What are New Framework Plans? A plain English guide for NDIS participants and families

New Framework Plans will change the way NDIS plans are developed and participant budgets are set.

They are due to begin from 1 April 2027, with participants moving across gradually rather than all at once. While the broad direction has been announced, much of the detail is still being worked through.

Understandably, people have questions. How will the new plans work? Will funding change? What is a Support Needs Assessment? And is this connected to the new NDIS eligibility rules?

Here is what we know so far.

What is a New Framework Plan?

A New Framework Plan is a new type of NDIS plan.

Most participants currently have what the NDIS legislation calls an old framework plan. These plans generally divide funding into different support categories, with budgets allocated across areas such as Core Supports and Capacity Building Supports.

Under the new approach, a participant’s budget will be informed by a new assessment process known as a Support Needs Assessment.

The assessment will consider the person’s functional capacity, life stage, circumstances and environment. Its purpose will be to build a picture of the disability-related support the person needs and use that information to help set the plan budget.

The stated aim is to make NDIS plans fairer and more consistent, particularly for people with similar needs and circumstances.

Why are New Framework Plans being introduced?

The Government believes the current NDIS planning process produces too much variation.

At present, participants with similar support needs can receive different funding outcomes. Planning decisions may be influenced by the evidence available, how support needs are described and the judgement applied during the planning process.

New Framework Plans are intended to make that process more consistent. Rather than building a budget support by support, the new system will use a standardised assessment to look at the participant’s overall support needs.

For participants and families, this is a significant change. It moves the Scheme away from the current approach to evidence, planning conversations and individual support categories. Exactly how that will affect individual budgets will depend on rules and funding methods that are still being developed.

What is a Support Needs Assessment?

A Support Needs Assessment will be used to inform the budget in a New Framework Plan.

The assessment is expected to look at factors including:

• the impact of disability on everyday life
• the support a person needs to complete daily activities
• functional capacity
• life stage
• living arrangements
• environmental factors
• the person’s broader circumstances

Rather than looking only at a diagnosis, the assessment will focus on the support a person needs because of the way disability affects daily life.

The result will then be used as part of the process for setting the participant’s funding.

Important details are still to come, including how assessments will be conducted, what information participants can contribute and how the assessment result will translate into a dollar amount.

What does functional capacity mean?

Functional capacity is a person’s ability to carry out everyday activities.

It can include areas such as:

• communication
• mobility
• self-care
• learning
• decision-making
• social interaction
• managing daily tasks

Two people with the same diagnosis may experience disability very differently. One may need occasional assistance, while another may need regular or continuous support.

That is why functional capacity matters. It looks beyond the name of a condition and considers its practical impact on the person’s life.

This does not mean diagnosis becomes irrelevant. Medical and diagnostic information may still help explain a person’s disability. The emphasis, however, will be on what the person can do, where support is needed and how disability affects everyday life.

How will funding be decided?

This is one of the biggest unanswered questions.

We know the Support Needs Assessment will inform the participant’s plan budget. We do not yet have all the detail about the funding method or how an assessment result will be converted into an individual budget.

The new model is expected to take a more whole-of-person view of support needs. That is different from discussing and costing each support separately under the current planning process.

Further information is still needed about:

• how individual budgets will be calculated
• how personal circumstances will be reflected
• whether participants can provide additional evidence
• how complex or changing needs will be considered
• how funding decisions can be challenged
• what happens if an assessment does not capture the person’s actual support needs

These details will matter. A standardised process may improve consistency, but it must still respond to the reality that disability affects each person differently.

Are New Framework Plans the same as the new NDIS eligibility rules?

No. They are separate changes.

A New Framework Plan is about planning and funding. It will help determine the budget and supports a participant receives after being accepted into the NDIS.

The new NDIS access and eligibility arrangements are about whether a person qualifies to enter or remain in the Scheme.

Both processes are expected to consider functional capacity, which is why they can be easy to confuse. However, they serve different purposes.

Put simply:

• Eligibility determines whether a person can access the NDIS.
• New Framework Planning determines the person’s plan and funding once access has been established.

The Support Needs Assessment used for planning is not intended to decide whether someone is eligible for the NDIS.

Will my current NDIS plan change?

Not immediately.

Participants will move from their current plans to New Framework Plans gradually. The transition is due to begin from 1 April 2027, but that does not mean every participant will receive a new type of plan on that date.

Until a participant is formally moved to the new planning system, the current plan and existing planning arrangements continue to apply.

Before the transition begins, participants will need clear information about when they are moving, what the assessment involves and what review rights are available if they disagree with the outcome.

When will New Framework Plans begin?

The planned start date is 1st April 2027.

The transition will take place progressively over several years. Participants will not all move to New Framework Plans at the same time.

This gradual rollout gives the Government and the NDIA time to finalise the assessment process, consult with the disability community and establish the rules needed to support the new planning model.

Participants should receive information before the new process applies to them.

Will New Framework Plans reduce my funding?

A move to a New Framework Plan does not automatically mean a participant’s funding will be reduced.

However, the way funding is assessed and calculated will change. Some participants may receive a different budget under the new process, but there is not yet enough published detail to say exactly how individual plans will be affected.

New Framework Plans should also not be confused with support determinations. Support determinations are a separate reform that can be applied to particular support categories in old framework plans.

Anyone concerned about future funding should be cautious about broad claims that all plans will either increase or decrease. The outcome will depend on the final rules, the funding method and how individual support needs are assessed.

Will I still have choice and control?

Choice and control remains an important principle of the NDIS, but we do not yet have a complete picture of how it will operate under New Framework Plans.

Participants and families will want to know:

• how flexible the new budgets will be
• whether funding can be moved between support types
• how participants will make decisions about their supports
• what restrictions may apply
• how changes in circumstances will be handled

These questions have not all been answered yet. They should become clearer as the rules and implementation arrangements are released.

What if the assessment does not reflect my needs?

The Government information available so far does not provide the full detail of the review and dispute process for New Framework Plan budgets.

This is an important issue. A standardised assessment may not always capture fluctuating conditions, complex needs, informal care arrangements or the risks a person faces without the right support.

Participants will need clear pathways to correct inaccurate information, provide further evidence and challenge decisions where a budget does not reflect their disability-related needs.

We will update this information when the review arrangements are confirmed.

What should participants and families do now?

There is no immediate action required for most participants.

Current plans remain in place, and the transition to New Framework Plans has not yet started. For now, it is worth:

• keeping copies of assessments, reports and supporting information
• recording changes in support needs or circumstances
• staying up to date with NDIA announcements
• asking questions when more information about the assessment process is released
• speaking with a support coordinator or trusted provider if the reform information is unclear

There is no need to arrange new assessments simply because New Framework Plans have been announced. The evidence requirements and assessment process are still being developed.

What do we still need to know?

New Framework Plans are a major change, and several practical questions remain unanswered.

We are waiting for more detail about:

• the final Support Needs Assessment process
• how plan budgets will be calculated
• what information participants can provide
• how complex, episodic and fluctuating disabilities will be assessed
• the role of families, nominees and advocates
• flexibility within plan budgets
• reassessments and changes in circumstances
• review and appeal rights
• transition arrangements for existing participants

These details will determine how the reform works in practice, not just how it appears in legislation.

The main things to remember

New Framework Plans will introduce a different way of setting NDIS budgets.

A Support Needs Assessment will consider functional capacity, life stage, circumstances and environmental factors. That assessment will help inform the participant’s funding.

New Framework Plans are not the same as the new eligibility process. Planning decides what funding a participant receives. Eligibility decides whether a person can access the NDIS.

The transition is due to begin on 1 April 2027 and will happen gradually. Participants will not all move at once.

Most importantly, there is still more information to come. Participants and families should be told how the process will work before it applies to them.

If you have questions about the NDIS reforms or are concerned about what New Framework Plans could mean for you or someone you support, speak with Civic’s team.

Call: 1300 692 484
Email: enquiries@civic.org.au