Labor floats ‘Thriving Teens’ scheme as laws pass to remove 240,000 from NDIS
The Australian government has passed legislation to remove 240,000 people from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to save billions in federal spending. Officials are now tasked with creating alternative support programs, such as the 'Thriving Teens' scheme, to assist those losing eligibility by 2028.
Why it matters
This represents a major structural overhaul of Australia's social safety net, impacting the long-term care and financial support of hundreds of thousands of citizens.
— 3:27pm , first published August 19, 2026 — 5:00am
Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Share A A A Federal and state governments must urgently start work on setting up new disability systems for older children, teenagers and adults with lower needs after the parliament this week passes laws that will remove 240,000 people from the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler said a scheme akin to a “Thriving Teens” program would need to get off the ground within the next 16 months to make sure older children who no longer qualified for the scheme aren’t left in the lurch when eligibility changes start in 2028.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in