What are NDIS Support Determinations? A plain English guide for participants and families

Support Determinations are a new part of the NDIS reforms. They give the Minister responsible for the NDIS the power to reduce funding for particular types of supports across a group of participant plans.

The Government has said it intends to use this power to reset funding for some community participation and capacity-building supports. The first changes are due to begin from 1 October 2026.

That understandably raises questions. Which parts of a plan can be affected? What funding is protected? When will reductions occur? And what can a participant do if a change places essential support at risk?

Here is what we know.

What is a Support Determination?

A Support Determination is a decision made by the Minister responsible for the NDIS that can reduce funding for specified types of supports.

Rather than being a decision about one individual participant, a determination applies more broadly to a group or category of supports. The NDIA then applies the determination when affected plans are renewed or reassessed.

Support Determinations can only apply to old framework plans. This is the term used for the type of NDIS plan participants have now. They will not apply to New Framework Plans, which are due to begin rolling out from April 2027.

This distinction matters. A Support Determination does not give the Minister responsibility for setting the funding in every individual plan. The Minister determines which support category is affected and the NDIA applies that decision through the planning process.

Why have Support Determinations been introduced?

The Government believes NDIS spending has grown too quickly and that some supports now funded through individual plans could be delivered differently.

Community participation is one area it has singled out. The Government’s position is that some activities currently purchased through NDIS plans could instead be available through community organisations and mainstream services.

To support that shift, it has announced a $200 million Inclusive Communities Fund. The fund is intended to help community organisations become more inclusive and offer participation opportunities that people with disability can access outside an individual NDIS plan.

There is still a practical question at the heart of this policy: will suitable community options be available before individual funding is reduced?

For many participants, community participation funding pays for the assistance they need to leave home, build relationships and take part in ordinary community life. A community activity may be technically available, but that does not necessarily mean a person can participate without individual disability support.

Which NDIS supports will be affected?

The Government has said it plans to use a Support Determination to reset funding for two areas:

• Social, Civic and Community Participation, called Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation in the legislation
• Capacity Building Daily Activities, called Improved Daily Living Skills in the legislation

The published changes are:

• a 50 per cent reduction in budget allocations for Social, Civic and Community Participation supports
• a 10 per cent reduction in budget allocations for Capacity Building Daily Activities

These percentages relate to budget allocations. Based on utilisation rates – or how much of their allocated funding participants use – they do not necessarily mean every affected participant will use 50 or 10 per cent less support. The Government notes that some participants do not currently spend their full allocation.

The actual effect will depend on the participant’s current budget, how much of that funding is used, the supports being purchased and how the change is applied at the next renewal or reassessment.

What are Social, Civic and Community Participation supports?

Social, Civic and Community Participation funding can help a participant take part in activities outside the home.

Depending on the person and the goals in the plan, this may include support to:

• attend social or recreational activities
• join community groups
• develop relationships
• build confidence in community settings
• take part in events or local activities
• develop skills for greater independence

The support often pays for the assistance a person needs to participate, rather than simply paying for the activity itself.

For some people, that assistance is the difference between being able to take part and being left at home. This is why the proposed reduction has caused concern among participants, families, providers and disability advocates. Civic’s internal reform material also identifies the risk that reduced community participation funding could deepen isolation if suitable alternatives are not available.

What are Capacity Building Daily Activities supports?

Capacity Building Daily Activities, also known as Improved Daily Living Skills, can fund assessment, training or therapy that helps a participant develop skills and increase independence.

The precise supports in a plan will vary. They may relate to communication, daily living, mobility, self-management or participation.

The Government’s published information says budget allocations in this area will be reduced by 10 per cent.

Participants should not assume that every Capacity Building support will be affected in exactly the same way. Further NDIA guidance will be important in understanding how the reset appears in individual plans.

What NDIS funding is protected?

The Government says the planned funding reset will not affect budgets for critical supports, including:

• supports in employment
• disability-related health supports
• support in the home, such as help with eating, drinking, dressing and toileting
• laundry and cleaning assistance
• community nursing care
• help with medication
• home and vehicle modifications
• personal mobility equipment
• transport
• continence and menstrual products
• Specialist Disability Accommodation

Participants who require continuous 24-hour care for their disability-related needs are also specifically addressed in the reforms. The Government says that continuous care will continue to be provided at all times.

This does not mean every participant’s overall plan will remain unchanged. It means the Government has identified these critical supports as outside the intended Social, Civic and Community Participation and Capacity Building budget reset.

What protections are there for people who need continuous 24-hour support?

A new plan variation pathway will be available for participants with high support needs who require continuous 24-hour disability-related care.

If a Support Determination is applied after a plan renewal or reassessment and the resulting funding is not enough to maintain that care, an eligible participant can apply for a plan variation. The application must be made within 90 days of the determination applying to the plan.

The NDIA may then vary the plan to increase funding so that continuous 24-hour care can be maintained.

This is a specific safeguard for a particular group of participants. It should not be described as a general pathway available to everyone affected by a reduction.

More detail is still needed about how the pathway will operate, what information a participant must provide and how quickly the NDIA will make a decision.

When will Support Determinations take effect?

The planned budget resets will begin at different times, depending on where a participant is in the planning cycle.

• From 1 October 2026, the changes will apply to new plans and plan reassessments.
• From 1 February 2027, they will apply to other participants through the plan renewal process.

The changes will therefore appear progressively. Participant plans will not all be altered on the same day.

Support Determinations will be applied under existing planning arrangements, before participants move to New Framework Plans. New Framework Planning is due to begin from 1 April 2027.

Will my community participation budget be cut by exactly 50 per cent?

The Government has announced a 50 per cent reduction in budget allocations for Social, Civic and Community Participation supports. It has also said the reduction may not translate into a 50 per cent fall in actual spending for every participant, because some people are not currently using their full allocation.

That distinction is important, but it does not remove the potential impact.

A participant who uses most or all of the existing budget may experience the change differently from someone with a large amount of unspent funding. The practical effect will only become clear when the reset is applied to the participant’s plan.

Participants and families should be wary of anyone promising an exact individual outcome before the NDIA has applied the new arrangements.

Will Support Determinations affect employment supports?

The Government lists supports in employment among the critical supports that will not be affected by the planned reset.

There may still be grey areas where a support contributes to more than one goal. For example, a participant may use capacity-building or community participation funding for activities that also help develop work readiness, confidence or independence.

Clear NDIA guidance will be needed where the purpose of a support crosses funding categories.

Can a participant challenge a funding reduction?

Participants continue to have rights to seek review of reviewable NDIA decisions. However, the Government’s public explanation of Support Determinations does not yet set out the full dispute pathway for every participant whose budget is affected.

The clearest additional safeguard announced so far is the plan variation pathway for eligible participants requiring continuous 24-hour care.

Participants will need further information about:

• which decisions can be reviewed
• how an individual can show that the reduced budget does not meet disability-related needs
• whether further evidence can be provided
• the timeframes for reviews
• what happens to supports while a dispute is being considered

Until those arrangements are published in full, it would be misleading to suggest there is a simple or identical review process for everyone affected.

What is still unclear?

The legislation and Government guidance set out the intended direction, but participants still need more practical detail.

This includes:

• how the reductions will appear in individual plans
• how the NDIA will treat supports serving more than one purpose
• what evidence participants can provide during a renewal or reassessment
• the review options available outside the 24-hour care safeguard
• how group-based and individual supports will be treated
• whether suitable community alternatives will exist in each location
• how the Inclusive Communities Fund will translate into accessible local opportunities
• what happens when a participant cannot safely use a lower-cost or group-based option

These are not minor administrative details. They will determine how the policy affects people in everyday life.

What should participants and families do now?

Most participants do not need to take immediate action. Current plans remain in place until a renewal or reassessment brings the new arrangements into effect.

It may still be useful to keep clear records of:

• the supports currently being used
• why those supports are needed
• how they relate to the participant’s disability and goals
• what happens when the support is unavailable
• any risks linked to isolation, reduced independence or unmet care needs
• changes in circumstances or support requirements

There is no need to arrange new reports simply because Support Determinations have been announced. As implementation guidance is released, participants will have a clearer picture of what information may be relevant.

The main things to remember

A Support Determination allows the Minister responsible for the NDIS to reduce funding for specified support categories across old framework plans.

The Government intends to use this power to reduce Social, Civic and Community Participation budget allocations by 50 per cent and Capacity Building Daily Activities allocations by 10 per cent.

The first changes are due from 1 October 2026 for new plans and reassessments, followed by other plan renewals from 1 February 2027.

Critical supports, including in-home care, disability-related health supports, transport, mobility equipment, home modifications, Specialist Disability Accommodation and employment supports are listed as protected.

A separate plan variation pathway will be available to eligible participants who need continuous 24-hour disability-related care if a Support Determination leaves that care at risk.

There is still more to learn about implementation, individual review rights and whether community alternatives will be ready and accessible when participant funding changes.

If you have questions about the NDIS reforms or are concerned about how Support Determinations may affect you or someone you support, contact Civic.

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