Changing your NDIS plan

A plan reassessment will typically happen 12 months after your first planning meeting, or if there has been a substantial change in your day-to-day circumstances.

What is a plan reassessment?

 

Your plan reassessment is an opportunity to make sure your supports are working for you and are helping you to achieve your goals. You will also be given the chance to set new goals that build on your previous achievements.

While a plan will usually last for 12 months, you can ask for a shorter NDIS plan, or you may be able to schedule your plan reassessments to occur up to two years apart. These options will be dependent on your personal circumstances, and the goals you are working towards.

The supports provided through the NDIS are designed to change as your needs change. This means that some children and adults who have achieved their goals will no longer require support from the NDIS.

If this is the case, the NDIA and your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) will work with you to support your transition to mainstream and community supports.

The NDIA will also look at the way you have utilised the supports in your plan over the last 12 months to ensure that they are the right fit for you.

If you don’t understand the supports in your plan, or are having difficulty using them, it is very important for you to contact your LAC or Amaze who will be able to assist you to ensure that you are getting the most out of your NDIS supports.

If you have funding that you have not spent from your NDIS plan, it will be important for you to explain why this is the case.

Some common reasons are that it has been confusing to understand the process, it has been difficult to connect with service providers, or the funding did not match your needs. It is important to keep records of this.

Before your plan a reassessment happens, it’s important for you to think about how successful or unsuccessful the previous 12 months with your NDIS plan been.

This will include measuring your progress towards your goals, considering any unmet needs you have, reviewing your current supports and deciding if they are still necessary for you, and considering any new goals that you would like to work towards over the next 12 months.

To ensure that you are able to continue receiving therapeutic supports (such as psychology, speech pathology, or occupational therapy), it will be important for you to get reports from your therapists and bring these to your plan reassessment meeting.

You can also contact the Amaze Autism Connect advisors to discuss your plan progress and reassessment preparation. Call 1300 308 699, email [email protected] or use the webchat on this site. This service is open from 8am–7pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). 

If your circumstances or needs change, you can request an plan reassessment at any time.

It is important to note that your circumstances need to have changed significantly from your last meeting for a reassessment to take place. If you simply feel that your plan does not meet your needs, you can request an internal review, which is a separate process.

If you are unhappy with an NDIA decision, or the supports included in your plan, you can request an internal review.

If you request an internal review, the NDIA staff member who made the initial decision will not be involved in the review process. You will need to explain why you think the decision was incorrect.

If you are still unhappy with the outcome of the internal review, you can apply for an independent review to be conducted through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).

You cannot request for the AAT to review a decision until the NDIA has first reviewed it internally.

For more information

If you’d like more information about the NDIS generally, or to get advice on your specific circumstances, contact the Amaze Autism Connect advisors on 1300 308 699, email [email protected] or use the webchat on this site.

This service is open from 8am–7pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

References

National Disability Insurance Agency [NDIA] (2022a) Changing your plan, NDIS, accessed 22 December 2022. https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/your-plan-menu/changing-your-plan

NDIA (2022b) Changing your plan, NDIS, accessed 22 December 2022. https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/changing-your-plan

NDIA (2022c) Changing your plan, NDIS, accessed 22 December 2022. https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/changing-your-plan

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