An NDIS plan review is your opportunity to adjust your funding so it reflects what you actually need. Done well, it can increase your budget, change your support categories, or unlock new services. Done poorly — or without preparation — it can result in the same plan rolled over, or worse, funding reduced. This guide covers what to expect and how to prepare.
Scheduled vs unscheduled reviews
Most participants have a scheduled review at the end of their plan period, typically every 12 months. The NDIA will contact you (usually by letter) when your plan is approaching its end date to start the process.
An unscheduled review (sometimes called a mid-plan review) can be requested at any time if your circumstances have changed significantly — a new or changed diagnosis, a major shift in your support needs, a housing change, or a situation where your current funding clearly cannot meet your needs. You cannot simply ask for more money because your budget ran low; you need to show that something has genuinely changed.
From 1 July 2026, the NDIS operates under a Flexible Supports model for Core budgets, which means more flexibility in how you use your funded hours across support categories. This does not change how plan reviews work, but it does mean your evidence should reflect how you are using — and need to use — your flexible budget, not just individual line items.
Start preparing 8 weeks out
The most common mistake is leaving review preparation to the last fortnight. By then, there is not enough time to gather provider reports, request allied health letters, or document your unmet needs properly. Eight weeks gives you enough runway to do it properly.
If you have a support coordinator, schedule a review preparation session at the 8-week mark. That session should result in a clear list of what evidence is needed, who is gathering it, and what your goals for the new plan are.
What evidence to gather
The NDIA makes funding decisions based on evidence of your functional impact — how your disability affects your daily life — and what supports are reasonable and necessary to address that impact. The following types of evidence carry the most weight.
Progress notes and provider reports
Ask your support workers, support coordinator, and any other current providers to write a brief report summarising what supports were delivered, how they were used, and what outcomes they contributed to. A good provider report is specific: not “participant was supported with daily activities” but “participant required two-person assistance with morning personal care three times per week due to fatigue and reduced upper-limb mobility.”
Allied health and treating professional letters
Letters from occupational therapists, psychologists, GPs, and other treating professionals are highly influential. They should speak to your functional capacity — what you can and cannot do independently — and connect that directly to the supports you are requesting. Generic letters that describe a diagnosis without linking it to function are much less useful.
What is working and what is not
Write down (or ask your coordinator to help you document) what supports have made a genuine difference and why, and what gaps remain. Be specific: “I was unable to access community activities in the third quarter because I ran out of community participation funding in October” is more useful than “my funding was not enough.” Document unmet needs with examples, dates if you have them, and the impact on your life.
Your goals for the next plan
The NDIA funds supports that are “reasonable and necessary” to help you pursue your goals. Come to the review with clear, specific goals. Vague goals (“to be more independent”) attract vague funding decisions. Specific goals (“to be able to use public transport independently to attend weekly employment training”) give the NDIA something to fund against.
At the planning meeting
The planning meeting is usually a phone or video call with an NDIA planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC). You can bring a support person, nominee, or your support coordinator. The coordinator cannot speak on your behalf about your lived experience, but they can help you explain your support needs clearly and make sure nothing important is missed.
Before the meeting, review your current plan line by line. Know which budgets you used fully, which you did not use (and why), and which you ran out of before the year ended. Running out of a budget is one of the clearest signals that more funding is needed — document when it ran out and what you went without as a result.
What a support coordinator does in a review
A good support coordinator treats review preparation as one of their most important responsibilities. The work includes: gathering provider reports, writing a coordination summary that describes how the plan was implemented and what was not achievable within the current budget, identifying unmet needs with evidence, and attending the planning meeting to support you through the conversation.
If you do not currently have support coordination funded and your plan is complex, consider requesting it as part of your next plan. A coordinator who prepares well for reviews consistently achieves better outcomes than participants who navigate the process alone.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, Aboriginal support coordination brings additional value at review time — an understanding of community context, cultural obligations, and the barriers that affect NDIS engagement for First Nations participants, which a coordinator can articulate to the NDIA on your behalf.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Starting too late. Evidence takes time to gather. Eight weeks minimum; twelve is better for complex plans.
- Submitting a generic allied health letter. A letter that describes a diagnosis without linking it to functional impact and support needs carries little weight.
- Not documenting unmet needs. If you went without a support because you ran out of funding, document it with dates and impact. This is your evidence for why the budget needs to increase.
- Accepting the first outcome without question. If your plan review outcome does not reflect what you asked for and you have the evidence to support your request, you have the right to an internal review.
- Not bringing support to the planning meeting. You are allowed — and it is advisable — to have your coordinator, a family member, or a nominee with you.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I start preparing for my NDIS plan review?
Start at least 8 weeks before your plan end date. This gives you time to gather provider reports, request letters from allied health, and document what has worked and what has not. If you have a support coordinator, schedule a review preparation session with them at the 8-week mark. Leaving it to the last fortnight means you will likely miss evidence that could strengthen your case for increased or changed funding.
What is the difference between a scheduled and unscheduled NDIS plan review?
A scheduled review happens at the end of your plan period — the NDIA contacts you to start a new plan. An unscheduled review can be requested at any time if your circumstances have changed significantly: a new diagnosis, a major change in support needs, a housing crisis, or funding that is clearly not meeting your needs. You cannot ask for more money simply because your budget ran low; you need to show that something has genuinely changed.
What happens if I disagree with my NDIS plan review outcome?
If you are unhappy with your plan review outcome, you have the right to request an internal review by the NDIA within 3 months of the decision. If you are still unhappy after the internal review, you can appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). A support coordinator can help you gather the evidence needed for an internal review. The 3-month window runs from the date of the decision letter — act quickly.
Can my support coordinator prepare for the review on my behalf?
A support coordinator can do a lot of the preparation work — gathering reports, writing a summary of what supports were used and why, documenting unmet needs, and attending the planning meeting with you. But the NDIA will want to hear directly from you (or your nominee) about your goals and how your disability affects your daily life. The coordinator prepares the evidence; you speak to your lived experience. The two work together.
Related guides
Need a support coordinator to help with your plan review?
Tegrity provides support coordination across Sydney. We prepare thoroughly, attend planning meetings with you, and follow through after the review.