Your NDIS plan isn't set in stone. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) checks in on every plan — usually once a year — to make sure your funding still matches your needs. This check is called a plan reassessment (you'll often hear it called a plan review).

For many participants and families, reassessment time is stressful. It doesn't need to be. Here's what actually happens, and how to walk in prepared.

When do plan reviews happen?

There are three ways a review can come about:

  1. Scheduled reassessment — the NDIA contacts you as your plan's end date approaches. Most plans run 12 months, though longer plans (24 or 36 months) are becoming more common when needs are stable.
  2. Participant-requested review — if your circumstances change significantly (your condition progresses, your informal support changes, you move house), you can ask for a reassessment at any time. You don't have to wait.
  3. Change of circumstances — you're required to tell the NDIA about major changes, and they may bring your reassessment forward as a result.

What the NDIA looks at

The planner's core question is simple: is your current funding helping you work toward your goals? They'll want to understand:

  • How you used your funding in the current plan
  • Which supports made a real difference
  • What didn't get used, and why
  • Whether your daily life, health or informal supports have changed
  • Your goals for the next plan period

Unused funding is worth explaining, not hiding. "We couldn't find a provider with capacity" leads to a very different outcome than the NDIA assuming the support wasn't needed.

How to prepare

Start four to six weeks out. Gather evidence while there's still time to request letters:

  • Reports from your therapists, doctors and support coordinators
  • A short written summary of what each support achieves for you
  • Notes on what has changed since the last plan
  • Your goals, written in your own words

Track real usage. Your providers can give you statements showing how support hours were used. Bring them.

Say what isn't working. A reassessment isn't only about defending what you have — it's the moment to raise gaps. If personal care runs out midweek or transport funding never stretches to your actual appointments, say so plainly and back it with examples.

What happens after

You'll receive a draft or final plan, usually within a few weeks. Read the funded supports line by line. If the outcome doesn't reflect your needs, you have review rights — an internal review must be requested within 3 months of the plan decision.

Where a provider fits in

A good provider makes reassessment time easier because the evidence already exists: progress notes, usage records and outcome summaries are part of how they work, not a scramble at review time. If you'd like a hand preparing — or a provider who documents as they go — we're happy to talk it through in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean or Japanese.