Overview
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signaled the government will spell out NDIS changes in the May 12 budget as ministers target a lower growth path for the $50 billion program.
- Mandatory registration for supported independent living providers is set to start July 1, and major operators want registration expanded across the market to lift safety standards and cut waste.
- Health Minister Mark Butler is weighing options that include redefining who qualifies for help and tightening how services are priced and funded to reduce misuse and improve value.
- NDIA data shows about 310,000 participants with autism or developmental delay have mild or moderate needs, and new research links a 32% rise in autism prevalence to the NDIS, feeding plans to route some children into the Thriving Kids program starting in October and fully in place by 2028.
- Crossbench MPs urge Labor to hold off on narrowing access until alternative supports are operating, disability advocates warn rushed cuts could shift costs to families and hospitals, and the Coalition backs spending restraint with a sharper crackdown on fraud.