Your plan review is more important than it might seem
Most NDIS participants have a plan review once a year. It’s your chance to sit down with the NDIA (or your Local Area Coordinator) and talk about how your plan has been working, what’s changed, and what you’ll need going forward.
Done well, a plan review can mean better funding, more suitable supports, and a plan that actually reflects your life. Done poorly — or without preparation — you might walk away with the same plan as last year even if your needs have changed significantly.
Here’s how to get the most out of it.
Start preparing well before the meeting
Don’t leave preparation to the night before. Ideally, start thinking about your review 4 to 6 weeks out. Here’s what to pull together:
Review your current plan. Go back through your plan and think honestly about what worked, what didn’t, and what you didn’t end up using. Your plan manager can give you a breakdown of your spending across each category — this is really useful evidence to bring to the meeting.
Think about what’s changed. Has your condition changed? Are there new goals you want to work towards? Have your supports changed? Have you moved? Any of these can be reason to request changes to your funding.
Get updated reports from your treating professionals. Occupational therapist reports, specialist letters, and therapy notes carry a lot of weight in a plan review. If it’s been a while since you’ve had an assessment, it’s worth arranging one before your review.
Be clear about your goals
The NDIS is a goals-based scheme, which means everything in your plan needs to connect back to what you’re trying to achieve. Before your review, spend some time thinking about:
Short-term goals — things you want to work on in the next 12 months, like improving daily living skills, getting back into work or study, or increasing your community participation.
Long-term goals — bigger picture things like living more independently, building meaningful relationships, or developing skills for employment.
The more specific you can be, the easier it is for the planner to match your funding to your actual needs.
Don’t be afraid to speak up
A plan review is a conversation, not a formality. You have every right to advocate for yourself (or for your family member) and ask for what you genuinely need.
If you felt your funding was too low last year, say so — and explain why. If a particular support didn’t work for you, explain what you’d prefer instead. If your needs have increased, make that clear and back it up with evidence from your treating team.
You can also bring a support person, carer, or advocate to the meeting if that would help you feel more confident.
Know that you can request a review at any time
Your annual review isn’t the only time you can request changes to your plan. If something significant changes — a new diagnosis, a change in your living situation, a major life event — you can request an unscheduled plan review at any point during your plan period.
You’ll need to provide evidence of the change, but it’s a really important option to know about if your current plan is no longer meeting your needs.
How your plan manager can help you prepare
One of the underrated benefits of having a plan manager is that they can help you prepare for your review. At The Plan Management People, we can give you a clear picture of how your funding has been used throughout the year — what was spent, what wasn’t, and where you might need more or less going forward.
This kind of real data is really valuable to bring into a plan review conversation.
If you’d like to know more about how we can support you, we’d love to hear from you.
📞 Call us: 0456 977 362
💌 Email: admin@pmpeople.com.au
🌐 Visit: www.planmanagementpeople.com.au
