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July 2025

NDIA Sector Update: Understanding Funding in Plans, Travel Claims, Price Limits, and Provider Access Changes – 25/07/2025

The NDIA continues to make updates to support participants, families, carers and providers in navigating the NDIS more effectively. This includes recent changes to how plan funding is structured, updates to therapy provider travel claims, new pricing arrangements and improvements to provider portal access.

Understanding Funding in NDIS Plans

Since October 2024, all new and reassessed NDIS plans include:

  • Funding component amounts – funding allocated to specific supports or support groups

  • Funding periods – defined timeframes in which part of a participant’s funding becomes available

Funding periods break down total plan funding into smaller, time-based portions. This helps participants manage their budget more evenly across their plan, use supports consistently, and avoid exhausting funds too early. The full plan value remains the same—only the timing of when funds are released is adjusted.

Why Staying Within Plan Funding Matters

Participants and providers must ensure that supports are delivered within the plan’s approved funding components and periods. The NDIA can only pay for supports included in an approved plan, meaning:

  • Claims that exceed the plan’s total funding, individual funding components, or funding periods will not be paid

  • Once a funding period’s allocation is used, no further payments will be made for that period – even if supports continue

In the past, additional funding was sometimes provided when a plan’s budget was exhausted. This is no longer the case.

Participants, nominees, plan managers and others managing funds on behalf of participants must monitor spending carefully. Participants should contact the NDIA early if they are at risk of overspending or if their circumstances change.

More information about funding periods is available on the NDIS website.

2025–26 NDIS Pricing Update

New NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits came into effect on 1 July 2025.

The NDIA continues to monitor the market to ensure participants can access the supports they need and receive value from their funding. This includes regular reviews of pricing and feedback from the disability community.

For questions, participants can contact the NDIS Contact Centre on 1800 800 110.
Providers can contact 1300 311 675 or email provider.support@ndis.gov.au.

Therapy Provider Travel Claims

Participants have raised concerns about therapy-related travel costs consuming their budgets too quickly. In response, changes have been made to ensure travel costs are reasonable and proportionate to the support provided.

What has changed (effective 1 July 2025):

  • Therapy providers can now claim half the hourly price limit for travel time, up to standard time caps.

    • For example: a physiotherapist with an hourly rate of $183.99 may now claim up to $92.00 per hour for travel time.

  • This change only applies to therapy providers. It does not apply to disability support workers or other providers.

What has not changed:

  • Providers may continue to claim non-labour travel costs, such as tolls, parking, or fuel.

  • These costs must be agreed with participants in advance.
    This may include flights or accommodation where travel to remote areas is required.

Travel time caps remain:

  • Up to 30 minutes each way in metropolitan areas (MMM 1–3)

  • Up to 60 minutes each way in regional areas (MMM 4–5)

  • No cap in remote (MMM 6) or very remote (MMM 7) areas. Remote loadings of 40% and 50% remain unchanged.

Access a PowerPoint that explains these changes. 

Invoices must clearly separate therapy time from travel time. Detailed information and examples are available on the NDIS website.

Gap Fees and Additional Charges

NDIS rules prohibit gap fees, credit card surcharges, or other additional charges for supports.

Plan managers must not pay invoices that exceed NDIS price limits – even if the provider is unregistered.
They must inform providers that these charges are not permitted.

Any attempt by a provider to add such charges should be reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Changes to Provider Portal Access

From August 2025, providers will transition from PRODA to using myID and the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM). This offers a more secure and streamlined way to access NDIS provider portals.

The NDIA is supporting providers through this change by:

  • Providing a provider resource pack

  • Hosting information sessions

  • Communicating directly with providers about next steps

More details, including guidance on how to prepare for the transition, are available on the NDIS website.

NDIA Sector Update: Legislation Changes, Eligibility Reassessments and Claiming Requirements – 11/07/2025

The NDIA has introduced several important updates to improve how the NDIS works for participants, families, carers and providers. These include legislative changes around eligibility reassessments, improvements to claiming processes, increased transparency through co-design, and new tools to make accessing and managing the NDIS simpler.

Eligibility Reassessment Updates

From 7 July 2025, changes to the NDIS Act require the NDIA to inform participants which eligibility criteria they meet:

  • Disability requirements

  • Early intervention requirements

  • Both

This applies to new applicants and existing participants undergoing an eligibility reassessment. If a participant remains eligible for the Scheme following a reassessment, the NDIA will now include information about which access criteria they meet.

These changes do not affect a person’s eligibility status, the criteria itself, or how participants receive their NDIS plan or supports.

In response to feedback, we have also improved the reassessment experience:

  • The timeframe to provide additional information has been extended from 28 to 90 days

  • Eligibility reassessment letters have been updated to provide clearer guidance on next steps

Further improvements are underway. For more information, visit the eligibility reassessment section of the NDIS website.

Claiming: Evidence Requirements for Self-Managing Participants

Self-managed participants are reminded to keep invoices, receipts, or other documentation for any supports purchased using NDIS funds. When submitting a claim through the my NDIS app or portal, participants should upload appropriate evidence.

Providing evidence helps:

  • Ensure payments are made to the correct person for eligible supports

  • Prevent fraud and protect the integrity of the Scheme

Participants should also check their plan before making a purchase to confirm it is for funded NDIS support.

Updated support lists and detailed claiming guidelines are available on the NDIS website to assist participants with the process.

New NDIS Service Hub: Easier Enquiries and Document Uploads

The NDIA has launched a new NDIS Service Hub to simplify how participants and their supporters submit and track enquiries.

Participants can now use the Service Hub via the NDIS website, the my NDIS mobile app, or the my NDIS portal to:

  • Submit enquiries

  • Securely upload required documents (such as those for plan reviews)

  • Track enquiry status from the homepage of the portal or app

These changes aim to make interactions with the NDIA more efficient and accessible.

Co-design and Engagement Updates

Working Together Bulletin
The NDIA has released the first edition of Working Together, a new co-design bulletin. It includes updates from the four Scheme Reform Working Groups, the Co-design Advisory Group, and other co-design projects. The bulletin is available on the NDIS website.

Independent Co-design Evaluation
An independent evaluation of NDIA’s co-design work, conducted in 2023, reviewed past projects to understand what worked well, what didn’t, and how co-design can improve going forward. The final report and supporting statement are now available on the website.

Access Pathway Consultation Summary
Between January and March 2025, the NDIA consulted with over 170 participants and stakeholders about improving the NDIS access pathway. A summary of what we heard is available on the “Legislation and Other Projects” page of the website.

New Resource for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Investors

The NDIA has launched a dedicated webpage for SDA investors, offering guidance on:

  • Misleading information and advertising in the SDA market

  • Unfair contract terms

  • Investment risks

The page also provides links to relevant government agencies, including the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NQSC), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Later this year, the NDIA will host online sessions on integrity in the SDA market. Details will be advertised on the website closer to the event dates.
Visit the Investment in SDA page on the NDIS website to learn more.

Advisory and Reference Group Updates

Children, Young People and Families Reference Group
Met online on 3 and 4 June 2025 to discuss community insights, updates on the 2025–26 IAC Work Plan, and progress from the Children’s Taskforce. Visit the IAC website for the full bulletin.

First Nations Reference Group
Held a hybrid meeting in Gimuy (Cairns) and online on 11 and 12 June 2025. Topics included:

  • Feedback from First Nations communities

  • The Reference Group’s Work Plan

  • Updates from the NDIA’s First Nations Group and rural and remote strategy

Co-design Advisory Group
Met on 4 April 2025. Key discussions included:

  • Progress on outstanding actions

  • The Department of Social Services’ co-design agenda

  • Resetting co-design methodology and improving engagement with underrepresented communities

Meeting summaries are available on the NDIS website.

Website Content Updates

Recent web updates include:

Visit the NDIS website regularly to stay up to date with the latest guidance, resources and tools.