The figures, covering the 21-month period from July 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026, show a steady rise in the number of plans reduced after reassessment. In the first three months of 2026, 18,037 plans were cut — the most of any quarter since July 2024 — while only 26,998 plans were increased, the lowest return over the same period.
Eligibility revocations also spiked, averaging 498 per week in the first quarter of 2026, more than quadruple the 116 per week recorded in the same period of 2025.
The data aligns with anecdotal reports from disability advocates and ABC readers who have described sudden cuts to plans, sometimes by staff with limited understanding of disability. Emma Bennison, CEO of Disability Advocacy Network Australia, said the figures reflect what her organisation has been hearing from members.
"This matches what our members have been telling us for some time: plans are being reduced at review, decisions are harder to get changed, and people are coming to advocates when they are already in difficulty," she said.
Ms Bennison noted that increases to reassessed packages did not necessarily indicate generosity, but often corrected earlier under-assessments. She said it appeared the NDIA had set its direction well before the scheme's generational overhaul passed parliament in August.
In a statement, an NDIA spokesperson said eligibility reassessments have been a normal practice since the NDIS began, and that in 2025 the agency extended the timeframe to collect information from 28 to 90 days. "As a result, staffing and decision volumes increased," they said. "It is normal for plans to go up and down as participants' circumstances change."
While $2.83 billion was cut from reassessed packages over the 21 months, $11.11 billion was paid out across plans that were increased.