NDIS I-CAN assessment - Starlight Care

NDIS Shake-Up: I-CAN Assessment—Will Simplicity Fix Inequity, or Create New Barriers?

Introduction

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is once again set for a foundational change. Following the recommendations of the 2023 NDIS Review, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has licensed a new, standardised assessment tool: the Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs, Version 6 (I-CAN).

Set for a staged rollout from mid-2026, the I-CAN is intended to replace the current, often stressful and expensive process of submitting private reports from doctors and allied health specialists.

The promise is clear: a simpler, fairer, and more accessible pathway to NDIS funding. But for many in the disability community, the word “assessment” triggers memories of the scrapped Independent Assessments (IAs) and sparks deep anxiety.

This article breaks down the proposed new system, weighing the clear benefits of a simplified process against the critical risks that worry participants and advocates.

The Burden Lifted: Why Participants Needed a Simpler System (The Pros)

The current planning process, which the I-CAN is designed to replace, is inherently unfair. The NDIA and the NDIS Review noted that participants who could afford the time and money to purchase multiple, costly specialist reports were often the ones who received better funding outcomes.

The I-CAN addresses this inequity head-on:

1. Eliminating Financial & Time Barriers

  • Savings for Participants: The most immediate benefit is the elimination of the financial burden associated with purchasing expensive Functional Capacity Assessments (FCAs), GP letters, and psychologist reports, which can cost participants thousands of dollars.
  • Reduced Waiting Times: It removes the need to wait months for specialist appointments just to gather evidence, streamlining the access and plan review process.

2. Focus on Support Needs, Not Just Diagnosis

  • The I-CAN is a person-centred, strengths-based tool. It is designed to capture what a person can achieve with supports in place, rather than only focusing on their deficits.
  • Structured Domains: The tool maps a person’s needs across 12 domains of life (including mobility, communication, self-care, and mental & emotional health). This holistic structure ensures all aspects of a person’s life are considered, regardless of their primary diagnosis.

3. Greater Consistency and Objectivity

  • A standardised tool used by trained, NDIA-appointed assessors aims to ensure two people with similar support requirements receive comparable plan budgets. This tackles the issue of a “postcode lottery” or planning variability often seen under the current system.

The Assessment Anxiety: Trading Trust for Standardization (The Cons)

While the promise of simplicity is welcomed, the community’s trust in a standardised assessment tool as the primary driver of a budget remains the central point of contention.

1. Loss of Trusted, Longitudinal Evidence

  • The Problem: The new process will no longer require a participant to provide reports from their GP, OT, or Psychologist. While participants can still submit them, they will not be the central basis for the planning decision.
  • The Risk: A treating specialist has a years-long history and context. That depth of knowledge is essential for supporting complex or fluctuating conditions. Advocacy groups are highly concerned that a single, up-to-three-hour interview with an assessor who is a stranger will fundamentally fail to capture this complexity, leading to under-funded plans.

2. The Cognitive and Emotional Burden

  • The I-CAN is a self-report-based interview. A three-hour session is a significant cognitive and emotional load, especially for participants with psychosocial disability, those who mask their symptoms, or those with communication barriers.
  • In a high-pressure, high-stakes interview setting, there is a serious risk that a participant may not accurately or completely report their support needs, potentially compromising the outcome.

3. The Budget Black Box

  • The Major Unknown: The I-CAN provides scores for support intensity and frequency, but the NDIA has not yet revealed the methodology for how this score translates into an actual dollar amount for a participant’s overall plan budget.
  • Community Fear: Without this transparency, the fear remains that the tool could be repurposed as a rigid, budget-capping mechanism, repeating the very concerns that led to the scrapping of the previous independent assessment proposal.

Preparing for the New Reality: From Reports to Conversation

The I-CAN assessment is a different beast from the functional capacity assessments we’ve known. As the staged rollout approaches in mid-2026, the way participants prepare must change from gathering reports to meticulously documenting lived experience.

Actionable Tips for Participants:

  1. Understand the 12 Domains: Start tracking your needs now, focusing on the 12 I-CAN domains (Mobility, Self-Care, Communication, etc.). Detail how often you need support and the type of support required.
  2. Bring a Support Person: As the assessment is conversation-based, always arrange for a trusted family member, advocate, or Support Coordinator to attend the interview. They can help ensure all points are covered and mitigate the emotional burden.
  3. Hold the NDIA Accountable: The NDIA is committed to co-design and transparency. We must continue to ask for clarity on the budget formula and insist that participant-provided evidence remains a valid and powerful part of the planning process.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The licensing of the I-CAN is an undeniable signal that the NDIS is moving toward a more standardized, agency-led assessment process. This shift brings with it a genuine opportunity to level the playing field for Australians who previously could not afford the cost of access.

However, the success of the I-CAN hinges on one factor: trust. The NDIA must work with absolute transparency to finalise the tool’s implementation, particularly how scores translate to budgets, and ensure robust safeguards are in place so that simplicity does not come at the cost of adequately funding complex, human needs.

Need Help Navigating the NDIS Changes?

As one of the top NDIS providers in Western Sydney, Starlight Care understands the anxiety surrounding the new I-CAN assessments. Our expert Support Coordination team is staying ahead of the reforms to help you understand the new framework, document your needs accurately, and prepare for your assessment interview.

Don’t navigate this change alone. Contact Starlight Care today for support.