NDIS appeals have surged 130 per cent in just two years, with thousands of Australians challenging decisions about disability support as tribunal waiting times blow out to almost eight months.
New figures from the Administrative Review Tribunal’s (ART) 2025-26 annual report reveal applications jumped 18 per cent in the past financial year, climbing from 7935 to 9351.
The sharp increase comes as the Federal Government prepares to overhaul the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Reforms aimed at saving $38 billion over four years and moving approximately 240,000 people off the scheme are in the pipeline for coming years.
Disability advocates and service providers have warned the changes could trigger another wave of appeals, placing further pressure on an already stretched review system.
According to the report, disputes over NDIS support plans accounted for 80.1 per cent of appeals, with participants challenging decisions affecting their funding and access to essential services.
The median time to finalise an appeal increased from 27 to 34 weeks over the past year, leaving participants facing lengthy periods of uncertainty over their support arrangements.
Despite the tribunal finalising 61 per cent more NDIS cases than the previous year, the backlog continued to grow.
By June 2026, 7077 appeals remained unresolved, an increase of 21 per cent.
NDIS matters are now the tribunal’s third-largest category of disputes, behind migration and protection cases. The figures have intensified concerns about the system’s ability to manage further demand as major reforms take effect.
Legislation underpinning the Government’s changes passed Parliament in September, meaning the latest appeal figures do not yet reflect the impact of new measures, including the Thriving Kids initiative.
For participants and their families, disputes over funding can affect access to therapy, personal care and everyday assistance, with lengthy review processes creating additional uncertainty.
The Federal Government maintains that reform is necessary to ensure the NDIS remains financially sustainable.
But disability advocates fear tighter eligibility requirements and changes to support arrangements will drive further appeals.
With thousands of cases already awaiting decisions, the tribunal faces mounting pressure to keep pace with demand.
