If you have heard that the NDIS is changing and felt a flicker of worry, you are not alone. It is one of the most common things participants and families raise with us at the moment. The short version is reassuring: yes, the way NDIS plans are built is being redesigned, but the changes are being rolled out gradually, and most people will not see anything different overnight.
At Solve Care, we support people across Wollongong, the Illawarra and the South Coast, including Nowra and the Shoalhaven. This update explains what is actually changing, when, and the practical steps you can take now to feel ready, in plain English and without the jargon.
What is the “new way of planning”?
The NDIS is introducing a redesigned approach to how plans and budgets are created. It is often called new framework planning, or simply the new way of planning. It is one of the biggest changes to how the scheme works since it began.
The headline difference is how your budget is worked out. Today, funding is built up support by support across the Core, Capacity Building and Capital categories. Under the new approach, your plan budget will be informed by a support needs assessment: a structured conversation about your life and the support you need, which is then used to help shape your funding.
When is this happening?
This is the part worth holding onto. After listening to feedback from people with disability, families, carers, advocates and providers, the NDIS delayed the start of new framework planning to 1 April 2027. That extra time is there to test the process and share clearer information before anything changes for you.
It is also being introduced in stages, not all at once. Participants aged 16 and over are expected to move across first, with younger participants following later (no earlier than mid-2027). In practice, most people will not notice an immediate change, and you will be contacted before it affects your plan. Dates set by government can move, so it is always worth checking the current timing on the NDIS website rather than assuming.
What is a support needs assessment?
This is the new step at the centre of the changes, so it is worth understanding clearly. A support needs assessment is a structured conversation that looks at three things:
- Your functional capacity, meaning what daily tasks and activities you need support with.
- Your life stage, because support needs look different at different points in life.
- Your environment, including your home, your community and the informal support already around you.
One important point that eases a lot of worry: the assessment is used to help build your plan budget, not to decide whether you can stay on the NDIS. It is about shaping the right level of funding, not testing your eligibility.
How the conversation usually works
From what the NDIS has shared so far, the process runs roughly like this. The NDIA contacts you with information to help you prepare. You then meet an assessor to talk through your daily life, your support needs and your preferences. The assessor writes up a report, and that report helps inform your plan budget. You are not expected to know all the right words or have everything documented perfectly. It is a conversation about your life.
How to prepare, and feel ready instead of anxious
You do not need to do anything urgently today. But a little preparation makes these conversations far less stressful, and the participants who feel calmest are usually the ones who have thought through their support needs in advance. A few simple things help:
- Keep a simple picture of your typical day. Where do you need a hand, how often, and what happens on the harder days as well as the good ones?
- Hold on to relevant reports and letters. Letters from your GP, specialists, allied health professionals or nurses help show your support needs accurately.
- Think about your goals. What does living well look like for you over the next year or two, and what support would help you get there?
- Do not undersell the difficult days. Many people describe themselves at their best. An accurate picture, including the days that are hard, helps you get the right level of support.
If that feels like a lot to organise on your own, it is exactly the kind of thing a good provider can help you think through, well before any meeting is on the calendar.
Where Solve Care fits in
Change is easier with someone knowledgeable beside you. Solve Care is a female-owned, NDIS-registered provider, and our team is medically trained and deeply local to the Illawarra and South Coast. That combination matters with changes like these: we understand both the clinical side of your support needs and how the NDIS actually works on the ground here.
We can help you make sense of what the changes mean for your situation, get your evidence and your day-to-day support needs in order, and connect you with the right services so your plan turns into real help at home. If your needs are complex, that is an area we are genuinely built for, with a clinical lead and medically-trained managers. You can explore our disability support services, including support coordination, community nursing and Supported Independent Living.
For Support Coordinators and referrers
If you are a Support Coordinator, Local Area Coordinator or hospital discharge planner, your participants are likely asking you what these changes mean for them. We would love to take some of that weight off you. Solve Care combines medically-trained, expert support with genuinely responsive communication, so you are never left chasing an update. Referring is simple: send the participant’s details and plan goals, we arrange a free, no-pressure consultation to confirm we are the right fit, and you receive clear, regular progress updates. You can start a referral any time through our referral page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to do anything right now?
No. The new way of planning is being rolled out gradually from 2027, and you will be contacted before it affects your plan. The most useful thing you can do now is keep a clear picture of your support needs and your supporting documents. We are happy to help you get organised.
Will the changes affect whether I stay on the NDIS?
The support needs assessment is used to help build your plan budget, not to decide your eligibility for the NDIS. It is about getting the right level of funding for your needs.
When exactly will this start?
New framework planning is currently set to begin from 1 April 2027, after being delayed to allow more time for testing and information. It will be introduced in stages. Because government timing can change, it is worth checking the current date on the NDIS website.
Can Solve Care help me get ready for a support needs assessment?
Yes. We can help you think through your daily support needs, gather the right evidence, and make sure your supports reflect your real situation. Get in touch and a real person from our local team will talk it through with you.
Talk to a local team who will actually pick up the phone
Changes to the NDIS can feel unsettling, but you do not have to work them out alone. If you would like a hand understanding what the new way of planning means for you, or help getting ready, we are here, with no pressure and no jargon. Reach out through our contact page or call us on (02) 8358 7682, and a real person from our local team will talk it through with you.
Solve Care — NDIS Registered Provider. Wollongong · Illawarra · South Coast.