Lead an Independent Life with NDIS National Disability Scheme

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) continues to evolve to better support individuals who are living with disability. In 2025, several important changes have been introduced, aiming to improve how funding is used, increase transparency, and make services more accessible and sustainable. From updates in therapy travel claims to clearer guidelines on how supports are funded, these changes reflect the NDIS’s commitment to fairness and long-term impact. Whether you’re a participant, provider, or carer, understanding these updates is essential for getting the most out of your plan. In this blog, we break down the major 2025 changes related to NDIS National Disability Scheme in Pt Adelaide and what they mean for you.

Exploring the Key Changes of the NDIS National Disability Scheme

Recently, major changes have been added to the NDIS National Disability Scheme, which is directly related to the funding system. These changes clearly state how the providers can claim for travel and how the disability related health supports are funded.
Well, here are some of the major changes that have been added to this policy –

• The annual pricing
• Removal of disability related health supports from the core
• New NDIS travel claim for the therapy providers

NDIS 2024-2025 Annual Pricing Review

Every year, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) thoroughly reviews the pricing arrangements as well as the price limits set by the NDIS, especially for the providers’ use.

However, these changes apply to the support provided by the agency-managed and plan-managed participants and not to self-managed participants. Here are some of those key changes that have been made effective from 1st July, 2025 –

a) Increase in Pay of Support Workers and Core Supports

The disability support worker services would see an increase of 3.95% of the price limit. This rise massively reflects the Fair Work Commission’s wage adjustments and increased superannuation. This change is aimed at maintaining fair pay and a skilled workforce.

Besides, a few other core supports would witness an increase, which includes – employment assistance, home living, Level 1 support coordination, and psychological recovery coaching.

b) Age Limit Extended for Early Childhood Supports

As for now, the early childhood approach covers the support for children up to 9 years old. These recent changes give the families more time to access early intervention supports during the critical development year of the child.

The support line items that have been introduced under the childhood support include developmental educators, occupational therapists, art/music therapists, dietitians, speech pathologists, social workers, and podiatrists.

c) National Rate Introduction for the Therapy Supports

The most significant and contentious change that has been made to this policy is to move the national pricing for therapy supports.

These changes are expected to create an impact on the provider’s ability to deliver the services, especially in the regional and remote communities. These are the revised rates for therapy supports –

• Physiotherapy: $183.99/hr
• Psychology: $232.99/hr
• Dietetics & Podiatry: $5/hr
• Travel claims: For therapists, the charges are capped at 50% of the hourly rate

d) Plan Management and Provider Responsibilities

The plan management setup fees and remote loadings have been discontinued, while the monthly subscription fees remain completely unchanged. The providers’ responsibility has now been more clearly defined.

Currently, the providers’ responsibilities have been clearly defined by adding new requirements to declare and manage the conflicts of interest. This also includes reinforcing ethical practice and transparency. Additionally, the service agreements have now been updated to reflect the new price limits.

e) Other Notable Updates of the NDIS National Disability Scheme

Furthermore, here are some of the notable changes that have been added to the policy –

• The price limit set for both nursing and domestic supports has been increased by 3.2%
• The price limit for medium-term accommodation and centre capital cost has been increased by 2.4% to keep pace with inflation
• The petrol cost (which is included under the travel allowance of the support workers) can now be claimed for $0.99 per kilometre
• The unspent funds that are left in a participant’s plan at the end of the financial year will be automatically increased to match the new price limits

Removal of Disability-Related Health Supports from Core

Since 2019, the disability-related health supports (DRHS) could be claimed from both core and capacity-building budgets. This temporary overlap allowed participants to access important support through core funding without needing to wait for a plan review to get money from capacity building.

Being effective from 2025, NDIS would no longer allow therapy supports to be claimed for the core budget. Therapy can now only be claimed under capacity building. Hence, if the provider or participants try to claim therapy from the core budget, it won’t be paid. This change instils transparency within the system.

Here are some of the common questions that have emerged due to the changes made in the NDIS policy –

Q1) Who Gets Affected Due to the Changes in the Plan?

Ans) This change impacts all NDIS participants who receive therapy supports as part of their plan. This includes services from occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, dietitians, podiatrists, and social workers (when delivering therapy).

Previously, many people relied on their Core budget to fund these supports, especially when their Capacity Building funding was limited or inflexible. However, with this shift, therapy supports may now need to be claimed exclusively from the Capacity Building budget.

Q2) What Kind of Support Can Be Funded Through the Core Budget?

Ans) Not all kinds of support, but there are a few supports that one can continue to be claimed from the Core budget, such as nursing supports and certain low-cost assistive technology.

Q3) What Should One Do if They Are Affected?

Ans) This change may leave some participants without sufficient access to essential supports. If you’re concerned or have already been impacted, speak with your NDIS planner or support coordinator. It’s also important to share your experience so the impact of these changes is fully understood.

Every person with disability deserves access to the supports they need. Clear planning and communication can help ensure those supports remain in place.

New NDIS Travel Claim Rules for Therapy Providers

In addition to the above two changes, the NDIA released new rules about how therapy providers can easily claim for the travel time. Let’s take a look at the new changes that have been added, things that won’t be affected by the changes, exploring the main motive behind the change, and some additional reminders for the participants.

i) New Changes That Have Been Added to the Policy

From 1st July 2025, the NDIA is introducing new rules about how therapy providers can claim for travel time. Under the new rules, providers will only be allowed to claim 50% of the hourly price limit for time spent travelling. This must still remain within the existing caps for travel time based on the provider’s location.

ii) Things That Would Remain the Same After the Changes

Despite adding some changes, the therapy providers can still claim some of the non-labour travel expenses, which include road tolls, parking fees, and fuel or car running costs. Also, in certain cases, especially in remote areas, the providers could request the participants to cover the other travel expenses. This request can only be fulfilled if both parties agree in advance.

iii) Understanding the Motive Behind the Recent Changes

According to the NDIA, some participants have been using their funding more quickly than expected, mainly due to high travel claims. The aim of this change is to:

• Ensure travel costs are more proportionate to the actual service delivered
• Help participants get more value from their budgets
• Encourage therapy providers to plan their travel more efficiently

iv) Important Reminder for the Participants

Here are some of the important reminders that the NDIS participants should abide by –

• The providers cannot add the additional costs to their overall travel costs.
• The plan managers cannot pay invoices that are above the NDIS price limit. This change is applicable to all the providers, registered or not.
• The provider should clearly display the travel time and therapy time separately.

Conclusion

The 2025 changes to the NDIS reflect a continued effort to improve support, transparency, and funding efficiency for participants. By refining travel claims, funding categories, and provider practices, the updates aim to ensure fairer access to services and better long-term outcomes for people living with disability.

At Change Yr Life, we offer a wide range of services, including Disabled home care services in Pt Adelaide that are developed to offer top-notch care and support to individuals suffering from disabilities. With our tailored services, you can be assured that your loved ones will receive the love and care that they deserve.