New NDIS integrity and safeguarding laws

The Australian Government has confirmed that the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025 passed Parliament in April 2026 and will now become law.

These changes are designed to strengthen protections for people with disabilities and carers, and to reduce fraud and unsafe practices within the NDIS.

Read the Australian Government media release online.

What integrity and safeguarding mean

When the NDIS talks about integrity and safeguarding, it means keeping things safe, fair and honest for people with disability.

Integrity means NDIS funding is used the right way and not misused.

Safeguarding means protecting people from harm, unsafe services, or being taken advantage of.

Together, this helps people feel safe and trust the support they receive.

What the new safeguarding laws mean

The new integrity and safeguarding laws focus on:

• Protecting participants from unsafe or dishonest providers
• Cracking down on fraud and misuse of NDIS funding
• Giving regulators more power to monitor and act when things go wrong

Key changes

Stronger penalties for wrongdoing

• It is now a criminal offence to ignore an NDIS banning order
• It is also a criminal offence to provide certain supports without being properly registered
• Both offences can carry up to five years in prison

Much higher fines for serious breaches

• Fines for major misconduct have increased significantly
• In the most serious cases, penalties can exceed $15 million, especially where harm or death has occurred

New rules around advertising

• New anti-promotion powers aim to stop businesses from:
  • Misleading participants
  • Encouraging misuse of NDIS funding

Broader banning powers

• The NDIS Commission can now ban more types of workers, including:
  • Auditors
  • Business advisors
  • Consultants

Better protections for whistleblowers

• People who report unsafe or unlawful behaviour will have stronger legal protections

Stronger oversight and enforcement

• The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission will have expanded powers to:
  • Monitor providers
  • Investigate concerns
  • Take action more quickly

Changes to how claims are processed

• New mandatory electronic claim forms will be introduced
• The National Disability Insurance Agency may request supporting evidence before claims are paid

These changes aim to reduce errors, fraud, and misuse of funding.

What this means for participants and carers

For most people, these changes will not affect day-to-day supports.

However, you may notice:

• More checks around how services are delivered and billed
• Providers needing to meet stricter integrity and safeguarding requirements
• Increased focus on safety, quality and accountability

A note about integrity and safeguarding from Lifely

At Lifely, we understand that integrity and safeguarding changes like this can raise questions or concerns.

We want to reassure our participants, their families and anyone who cares about the rights of people with disabilities that:

• We are a registered NDIS provider with over 40 years of experience supporting people with disabilities and their families
• We are proud to support regional and rural communities, where access to quality services really matters
• We are committed to being ethical, transparent and person-centred in everything we do
• We are regularly audited and meet all requirements set by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
• We have strong quality, compliance, and safeguarding policies and procedures in place to help keep you safe when using our services

Our focus has always been on delivering high-quality, reliable support you can trust.

If you’re a current or future participant or family member and have any questions about our services or how we meet the standards set by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, feel free to get in touch with us anytime.

Final thoughts on the New NDIS integrity and safeguarding laws

These reforms are part of a broader effort to make sure the NDIS is:

• Safe
• Fair
• Sustainable for the future

While the changes introduce stricter rules, the goal is to better protect people with disabilities and ensure funding is used in the way it was intended.

If you have questions or concerns about your supports, it can help to speak with your provider, support coordinator, or a trusted professional.