Many people in our community are feeling worried and uncertain about proposed changes to planning in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). We hear those concerns clearly
Women With Disabilities Australia is continuing to engage with government and ask direct questions about how this new approach would work in practice. Right now, there is still not enough public information to know whether it would be safe and fair.
That is why we are continuing to push for clear answers, strong safeguards and greater transparency.
In short
Here is what WWDA understands so far.
The government is developing a new planning process for the NDIS, including a proposed support needs assessment.
At this stage, there is still not enough public information about the new planning process, to show exactly how assessment results would be turned into decisions about a person’s plan and budget.
There is also not enough detail yet about safeguards, review processes, or how the system would respond to issues like violence, changing support needs, and multiple disability experiences.
WWDA is asking direct questions and will keep updating our community as more becomes clear.
What is changing
The government is developing a new planning framework for the NDIS. A key part of this is a support needs assessment process.
The assessment is intended to help the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) understand what support a person needs in daily life and then use that information to help decide their plan and budget.
Assessments can help people get the support they need
But if they don’t work well, they can also create problems. They can be too narrow, miss the reality of someone’s life, or leave people without a clear understanding of how decisions were made or what they can do if something is wrong
That is why WWDA is focused not just on the idea of an assessment, but on how the full process would work in practice.
What WWDA knows so far
Based on information shared with disability organisations, and information provided publicly through Senate Estimates, WWDA understands that the proposed new process will have three parts.
The first part would be a main assessment tool, that is currently being developed, using the I-CAN tool as its basis and will look at a person’s support needs in everyday life.
The second part would involve questions about a person’s circumstances, including their living situation and other factors that may affect what support they need.
The third part may include extra sections for people with particular support needs, including complex support needs.
WWDA also understands that this approach is being tested with a small number of participants, and that more information is expected through future information sessions.
What is still unclear
This is where many of the biggest concerns sit.
Right now, there is still not enough public information about how the government would move from assessment information to a person’s actual plan and budget.
People still do not know:
- which parts of the assessment would carry the most weight
- what information will be collected about a person’s circumstances and how this would affect the final outcome
- whether and how a computer-based process would be used to recommend funding levels
- what role staff would play in checking decisions and making the final decision
- what safeguards would exist if the system gets it wrong
This matters because people need to be able to understand how decisions are made about their lives.
When the process is unclear, it can feel unpredictable and hard to trust. It also becomes much harder to identify mistakes early or challenge an unfair outcome.
WWDA is continuing to ask for clear public information about how budgets would be set, what safeguards would apply, and what oversight would be in place.
Why this matters for our community
For women, girls and gender-diverse people with disability, these questions are not abstract. They go to safety, dignity and whether people get the support they actually need.
Many people in our community live with multiple disability experiences or chronic health conditions. Many are moving between disability supports, health services and other systems that do not work well together.
Many women and gender-diverse people with disability are also carrying caring responsibilities while managing disability or chronic illness themselves. Many people are expected to rely on family or other unpaid support, even when that support is limited, unsafe or already stretched.
We also know that women and gender-diverse people with disability face higher rates of violence, abuse and control, and many are not believed by the systems meant to support them. In order to stay safe from these harms, women may downplay their needs, or hide distress.
A planning process that does not take these realities seriously can miss what people actually need.
That is why WWDA is pushing for an approach that reflects real life, not just a snapshot taken on one day.
The questions WWDA is asking
WWDA is asking government to explain, clearly and publicly, how this new process would work and what protections would be in place.
How would assessment results be turned into budgets?
This is one of the biggest unanswered questions.
People need to know how the information gathered during an assessment would be used to decide their level of support. That includes what would be counted, how decisions would be made, and how mistakes could be fixed.
WWDA is asking for clear information, public examples and greater transparency so people can understand what this new system would look like in real life.
Would the process capture the reality of people’s lives?
WWDA understands that the proposed process will include questions about a person’s circumstances.
This is useful if it helps recognise the real factors that shape support needs and costs.
But it could also fall short if the questions are too limited, too rigid or too simplistic.
WWDA is asking government to explain what questions would be asked, how the answers would be used, and how people would be able to correct information if it was wrong or if their circumstances changed.
Who would carry out the assessments?
The person doing an assessment matters.
Their training, knowledge, communication style and understanding can shape both the quality of the process and the trust people have in it.
WWDA is asking who would conduct the assessments, what qualifications and supervision they would have, and what training they would receive on gender, trauma, violence and changing support needs.
What role would trusted professionals still play?
Many people in our community have spent years building relationships with treating professionals who understand their disability, health history and support needs.
WWDA supports fairness. People should not need to pay for extra reports just to be believed.
At the same time, the knowledge of trusted professionals should not be pushed aside.
WWDA is asking how people would be able to share information from their own treating professionals, if they choose to, and how that information would be considered alongside any assessment tool
How would the new process deal with changing support needs?
Many disabilities and chronic health conditions do not look the same every day.
Pain, fatigue and function can change across days, weeks and months. Some people also mask what they are experiencing during appointments.
A one-off assessment can easily miss that.
WWDA is asking how the new process would recognise changing needs over time, deterioration, the need for early support, and the impact of fatigue, pain and masking during appointments.
What would happen if someone disclosed violence or safety risks?
For women and gender-diverse people with disability, safety is not a side issue.
WWDA is asking how the process would respond if someone disclosed violence, abuse or control. That includes questions about privacy, choice, trauma-informed practice, urgent support pathways, and how quickly circumstances could be updated when safety changes.
How would multiple disability experiences be understood?
Many people live with more than one disability experience, and those experiences often interact.
WWDA is asking how the new process would recognise the combined effect of multiple disability experiences on daily life, rather than looking at each issue separately.
What assumptions would be made about family and unpaid support?
Too often, people rely on family, friends and community because formal systems have failed them, not because that support is freely available or safe.
WWDA is asking how unpaid support would be treated in planning decisions, and what would be considered reasonable to expect from family and friends.
This is a major issue for women and gender-diverse people with disability, who are also often supporting others while managing their own disability or chronic illness.
Would people be able to see, correct and challenge decisions?
People need to be able to understand what has been recorded about them and how that information has been used.
WWDA is asking for a process that would allow people to see key information about their assessment, correct mistakes without unnecessary barriers, and challenge decisions through clear review pathways when something is wrong.
What WWDA is saying
Right now, needs assessments are not working well for our community. Many people are experiencing unfair outcomes, and not getting the supports they need. This needs to change. However, WWDA is concerned these changes could cause harm to our community, if they are not safe and fair. There is still not enough public information to know whether the new approach would be safe and fair in practice.
That matters.
Major changes to planning should not move ahead without people understanding how the process would work, what protections would be in place, and what rights they would have if something went wrong.
WWDA will continue to raise these concerns firmly and constructively.
What happens next
The government has said more information will be shared through upcoming information sessions and town halls.
WWDA will continue attending those sessions, asking questions, and sharing updates in plain language as more information becomes available.
We know many members are looking for clear information. That is what we will keep providing.
Stay informed
WWDA will keep advocating for a planning process that is transparent, fair and safe for women, girls and gender-diverse people with disability.
We will also keep updating our community as more becomes clear.
Your experiences and concerns matter. They help strengthen our advocacy and ensure the issues affecting our community are being raised clearly and consistently.
