NDIS Plans Going Computer-Generated in 2026: Breakthrough or Backfire?
A huge shift is coming to the NDIS. From mid-2026, most participants will have their plans and budgets created in a completely new way, using a digital assessment tool rather than the mix of planner judgement, reports and back-and-forth many people know today.
Some people are calling it a long-overdue clean-up of a confusing system. Others are warning it could be “Robo-debt 2.0” for people with disability. So what do we actually know so far, and what does it mean for you, your family, or the people you support?
The Big Change: Meet I-CAN v6
The NDIA has licensed a tool called the Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN v6). This tool has been used in parts of the disability sector for years and will now sit at the heart of how NDIS plans are created.
Instead of collecting piles of medical reports and letters, most participants aged 16 and over will go through a structured interview with an accredited assessor. The assessor enters your answers into I-CAN, which then calculates your support needs across a range of life areas and generates a budget to match.
The government says this is about making planning simpler, fairer and more consistent, cutting down on delays and the need to pay for private assessments.
How Plans Will Be Created in 2026
Based on information from the NDIA, Senate estimates and media reports, the new planning process is expected to look roughly like this:
- Step 1: Pre-planning information
You or your nominee provide background information about your life, current supports, living situation and goals. - Step 2: Structured interview with an assessor
A trained assessor (initially NDIA staff) takes you through a semi-structured interview, which can run for up to around three hours. They enter your answers into the I-CAN system, covering multiple areas of daily living, participation and support needs. - Step 3: Targeted assessments if needed
For people with complex needs, or where big decisions are involved (for example housing, intensive behaviour support or complex equipment), there may be extra specialist assessments on top of the I-CAN interview. - Step 4: I-CAN generates your plan budget
The tool processes all the information and automatically produces a budget and support package. This becomes the basis of your plan. - Step 5: NDIA sign-off – but no “tweaking”
An NDIA delegate signs the plan, but under the model outlined so far, they will not be able to adjust or negotiate the budget. What the system generates is essentially what you get.
Importantly, this new “New Framework Planning” is planned to start gradually from mid-2026, not all at once. The NDIA has said they will phase it in over time and keep adjusting based on feedback.
What Happens If You Disagree With Your Plan?
This is the part that has set off the loudest alarm bells.
Under the current model, planners can sometimes adjust budgets after listening to you, your providers or your advocates, or after receiving extra reports. Under the new model, that kind of human discretion is expected to be dramatically reduced.
The Guardian has reported that external review bodies like the new Administrative Review Tribunal will not be able to change the total amount of funding in your plan. Instead, if you disagree with your budget, the main option will be to request a reassessment using the same I-CAN tool again.
Advocates worry this means less genuine review and fewer checks and balances if the tool gets it wrong for someone with complex or atypical needs.
Why the Government Says This Is a Good Thing
The NDIA and government say the changes are responding to years of feedback that planning was confusing, inconsistent and unfair. Some people received very different plans depending on which planner they saw or how well their reports were written. Others could not afford private assessments at all.
They argue that a single, nationally consistent tool will mean:
- Less paperwork and fewer expensive reports for participants and families
- More predictable and consistent budgets for people with similar support needs
- Faster decisions and fewer delays caused by missing reports
- A stronger focus on support needs rather than diagnosis alone
In theory, that sounds positive. If you have ever waited months for reports or had wildly different plans from year to year, a clearer and more predictable system might feel like a relief.
Why Many in the Disability Community Are Worried
At the same time, disability advocates, legal experts and some researchers are warning that the model could be risky if it is not designed and monitored carefully.
Concerns being raised include:
- Loss of individual nuance
A digital tool and structured interview may not fully capture complex, fluctuating or psychosocial disabilities, or the impact of trauma, culture, housing and family context. - Reduced human oversight
If NDIA staff cannot adjust plans, there is little room to fix obvious mismatches between what a person needs and what the tool outputs. - Weaker appeal rights
If external review bodies cannot vary budgets, participants may feel stuck in “looped” reassessments with the same system that produced the original decision. - Risk of cost-cutting by algorithm
Critics fear the tool may be tuned to meet savings targets, which could mean tighter budgets overall, especially for high-cost or complex participants.
Some advocates have warned publicly that, if not done carefully, this kind of computer-driven model could echo past automated welfare scandals and leave people fighting a system that feels impersonal and hard to challenge.
What This Could Mean for You in Practice
Because the rollout has not started yet, no one can say exactly how it will feel from the participant’s side. But if the model goes ahead as described, you can probably expect:
- Less focus on gathering reports and more focus on telling your story clearly in the I-CAN interview
- More standardised budgets for people with similar support needs
- Less informal negotiation with planners about line items and amounts
- A different kind of review process, built around reassessment through the same tool rather than an external body changing your plan
For some people, especially those who currently struggle to get reports or navigate the system, this could feel simpler. For others with highly individual or complex needs, it may feel like a loss of flexibility and control.
What You Can Do Now
The changes to planning are still several months away. That means there is time to prepare and to have a say.
- Stay informed by following updates from the NDIA and trusted disability advocacy organisations.
- Keep clear records of your day-to-day support needs, challenges and what currently works for you.
- Think about how you will tell your story in an interview setting, rather than relying on long reports to speak for you.
- Connect with advocates or support coordinators who understand the new framework and can help you prepare once more detail is known.
As more information is released, we will keep breaking it down in plain language so you can understand what is changing, what is not, and what your rights are under the new system.
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