I-CAN v6 Timeline: Every Key NDIS Date from 2026 to 2029

What has happened, what is coming next, and what each date means for you

Disclaimer: This page reflects publicly available information as at 3 November 2026, including NDIA and Department of Health, Disability and Ageing announcements. NDIS policy is still developing and dates can change. This page is for general information only and does not constitute disability support, legal, or financial advice. For personalised guidance, contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 or speak with your Support Coordinator.

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Current status (last checked 3 November 2026): The new planning framework, built around the I-CAN v6 support needs assessment, begins its staged rollout from 1 April 2027 for participants aged 16 and over. Your current plan stays in place until the NDIA contacts you. Funding reductions to two budget categories have already started from 1 October 2026.

This page is our single, continuously updated reference for the I-CAN v6 and NDIS reform timeline. Rather than publishing a new article every time a date moves, we update this page and record the change in the update log at the bottom.

If you only need one answer: the I-CAN v6 assessment begins from 1 April 2027, it is staged, and the NDIA will contact you before it affects your plan. The rest of this page explains the dates around it and which ones apply to you.

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The Next Key Dates

These are the upcoming milestones most likely to affect participants, carers and families, in date order.

Key point: The I-CAN v6 rollout (April 2027) and the new eligibility criteria (January 2028) are separate reforms on separate timelines. The first changes how your plan is built; the second changes who qualifies for the NDIS.

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The Full Timeline

This table brings together every major milestone from the original NDIS Review to the end of the transition period.

"Expected" means a government body has indicated the timing but it is not fixed in law or formally confirmed. Treat these dates as the most likely timing, not a guarantee.

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Which Dates Apply to You

If you are a current participant aged 16 or over

• Your current plan stays in place until the NDIA contacts you about your transition. Nothing changes on 1 April 2027 by itself.
• Your next plan may already include reduced budgets. If your plan is created or reassessed from 1 October 2026, or renewed from 1 February 2027, social and community participation and daily living skills budgets are reduced. See what the October cuts change and what is protected.
• Your I-CAN v6 assessment will come sometime between April 2027 and October 2029. You do not need to apply for it. The NDIA will contact you in advance.

The most useful thing you can do now is build evidence. A daily support diary kept over several months is far stronger than a description written the week before an assessment. Our guide to building a 12-month evidence strategy shows how to start.

If you are a parent of a child under 16

• The planning framework transition for under-16s is expected no earlier than July 2027.
• Access changes for young children are separate. From 1 January 2028, changes to NDIS access apply to children aged eight and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs. The government has said children already in the NDIS before that date will be reassessed under the criteria in place before 2028.
• Thriving Kids launched its first phase on 1 October 2026 and is expected to be fully operational by January 2028. The definition of "low to moderate support needs" has not yet been published.

For the full picture, read our I-CAN v6 guide for parents of children and young people and what Thriving Kids Phase 1 actually started.

If you are applying to the NDIS for the first time

• Applications from 1 April 2027 are expected to go through the new framework as part of the initial access and planning process.
• Applications from 1 January 2028 are assessed against the new eligibility criteria, which depend on the TAG's recommendations and the government's decisions during 2027.

If you are deciding whether to apply now or later, read our guide for first-time NDIS applicants and speak with an advocate about your situation.

If you use support coordination

There is a gap of around 15 months between the I-CAN v6 rollout (April 2027) and the launch of the redesigned Support Coordination and Connection Service (July 2028). During that period, current support coordination arrangements continue. Our article on the support coordination consultation and what comes next explains the practical implications.

If you are worried about losing eligibility

Eligibility reassessment for current participants is expected to happen progressively between 2028 and 2031, after the new criteria are published. Nobody can yet say exactly where the thresholds will sit. Read what the 2028 eligibility changes mean for current participants and what the TAG consultation closing means for your 2028 assessment.

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Why Some Sources Still Show Different Dates

You may still find websites saying the new framework starts in July 2026. There are three common reasons:

1. They were written before 22 April 2026, when mid-2026 was still the official target, and have not been updated.
2. Several reforms are running at once. Budget reductions (October 2026), the planning framework (April 2027), eligibility criteria (January 2028) and support coordination (July 2028) all have different dates. Articles sometimes merge them into one "start date".
3. "Begins" is not the same as "applies to you". 1 April 2027 is when the staged rollout begins, not when every participant is assessed.

When in doubt, check ndis.gov.au for the NDIA's current position.

Why the rollout moved to April 2027

The NDIA said the extra time would be used to test the new rules and processes, refine how participants are prepared for the transition, and give the sector time to prepare. The voluntary testing programme running from July to December 2026 is part of that work. The NDIA has described the change as a change of pace, not of direction: the I-CAN v6 assessment is going ahead, and the August 2026 Act locked the new framework into law.

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What the New Framework Changes

The dates matter because of what changes when your transition arrives.

• A standardised support needs assessment. A structured interview of up to three hours, conducted by an NDIA assessor, covering how your disability affects your daily life across 12 domains. Under the August 2026 Act, assessors are not required to be registered health professionals.
• Budgets calculated by algorithm. Your responses generate domain ratings, and those ratings feed an algorithm that calculates your plan budget. NDIA staff cannot override the figure the algorithm produces.
• Narrower review options. You can request an internal review. The Administrative Review Tribunal can order a reassessment but cannot directly substitute a different funding amount, which makes the evidence you bring to the assessment itself more important. See your rights in the I-CAN v6 assessment process.

For a full introduction, read what the NDIS I-CAN v6 assessment is.

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A Preparation Timeline That Works with These Dates

Our I-CAN v6 preparation checklist turns this into practical steps.

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Where to Check Official Updates

• ndis.gov.au — the NDIA's official source for rollout timing and participant information
• health.gov.au — the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's NDIS legislation and consultation pages
• Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) — independent advocacy support
• People with Disability Australia (PWDA) — submissions and analysis of each reform stage
• Your Support Coordinator — who should tell you when your own transition approaches

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Update Log

This page is reviewed whenever there is an official change to the timeline. Each update is recorded here.

• 3 November 2026: Restructured as a living timeline page. Added the October 2026 consultation closures (TAG, Support Coordination, planning rules), Thriving Kids Phase 1, the 30 September 2027 plan renewal date, TAG and eligibility milestones, and a "which dates apply to you" section. The 1 April 2027 rollout date is unchanged.
• 30 September 2026: Confirmed that the 1 April 2027 date remains unchanged after the NDIS Amendment Act 2026 passed; added October 2026 and February 2027 budget dates.
• 6 June 2026: First published following the NDIA's 22 April 2026 announcement moving the start date to 1 April 2027.

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Start Preparing While You Wait

The dates above tell you when. ICANReady helps with what to say. You describe your daily life in your own words, and ICANReady helps you organise it into a structured, domain-by-domain preparation document aligned with the I-CAN v6 framework, so you are not starting from scratch when the NDIA contacts you.

Try ICANReady free →

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Sources: NDIA announcement of the new framework start date (22 April 2026); NDIA, "Changes to support budgets from 1 October" (ndis.gov.au, October 2026); Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, New Framework Planning and NDIS Supports Consultation (19 August – 14 October 2026); NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026; PWDA submission on new framework planning (19 October 2026). For the most current information, visit ndis.gov.au or contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110.