Reviews, reassessments, and changing your plan

Your plan is a 12-month, 24-month, or (increasingly) 36-month commitment. Over that period, things change — your child grows, needs shift, supports work or don't. The NDIS has three mechanisms for adjusting a plan. It is worth knowing which applies when.

The three mechanisms at a glance

• Plan variation — a small adjustment within the current plan (e.g. changing plan management, updating a single budget line). Quick.
• Plan reassessment (the old 'plan review') — a full renegotiation, usually at plan end. Produces a new plan.
• Check-in — a lighter-touch conversation at the mid-point of a longer plan, where the plan usually continues but can be amended if something's shifted significantly.

Plan variations — for small things

A variation keeps the current plan in force but amends specific parts. You request it; the NDIA considers it; the plan updates. Usually takes 2–6 weeks. Examples:

• Changing plan management (from NDIA-managed to plan-managed, say).
• Adding a specific piece of assistive technology that wasn't in the original plan.
• Changing a stated support to non-stated (giving more flexibility).
• Adjusting a specific goal or outcome.

Variations are for things that don't need a whole-plan re-think. If the overall shape of the plan still works and you just need one thing different, ask for a variation.

Plan reassessments — the full re-negotiation

At plan end (or earlier if warranted), the NDIA holds a reassessment. This is a new planning meeting and the process largely mirrors your first plan:

• Review of progress against current plan's goals.
• Updated evidence (new paediatric letters, recent allied health reports).
• New goals for the next period.
• New budget allocations.
• Fresh decision on plan duration, management arrangement, and supports.

The reassessment is where the biggest changes to your funding happen. Prepare for it with the same seriousness as the first plan meeting.

When to request an early reassessment

You can request a reassessment before the end of the plan if significant circumstances have changed. Examples:

• Your child has been through a significant regression or progression.
• A major medical or health event has changed support needs.
• Family circumstances have shifted (e.g. a parent's health crisis changing available informal support).
• A new diagnosis has been made that changes the clinical picture.
• A Capital item is needed urgently that wasn't in the current plan.

Request in writing, via the myplace portal or via phone. The NDIA may grant it, or may deny it and instead process a variation if the issue is narrower.

Check-ins — the 2024 reform addition

Since 2024, longer plans (24 or 36 months) include a mid-plan check-in. The check-in is a scheduled conversation with your planner or Partner that asks 'is this plan still the right one?'. It is lighter than a reassessment — the plan usually continues as written — but it's the moment to flag anything that's shifted.

Treat check-ins seriously. They're not rubber stamps. A well-prepared check-in can result in amendments without waiting for full reassessment.

How the new reassessment rhythm works

Under pre-2024 policy, most plans were 12 months with full reassessment every year. Under current policy:

• First plans are usually 12 months.
• Stable second and subsequent plans are increasingly 24 or 36 months.
• Children and people with significant developmental change still tend to have 12-month plans.
• Everyone gets a check-in at the midpoint of longer plans.

This has pros and cons. Pro: less planning-meeting burden, more continuity. Con: if circumstances change mid-plan and you don't request an early reassessment, you could be on an out-of-date plan for a long time. Stay active. Don't wait passively for a scheduled reassessment if things have shifted.

What the NDIA is looking for at reassessment

The reassessment conversation focuses on:

1. 1Has the participant made progress against the plan's goals?
2. 2Have the supports been used? If not fully, why?
3. 3Have functional needs changed? In which direction?
4. 4What are the new or continuing goals for the next period?
5. 5Are the existing budget proportions right for the next period, or should they change?

Bring evidence for each. Progress notes from providers are invaluable — ask for them at the 9-month mark, in a specific format: 'what goals have we worked on, what's happened, what's next'.

If the NDIA wants to reduce your plan

Reassessments sometimes result in smaller plans. This happens when the NDIA concludes either that some supports are no longer reasonable and necessary, or that early intervention has done its work and the child's functional needs are closer to age-typical than they were.

If you disagree with a reduction, you can request internal review of the new plan decision within 90 days. The next chapter covers the full appeals pathway.