Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will undergo major reforms in mid-2026, with participants’ funding packages and support plans to be generated by computer programs, leaving staff with no discretion to alter them.
The new model, known as the I-CAN Planning Tool (Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs, Version 6.0), was developed by the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Disability Studies, and has been used in Australia’s disability sector for the past 20 years. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) says the tool will improve plan consistency, reduce human error, and cut the cost and time participants spend gathering medical evidence.
Under the new system, the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) will no longer be able to directly amend plans; instead, it can only send a plan back to the NDIA for reassessment. Assessors will be Level 6 employees in the Australian Public Service. Initially, assessors will be hired internally by the NDIA, and although backgrounds in allied health or lived disability experience will be considered an advantage, they are not required.
The new assessment process includes a semi-structured conversational interview and a questionnaire. When needed, targeted specialist assessments will be conducted—for example, for home modifications, assistive technology, or hospitalisation/compensation-related factors. The NDIA says delegates will be responsible for confirming whether the computer-generated plan meets a participant’s needs.
The reform will significantly reduce human involvement in plan creation and will change the appeals process. The NDIA emphasises that participants can still request a reassessment, and if they remain dissatisfied, they may appeal to the ART. However, third parties will not be allowed to intervene in the assessment process.