NDIS Changes 1 July 2026: What Providers Must Know

Key Takeaways

• From 1 July 2026, Supported Independent Living (SIL) and NDIS digital platform providers must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. A new registration group, 0138 Assistance with Supported Independent Living, and a new SIL Supplementary Module of the NDIS Practice Standards commence the same day.
• Unregistered SIL providers already delivering supports can keep operating during the transition only if they apply for registration by 1 October 2026. Registration is a Certification assessment and typically takes 8 to 12 months, so applications need to start now.
• The NDIA's 2026-27 pricing was published on 23 June 2026 (now the "NDIS Pricing Schedule") and takes effect 1 July 2026: psychology rose to $252.99/hour, dietetics and exercise physiology were cut, other therapies were held, support worker rates rose about 4.8%, and therapy billing was split into separate line items. See our NDIS pricing 2026-27 provider guide.
• All SIL providers must comply with the new SIL Supplementary Module from 1 July 2026 and will be audited against it at their next audit (mid-term or renewal), not only at initial registration.
• The NDIS claims and payments system uplift (real-time digital payments and evidence on every claim) begins rolling out from July 2026 and continues to 2030.
• The Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026 is not yet law (introduced 14 May 2026; Senate committee reporting 16 June 2026). Its 90-day claiming rule is slated for 1 December 2026, not 1 July, and it proposes a 7-year record-retention duty with a civil penalty for breach.
• For most providers the headline 1 July 2026 action is a registration and Practice Standards deadline, with service agreement and billing updates now due against the published 2026-27 prices.

The biggest confirmed NDIS change on 1 July 2026 is mandatory registration for SIL and platform providers, alongside a new registration group (0138) and a new SIL Practice Standards module. The 2026-27 pricing was published on 23 June 2026 and takes effect the same day, with profession-specific therapy rates and a new line-item structure. Here is every change, who it affects, and what to do before the date.

Every NDIS change taking effect on 1 July 2026

Who must register with the NDIS Commission from 1 July 2026?

From 1 July 2026, mandatory registration begins for two provider types: those delivering Supported Independent Living and those operating as NDIS digital platform providers (online intermediaries that connect participants with workers). The change responds to the NDIS Review, the Disability Royal Commission, and two NDIS Commission Own Motion Inquiries, all of which flagged serious gaps in participant safety, quality of care and provider accountability in SIL and group-home settings.

The practical sequencing matters. A provider already delivering SIL before 1 July 2026 can continue while its application is assessed, but only if it lodges that application by 1 October 2026. A provider that misses the 1 October date, or starts SIL after the cutoff without registration, is not permitted to deliver SIL supports and may face compliance and enforcement action. Because the Certification process runs to 8 to 12 months, the registration is not something to begin in spring. The NDIS Commission's mandatory registration page is the authoritative source for scope and timing. Our SIL mandatory registration provider checklist sets out the application steps in detail.

What is registration group 0138 and the SIL Supplementary Module?

Two new compliance artefacts commence on 1 July 2026. The first is registration group 0138, Assistance with Supported Independent Living. It covers the management and delivery of home and living support packages for participants who need support at all times or for most of the day, and it triggers a Certification assessment against the Core Module plus the new SIL module. The second is the SIL Supplementary Module of the NDIS Practice Standards, a SIL-specific set of standards covering areas such as tenancy rights, worker capability and the quality of support in shared living.

The important nuance is that the SIL Supplementary Module is not limited to new applicants. From 1 July 2026, all SIL providers must comply with it, and existing registered providers will be audited against it at their next scheduled audit, whether that is a mid-term or a renewal audit. Providers should map their current policies and procedures against the module now, identify gaps, and engage an approved quality auditor early, because auditor availability tightens as the deadline approaches. For how registration groups map to audit types and modules generally, see our guide to NDIS registration groups.

Have the 2026-27 NDIS price limits been published yet?

Yes. The NDIA released the 2026-27 Annual Pricing Review on 23 June 2026, and the prices take effect 1 July 2026. The document is now called the NDIS Pricing Schedule (replacing "Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits"). The headline changes: psychology rose to $252.99 per hour, dietetics and exercise physiology were cut, occupational therapy, speech, physiotherapy and podiatry were held, support worker rates rose about 4.8%, and each therapy discipline now has separate line items for travel, telehealth, reports and non-face-to-face time.

Treat the update as a same-week task. Update your billing software to the new prices, reconfigure the new therapy line items, recheck any quotes and service agreements that reference specific line-item prices, and obtain participant agreement where their agreed prices change. Our NDIS pricing 2026-27 provider guide breaks down every change profession by profession and the service-agreement actions to take before 1 July. The NDIA pricing page hosts the schedule and the updated NDIS Support Catalogue.

What is changing with NDIS claims and payments from July 2026?

The NDIA is uplifting its claims and payments system as part of the broader move to the my NDIS provider portal that replaced the older myplace provider portal under PACE. From July 2026, the system begins a phased shift toward real-time digital payments and a model where evidence is captured on every claim, with the rollout continuing through to 2030. This is a gradual transition rather than a single switch-on date, so the operational impact on any given provider depends on when their plans and claim types move across.

For now, the practical step is to confirm your software vendor's readiness and your own claiming hygiene: accurate service records, claims tied to delivered supports, and clean reconciliation. Providers who already struggle with My Provider relationship errors and payment delays under PACE should fix those workflows before the uplift adds evidence requirements on top. Tightening record-keeping now also prepares you for the proposed retention duty in the Securing the NDIS Bill, covered next.

What does the Securing the NDIS Bill change, and when?

The NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 is the legislative vehicle for the next wave of reforms, but it is not yet law. It was introduced to Parliament on 14 May 2026 and referred to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee, which is due to report on 16 June 2026. Nothing in the Bill commences on 1 July 2026, so it should not be confused with the registration and pricing changes that do.

Two provider-facing measures matter most. First, the time to make a claim against a participant's plan is proposed to reduce from two years to 90 days, slated to start 1 December 2026. Second, providers will be required to retain records relating to the payment and receipt of NDIS amounts for seven years, with a civil penalty for failure to do so. Both are worth preparing for now even though they are not yet in force: shorten your claiming cycle and confirm your record retention meets a seven-year standard. Our Securing the NDIS Bill provider timeline tracks each measure and its commencement date. The Department's Securing the NDIS hub and the Parliament of Australia Bill page carry the current status.

What is NOT changing on 1 July 2026

A few things are commonly misattributed to the date:

• The Securing the NDIS Bill measures. The 90-day claiming rule (1 December 2026) and the seven-year retention duty do not start on 1 July, and depend on the Bill passing.
• Mandatory registration for all providers. Only SIL and platform providers are captured from 1 July 2026. The broader graduated registration model recommended by the Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce is a later reform (expansion from 2027), not a 1 July 2026 change.
• The 2026-27 prices are now published. Released 23 June 2026, they apply from 1 July 2026. The 2025-26 prices stand only for supports delivered up to 30 June. See the pricing breakdown.
• Existing registered providers' audit cycles. SIL providers are audited against the new module at their next scheduled audit, not via an extra audit triggered on 1 July.

NDIS provider readiness checklist before 1 July 2026

1. Confirm whether you deliver SIL or operate as a digital platform provider, and therefore fall within mandatory registration.
2. If you are an unregistered SIL provider, begin your registration application now and lodge it by 1 October 2026 at the latest to keep delivering during the transition.
3. Confirm your registration groups include 0138 where SIL applies, and engage an approved quality auditor early.
4. Map your policies and procedures against the new SIL Supplementary Module and close gaps before your next audit.
5. Update your billing software to the 2026-27 prices (published 23 June 2026, effective 1 July), and reconfigure the new therapy line items for travel, telehealth, reports and non-face-to-face time.
6. Identify every participant whose agreed price changes, draft service-agreement variations, and obtain their agreement before charging the new amount.
7. Confirm your software vendor's my NDIS provider portal and claims readiness ahead of the payments uplift.
8. Review record retention against a seven-year standard and shorten your claiming cycle toward 90 days, ahead of the proposed Securing the NDIS Bill measures.
9. Diarise a post-commencement review for early August 2026: registration application status, audit bookings, and any rejected or delayed claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

What NDIS changes start on 1 July 2026?

The confirmed change is mandatory registration for Supported Independent Living and digital platform providers, with a new registration group (0138 Assistance with Supported Independent Living) and a new SIL Supplementary Module of the NDIS Practice Standards commencing the same day. The 2026-27 pricing (published 23 June 2026 as the new NDIS Pricing Schedule) also takes effect 1 July 2026, with profession-specific therapy rates and a new line-item structure. The claims and payments system uplift also begins a phased rollout from July 2026.

Do all NDIS providers have to register from 1 July 2026?

No. From 1 July 2026, only SIL providers and NDIS digital platform providers are captured by mandatory registration. Other unregistered providers are not required to register on that date. The broader graduated registration model recommended by the Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce is a separate, later reform with expansion expected from 2027.

When do unregistered SIL providers have to apply for registration?

A SIL provider already delivering supports before 1 July 2026 can continue during the transition only if it applies for registration by 1 October 2026. Because registration is a Certification assessment that typically takes 8 to 12 months, providers should start the application well before the 1 October cutoff to avoid any gap in their ability to deliver SIL supports.

Have the 2026-27 NDIS price limits been released?

Yes. The NDIA released the 2026-27 Annual Pricing Review on 23 June 2026, and the prices take effect 1 July 2026. The document is now called the NDIS Pricing Schedule. Psychology rose to $252.99 per hour, dietetics and exercise physiology were cut, other therapies were held, support worker rates rose about 4.8%, and therapy billing was split into separate line items. See our NDIS pricing 2026-27 provider guide.

Does the Securing the NDIS Bill start on 1 July 2026?

No. The NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 is not yet law. It was introduced on 14 May 2026 and was still before a Senate committee in June 2026. Its 90-day claiming rule is slated for 1 December 2026, and its proposed seven-year record-retention duty would commence once the Bill passes, not on 1 July 2026.

What should an NDIS provider do first before 1 July 2026?

If you deliver SIL, prioritise registration: confirm you are in scope, lodge your application before 1 October 2026, and map your policies against the new SIL Supplementary Module ahead of your next audit. In parallel, update billing and service agreements to the published 2026-27 prices before 1 July. Record-keeping and claiming-cycle improvements prepare you for the later Securing the NDIS Bill measures.