From 1 December 2026, people using the NDIS will have only 90 days to claim the supports in their plan. Right now, they get two years. The change was written into the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026, which Parliament passed in April 2026.

The 90-day deadline is fixed. You can't ask for an extension. For organisations that provide NDIS supports or manage people's plans, this means big changes to how they handle paperwork and invoices. For participants — especially those whose support arrangements are complicated or who struggle with administration — it will be harder to stay within the deadline. Not everyone has the skills or help needed to track claims this closely.

Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler explained this change alongside two others: making it harder for people to have their plans reviewed, and slowing down how fast plan costs grow overall. These three measures are the government's way of controlling how much money leaves the NDIS scheme each year.

The system that handles NDIS claims and payments is also being rebuilt. That upgrade starts in July 2026 and won't be finished until 2030. This means the new 90-day rule will be working with the old system for roughly three and a half years before the new one is ready. That could make it harder to enforce the rule properly.

Costs per participant in the NDIS have been rising for years, and governments worry about that. These changes are meant to slow that rise. But here's the tension: shortening the claims window doesn't actually give people fewer supports — it just gives them less time to claim them. If people miss the deadline and don't get their supports paid for, the government saves money. But the whole point of the NDIS is to pay for supports people need. That purpose might get crowded out by budget targets.

If you work in disability services or policy, mark the December date: it's set in stone. The new systems won't be ready for years. The gap between those two facts is where the real pressure will build.