How to Prepare for Your NDIS Plan Review

Your NDIS plan review, now formally called a plan reassessment, is where the next year or more of funding is decided. The outcome depends heavily on the evidence in front of the planner. Participants who prepare well tend to get plans that reflect their real needs. Participants who go in cold often do not.

Getting participants ready for reassessment is a big part of our work as coordinators. Here is what makes the difference.

Start earlier than you think

Good preparation starts the day your current plan begins, not three weeks before it ends. Evidence gathered across the whole plan period shows a planner how your disability affects your life over time, and what your supports have achieved.

As a rule of thumb, start requesting reports about four months before your plan end date. Therapists get busy, and a report that arrives after the meeting cannot help you. Check your plan end date now and put a reminder in your calendar.

Evidence that carries weight

Functional impact, not just diagnosis

This is the single most important point in this article. The NDIS funds supports based on how your disability affects your daily functioning, not on the diagnosis itself. A report that says someone has autism level 3 tells a planner very little. A report that explains they need support with every step of showering, cannot travel alone, and have daily meltdowns lasting an hour tells them a great deal.

Allied health reports with clear recommendations

Ask each therapist to include what they did, what changed, what is still needed and why. The best reports recommend specific supports with hours, frequency and a clear link to your goals and to the reasonable and necessary criteria. A recommendation of "ongoing OT" is weak. A recommendation of "fortnightly OT for 12 months to build independence in meal preparation, with the reasons" is strong.

Your own voice

Write down, in your own words or your family's, what a typical week looks like, what has improved, what is still hard and what you want to achieve next. Some families keep a simple diary of difficult days in the months before reassessment. Planners are people, and a clear, honest account of daily life is powerful.

How you used your funding

Know where your money went. If you underspent in an area, have a reason ready, such as a long waitlist or a provider leaving. Unexplained underspending can be read as a sign you did not need the support. Overspending in one area can be evidence that more is needed, if it is explained.

Your preparation checklist

• Plan end date noted, with reminders set four months and two months out.
• Reports requested from every therapist and specialist, with a due date.
• Any assessments completed, such as functional capacity or sensory assessments, if they are needed.
• Your own written statement of daily life and goals.
• Updated goals, in your words.
• A summary of funding use, with explanations for any gaps.
• Evidence of any change in circumstances, such as a new diagnosis, a hospital stay, a change in carer or a housing crisis.
• Someone to come with you to the meeting, if you would like support.

Common mistakes

• Leaving reports to the last minute. Late reports are often rushed, or missing altogether.
• Downplaying difficulties. Many people describe their best day in meetings. Describe a typical or hard day instead.
• Goals that are too vague. "Be more independent" is hard to fund against. "Catch the bus to work on my own" is clear.
• Not reading the draft goals or plan. Check everything you are shown, and speak up if it is wrong.
• Assuming everything will carry over. Each reassessment is a fresh decision. Evidence is needed for everything you want funded.

In the meeting

Bring your evidence, even if you have already sent it. Bring your support coordinator or someone you trust. Take notes, ask the planner to explain anything you do not understand, and ask when you can expect the decision. It is fine to pause and check something before answering.

If the outcome is not right

If you disagree with the decision, you can ask for an internal review. You generally have three months from when you receive the decision to do this. If you still disagree after the internal review, you can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal. Keep copies of everything and ask your coordinator for help with the request.

If your circumstances change significantly during a plan, you do not have to wait. You can ask for your plan to be varied or reassessed early, with evidence of the change.

How a support coordinator helps

Preparing for reassessment is one of the most valuable parts of support coordination. A coordinator tracks evidence across the plan, briefs therapists on what their reports need to cover, pulls everything into a clear submission, and can attend the meeting with you. We have seen well evidenced reassessments lead to substantial increases in funding when the participant's needs had never been properly described before.

If you are new to coordination, our guide on what a support coordinator actually does covers the rest of the role.