Last checked: 29 August 2026.
NDIS provider registration changed on 1 July 2026, but not every provider or support is affected in the same way. The current must-register rule is for Supported Independent Living (SIL). It is not a rule that Horizons is SIL, and personal care is not a must-register class yet.
This article explains the current position in plain English. It is general information, not legal advice or advice about an individual NDIS plan.
What is law now: mandatory registration for SIL
From 1 July 2026, the NDIS (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rules 2018, as amended, require a person to be registered to provide assistance with supported independent living. That must-register rule is section 7(4). The registration class is 0138 Assistance with supported independent living. A transition pathway applies to eligible existing unregistered SIL providers, as explained below.
The NDIS Commission describes SIL as a package of home and living support for a participant with higher support needs who requires assistance for all or most of the day. The provider manages and delivers the package of support. A few hours of support a day or week is not automatically SIL, and an arrangement where a participant chooses and manages their own workers is not SIL under the Commission's summary.
The label used on an invoice or service page is not enough to decide whether an arrangement is SIL. Providers should check the full legal definition in the in-force Provider Registration Rules, and participants can ask the provider or the NDIS Commission to explain how the rules apply.
The 1 October 2026 date, and what does not automatically change
The 1 July start date does not mean every existing unregistered SIL provider had to stop immediately.
The NDIA's public advice is that a SIL provider must be registered or apply to register by 1 October 2026. The NDIA also says the participant's plan and funding will not change because of this rule. If the provider registers, the participant does not need to do anything. If the provider does not register, the participant will need to move to a registered SIL provider.
1 October 2026 is a SIL registration-application deadline, not a pricing-schedule change. For current rates, read What the NDIS pricing schedule is in 2026.
An unregistered provider that delivered SIL before 1 July 2026 can use the NDIS Commission's transition pathway. The provider may continue delivering SIL while its registration application is assessed if it submits a valid application before 1 October 2026. If the application is not approved, the provider cannot continue delivering SIL.
A new provider entering the SIL market from 1 July 2026 does not have the same existing-provider transition. It must meet the registration requirement before delivering SIL.
If your current provider says it is using the transition pathway, you can ask when it applied, which registration class it applied for, and how it is meeting the new SIL Practice Standards during the transition.
What is still later: personal care is not a must-register class yet
A separate reform package is about expanding mandatory registration to providers of other higher-risk supports. The Australian Government has said this may include personal care, daily living supports and supports delivered in closed settings, with a proposed rollout beginning on 1 July 2027 and continuing to December 2030. The Government has also said it will publish a list of supports treated as higher risk before that change starts.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 passed both Houses on 19 August 2026 and received Assent on 20 August 2026 (Act No. 66 of 2026). That does not make personal care a must-register class today. The SIL must-register rule remains the Provider Registration Rules 2018 as amended from 1 July 2026, section 7(4). It is a SIL rule, not a personal-care rule, and not a Horizons rule.
The final scope, timing and transition arrangements for any later expansion may still change as further detail is published. Until a personal-care class is actually required to be registered, it should not be described as a current legal requirement.
Registered does not automatically mean the right fit
Registration creates formal oversight and additional obligations, including audits, worker screening for key personnel and workers in risk-assessed roles, incident management and compliance with relevant NDIS Practice Standards. That is important, especially for higher-risk supports.
Registration status is still only one part of choosing a provider. Participants and families can also look at:
- whether workers are consistent, suitably trained and properly screened
- how the provider protects privacy, dignity and choice
- how incidents, complaints and feedback are handled
- whether the service agreement is clear about supports, prices and notice periods
- how the provider supports independence instead of creating unnecessary dependence
- whether the provider is reliable, responsive and a good personal fit
Registered and unregistered providers must both follow the NDIS Code of Conduct. Registration adds requirements and oversight, but it should not replace careful questions about the support people experience day to day.
Which providers can you use?
If your funding is NDIA-managed, you must use registered providers. If your funding is self-managed or plan-managed, you can usually choose registered or unregistered providers for supports that do not have a mandatory registration requirement. SIL has required registration since 1 July 2026, but an eligible existing unregistered SIL provider may continue temporarily while its valid transition application is assessed.
The NDIS explains these choices on its current provider information page. If you are unsure which registration rule applies, ask the NDIS Commission. Questions about a formal plan or funding decision should go to your NDIS contact. A Support Coordinator can help with plan implementation if funded, while a plan manager can answer current budget, invoice and payment questions.
Questions to ask a provider in 2026
- Is this support legally classified as SIL, or is it a different type of individual support?
- If it is SIL, are you registered for class 0138?
- If you are using the SIL transition pathway, did you apply before 1 October 2026?
- Which worker screening, incident and complaints processes apply to my support?
- How will you keep my regular support consistent if staffing changes?
- How do you show that workers understand the NDIS Code of Conduct?
- Does my funding management type allow me to use this provider for this support?
- What will you do if a future registration change affects this service?
Where HORIZONS Support Network fits
HORIZONS Support Network is a non-registered support-worker provider for self-managed and plan-managed participants only. We do not support NDIA-managed participants.
We are not SIL. We do not provide Support Coordination. We do not provide clinical supports.
We support only self-managed and plan-managed participants with daily personal activities, independent living skills, social and community participation and Short Term Respite. Our support can take place in a participant's home or in the community. Where a participant also receives SIL from a separate registered provider, each service must have a distinct role and follow the participant's plan and service agreements.
As a non-registered provider, we are still required to follow the NDIS Code of Conduct and deliver supports safely, competently and with respect for each person's rights. We are also monitoring any later registration expansion. If the law or the final published scope changes what is required for any support we deliver, we will review that requirement before its commencement date.
Before changing a support arrangement
Do not cancel a service only because you have heard that "all unregistered providers must stop". That statement is not accurate. Check the type of support, your funding management arrangement, the provider's registration status and any applicable transition pathway first. A SIL registration deadline does not automatically change a participant's plan or funding.
For a registration question, contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. For a formal plan or funding decision, contact your NDIS contact. A Support Coordinator can help with plan implementation if funded, and an independent disability advocate can provide advocacy support. A plan manager can answer current budget, invoice and payment questions but does not decide registration or funding rules.
Official sources
- NDIA: Mandatory registration for SIL and NDIS digital platform providers
- NDIS Commission: Mandatory registration
- NDIS Commission: Transition pathway for an existing unregistered SIL provider
- Federal Register of Legislation: Provider Registration Rules in force from 1 July 2026
- Australian Government: Proposed changes to the NDIS
- Parliament of Australia: Bill progress record, including Assent on 20 August 2026
- Parliament of Australia: Senate committee inquiry into the Bill
