NDIS Access, Planning and Reviews

Before the agency looks at a person's disability, they must meet the age and residence requirements. This lesson explains both in plain terms, including why timing matters for people approaching 65, which visa types count, and what it means to live in Australia for NDIS purposes. Key points: a person must be under 65 on the day a complete application is received, must be an Australian citizen, a permanent visa holder or a Protected Special Category visa holder, and must live in Australia. Children younger than 9 are usually supported first through the early childhood approach.

A person can become a participant by meeting the disability requirements, the early intervention requirements, or both. This lesson explains each in plain language, the kind of evidence the agency asks for, and the notice of impairment that new participants now receive. Key points: the disability requirements focus on permanent impairments that substantially reduce a person's ability to do everyday activities and mean they are likely to need support for life, the early intervention requirements focus on whether support now will reduce future need, and good evidence describes functional impact, not just a diagnosis.

A planning conversation shapes a participant's funding for the life of their plan, so good preparation makes a real difference. This lesson explains how to help a participant prepare: thinking about goals in their own words, describing a typical week, identifying informal and mainstream supports, gathering current evidence, and deciding how they want their funding managed. Key points: the participant leads, preparation should be accessible and unhurried, evidence should be current and relevant to their impairments, and we must avoid putting our own business interests ahead of the participant's choices.

Once a plan is approved, the participant needs to understand it and start using it. This lesson covers how to check the plan with the participant, confirm how funding is managed and how funding periods work, and connect them with providers. Key points: read the plan with the participant and check it reflects what was discussed, explain flexible and stated supports and funding periods clearly, note the reassessment date, help record my providers where needed, and act quickly if something is missing or wrong, because review and change options have timeframes.

A plan variation changes part of a participant's current plan without replacing the whole plan. This lesson explains what variations are used for, including urgent, minor and short term changes, crisis or emergency funding, correcting errors and changing how funding is managed. Key points: the participant, their nominee or child representative can ask for a variation at any time, others such as support coordinators need the participant's consent to ask on their behalf, the agency may ask for evidence, and running out of funding on its own is not treated as an emergency.

A plan reassessment looks at the whole plan and usually replaces it with a new one. This lesson explains scheduled reassessments, and the tighter rules for asking for a reassessment early that began on 27 August 2026. Key points: only the participant, their nominee or child representative can now ask for an early reassessment, the request must use the agency's form and explain the significant and ongoing change with evidence, the agency has 90 days to decide, and if no decision is made in that time it is treated as refused and review rights apply.

When a participant or applicant disagrees with a decision made by the agency, they may be able to ask for it to be reviewed. This lesson explains what a reviewable decision is, how an internal review works, and the timeframe for asking. Key points: the most common disputes are about eligibility and which supports are funded, some decisions such as certain budget reductions are not reviewable, a request for internal review must be made within 3 months of receiving the decision, and a different person at the agency looks at the decision again.

If a person still disagrees after an internal review, they can ask the Administrative Review Tribunal for an external review. This lesson explains the tribunal's role, the 28 day timeframe, the NDIS Appeals Program, and what NDIS funding can and cannot be used for during a tribunal matter. Key points: an internal review must happen first, the request to the tribunal should be made within 28 days of the internal review decision, NDIS funding cannot pay for representation at the tribunal, and staff should support the participant while staying within their role. The lesson ends with a module summary, before the case studies that follow.

This case study follows Lucia, a woman in her fifties with multiple sclerosis who is applying for the NDIS with help from a support coordinator at a local organisation. The lesson walks through checking the age and residence requirements early, strengthening evidence so it shows the impact on daily life rather than a diagnosis alone, and preparing for her planning conversation in her own words. It also explores a conflict of interest when Lucia asks which provider to use. Key points: act early, evidence should show functional impact, the participant leads, and conflicts must be declared and managed.

This case study follows Arjun, a participant with an intellectual disability whose wife and main informal support has a stroke. The lesson works through which pathway fits each need: an urgent variation for short term supports, and an early reassessment request for the significant and ongoing change, which under the current rules only Arjun, his nominee or child representative can make. It then explores what to do when the agency declines to reassess and Arjun disagrees. Key points: match the need to the right pathway, act promptly, diarise the 90 day and 3 month timeframes, and support the participant's own request.