A Guide to Changing Your NDIS Plan

Do you want/need to change your plan? The NDIA will only reassess a plan if changes in your life mean you need more, less, or different supports or if your plan is ending. It is important to remember that they won’t automatically review your plan just because you have used all your funding. There must be a legitimate reason for funding to have been exhausted for them to reassess. 

The NDIS will check in with you during your plan to see if you need any changes, and you can request a change to your plan at any time. There are three ways to ask for a change to your plan:

1. Complete the form on the NDIS website and email it to enquiries@ndis.gov.au or mail it to NDIA, GPO Box 700, Canberra ACT 2601

https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/changing-your-plan/change-circumstances#download-the-form

2. Call the NDIS on 1800 800 110

3. Visit your local NDIS office

Depending on the change you feel you need and what needs to be done, you may just need a plan variation, which is just a change to your current plan. If the changes are more significant and you need a new plan, you will undergo a plan reassessment.

Providing the proper evidence is critical if you have requested a change to your plan. The NDIS will work with you to understand why you need a change, but they will only agree to change your plan if you provide evidence to support your reasoning. Provide any new information to help the NDIS decide if they need to reassess your plan; this may include any assessments, reports or other information. For significant changes to your circumstances, such as getting a new job or moving out of home, the more information the NDIS have,, the better they can determine your new needs and if you need a plan reassessment.

Remember - Reasonable and Necessary!

The NDIS can only fund reasonable and necessary supports, so your change requests must be reasonable and necessary and meet the funding criteria.

To be considered reasonable and necessary, a support or service:

·must be related to a participant’s disability

·must not include day-to-day living costs not related to your disability support needs, such as groceries

·should represent value for money

·must be likely to be effective and work for the participant and

·should take into account support given to you by other government services, your family, carers, networks and the community.

The NDIA has 21 days to make a decision after they receive your request to change your plan. If they decide not to change your plan, the decision must be explained. They will discuss your review rights and offer to schedule a plan implementation meeting. This meeting is a chance to sit down and work with your my NDIS contact (Early Childhood Partner, Local Area Coordinator, NDIA Planner) to go through your current supports and assess how they can work better together to make the most of your plan. It is important to remember that a change to your plan isn’t used to review a decision the NDIA has already made.

Changing your goals:

You can change your NDIS goals at any time; you just need to let the NDIS know. They will update your plan with your new statement of goals and give you a copy of your varied plan within 7 days of getting your changed statement. The change in goals results in a varied plan, not a new plan. No other changes to your plan will be made if you only ask us to change your participant statement of goals and aspirations. The supports funded in your plan, the amount of funding in your plan, how your funding is managed, and when your plan comes up for reassessment all stay the same.

Urgent requests:

If you find yourself in a critical situation with a significant change to your personal circumstances or living arrangements and a high risk to yourself, call the NDIS, 1800 800 110, immediately for a priority plan reassessment. Remember, you must still provide the right evidence to support your review.

Some helpful links to NDIS webpages:

Changing your plan

Changing my NDIS plan

How can I ask for a change to my plan?

Change in circumstances

Reasonable and necessary supports

If you have any questions about changing your plan our team are always available to speak with. Call them on 1300 467 284!