but not all – currently unregistered providers will need to get registered.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We don't need to monitor retail purchases from a chemist the same way we monitor close personal care of vulnerable people," Butler said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/prince-harry-meghan-markle-australia-tour-2026-small-business-ai-images-exclusive/2020a07d-7431-4770-a0b5-7d20c2bb4de8" target="_blank"><strong><span>The fun photos of Harry and Meghan that could land Aussie small businesses in hot water</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/rTzPHm2LY1q4GCpl2nJVFmG_-_8=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2026%2F04%2F768073%2Fpickerimage.jpg"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Will the NDIS changes affect support workers?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mandatory registration changes for providers will likely have a roll-on effect on support workers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Slashing average plan spend may also impact support workers, as individual NDIS participants may not be able to afford the same services from them.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Cuts to funding allocated to participants through the "social and community participation" category may also affect the services support workers can get paid for.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A 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