Got an NDIS reassessment or renewal coming up? What to expect, and how to read your new plan

Hi, it's the team at Forward Planning Plus. A lot of families are asking us the same thing right now: "What actually happens at my next plan meeting?" Here's what the NDIA and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing have said, in plain English.

This is general information only. It isn't legal, financial or clinical advice.

When will my plan change?

It depends on what happens to your plan next.

Until then, you can keep using your current plan and supports.

Heads-up if your reassessment date is a long way off: the Department says that if your scheduled reassessment date is on or after 1 October 2027, your renewal will be brought forward to happen on or before 30 September 2027.

What's the difference between a reassessment and a renewal?

• Reassessment: the NDIA looks at whether your support needs have changed, and whether your plan needs to change to meet them. You get a new plan.
• Renewal (from 1 February 2027): when a plan is due, it's either reassessed by an NDIA planner, or a new plan is created with the same supports as the old one. A renewal replaces what used to be called a "plan continuation".

One big change with renewals: the NDIA says unspent funds from your previous plan won't be carried over.

How much notice will I get?

• Scheduled or NDIA-initiated reassessment: the NDIA will contact you 2 to 3 months before, to book the meeting.
• Renewal: the NDIA will contact you 60 days before. The Department says you don't need to give any extra information.
• How you meet: you can choose phone, video call or face to face for a reassessment.

Keep your contact details up to date. Since 1 October 2026, the NDIA can suspend a plan if a participant doesn't respond to requests for information. It says this only happens after at least 5 attempts over 3 to 4 months, using your preferred contact method.

What should I prepare for a reassessment?

The NDIA says a reassessment looks at whether your support needs have changed. Things that help:

• ☐ Recent reports from your treating health professionals, therapists or support workers. For a reassessment you ask for, the NDIA says evidence should usually be from within 4 months and after your current plan was approved.
• ☐ What's working and what isn't. Which supports you use, and which ones you can't get.
• ☐ What's changed. Your daily activities, living arrangements, education, work, or help from family and friends.
• ☐ How you've used your plan. Your statements or portal show what you've spent in each budget. (Not sure how to read your plan? See our guide to How to Read & Use Your NDIS Plan.)
• ☐ Your goals. What you want your supports to help with next.

Support coordinators: our progress report and reassessment toolkit can help.

Why does my new plan show two amounts?

Because of the budget changes. The Department says that when you receive a new plan, it will show your total plan funding and the funding available after the change.

The changes reduce the amount available for 2 kinds of supports:

• Social, economic and community participation: by 50%
• Improved daily living skills: by 10%

What that can look like: the Department gives this example. A participant has $50,000 a year for social, economic and community participation supports, but has been using $30,000 a year. After the change, they have $25,000 a year available. So their actual spending on these supports drops by $5,000 a year.

Plan from the available amount, not the total. If you're plan-managed, ask your plan manager to track your spending against the available amount.

Don't mix this up with funding periods

New NDIS plans also release funding in funding periods, usually every 3 months. The NDIA says funding periods don't change your total. They only change when you can use it. And claims can't be paid if the funding in that period is used up. So you may see a "total", an "available after the change" amount, and an amount released for the current period. They're three different things.

What won't be affected?

The NDIA says some supports inside these 2 areas won't be reduced: supports in employment, disability-related health supports, high intensity supports, intensive and complex behaviour supports, customised and wearable technology, and hearing services.

Other parts of your plan aren't affected either. The NDIA lists help with eating, drinking, dressing, toileting, laundry, cleaning, nurse care, medication, home and vehicle modifications, personal mobility equipment and specialist disability accommodation.

The reset doesn't apply to new framework plans (the new way of planning starts from April 2027).

Also remember: the NDIA says plans may go up and down as your needs change over time, and that isn't related to these reforms.

What can I do if my new plan doesn't meet my needs?

The NDIA says the budget change isn't a reviewable decision. But you still have options:

1. Ask for a plan reassessment if there's been a significant and ongoing change to your ability to do daily activities, your living arrangements, your education or work, or the informal support you have.
   • Only you, your plan nominee or your child representative can ask, on the NDIA's form, with evidence. You can't give consent for a provider to ask for you.
   • The NDIA has up to 90 days to decide whether to reassess your plan. You can keep using your current plan while it decides.
2. Ask for a plan variation for smaller changes, or crisis or emergency funding. The NDIA aims to decide within 21 days of getting the information it needs. (It notes that using up your funding early isn't, by itself, an emergency.)
3. High support needs? If you get 24-hour funded supports, there's a special variation pathway. Read our guide to Do you get 24-hour NDIS supports? How the new high support needs plan variation works.
4. Disagree with a decision about your plan? You can ask for an internal review of that decision.

More detail: our guide to NDIS plan reassessments and plan variations.

Your 5-minute checklist

1. Find your reassessment date in your plan or the my NDIS app.
2. Update your contact details with the NDIA, so you don't miss the call.
3. Start a folder for recent reports and notes on what's changed.
4. Look at what you actually use in social and community participation and daily living skills.
5. When your new plan arrives, find the "available after the change" amount and share it with your providers and plan manager.
6. Need help with budgeting? Try the Budget Health Check.

How Forward Planning Plus can help

Forward Planning Plus is a registered NDIS plan manager (NDIA registration 4050161030) with a Queensland-based team. Plan management is no cost to you.

• Our portal sends low-funding alerts, which helps when a budget is smaller than you're used to.
• We'll call you back within 24 hours on business days (Mon–Fri).
• Switching to us is at no cost to you, and there's no notice period or exit fee with us.

Register with Forward Planning Plus · Switch NDIS Plan Manager · NDIS glossary · NDIS changes 2026–2028: what's changing and when

Related reading:

• NDIS plan changes for 2026–27: budget resets, plan renewals and unspent funds
• Do you get 24-hour NDIS supports? How the new high support needs plan variation works
• Would you spot a fake NDIS invoice? How to check your statements
• Will unregistered providers' prices drop 10% in January?
• Will I lose my support coordinator? The 2028 changes
• Thriving Kids has started. Does it change my child's NDIS plan?