Your NDIS Plan
Your NDIS Plan is your gateway to the NDIS. It has all the information about what funding you will receive and how it aligns with your goals.
What is an NDIS Plan?
Your NDIS Plan is a document that looks at your goals, what you want to achieve and what funding you need from the NDIS. You get an NDIS Plan after meeting with someone from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)-the agency responsible for the NDIS. Any funding that is outlined in your plan will have been deemed ‘reasonable and necessary’ for your supports.
You have an NDIS Plan, now what?
Hooray! Getting an NDIS Plan is an exciting thing. Next up you will want to make sure you are getting the right supports for you and your needs.
Step 1: Find a service provider
You’ll want to find the right people who can offer the right kind of support. If you have a Support Coordinator they can help you connect with services in your area. Endeavour Foundation is an example of a service provider.
Step 2: Make sure it’s the right fit
Once you’ve found a service provider, you want to make sure you’re comfortable and have a good feeling about it. We recommend going on a tour, doing a trial or any other activity that will help you feel confident in your choice. This is the time to ask any and all questions.
Step 3: Sign a service agreement
A service agreement is a document that outlines the supports you will receive. This makes sure that everyone is on the same page and protects both you and the service provider.
What to do if you’re not happy with your plan
If you’re not happy with your NDIS Plan, you should speak to your main point of contact from the NDIS. In most instances this would be your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or Support Coordinator. They should be able to provide clarification and help you make the most of the funding. Under some circumstances you may be able to request a Plan Variation which is a minor change to just part of your plan. You can also contact the NDIS directly and they will supply you with written reasons why they made the funding decisions they did.
If you’re not happy with this, you can ask for it to be looked at. This is called an internal review. The people doing the internal review will be people who were not involved in the creating of your plan. A good thing to note is that you only have three months from when you got your plan to request an internal review.
FAQs
What is pre-planning?
Pre-planning is all the preparation work you put in before your planning meeting. It can involve:
- Gathering any necessary assessments, diagnosis and paperwork.
- Showing what supports you currently access and thinking about those you need to live ‘an ordinary life’.
- Starting to think about your goals, and what you would like to achieve in both the short term and long term.
In my plan, what is a ‘participant statement’?
Each NDIS Plan includes a participant’s statement of goals and aspirations. Your participant statement should tell your unique story and provide a picture of your life circumstances. It should include important things like:
- what your life looks like now and what you would like it to look like
- where you live
- what you do during the week
- the important people in your life
- existing supports, including informal and mainstream supports
- your goals and aspirations.
A participant statement will help the NDIS planner build a picture of the person (particularly if they are non-verbal or maybe unable to attend the meeting), so it’s important to think ahead about things to include. You may even seek support from family, friends and/or service providers about what to include.
Will I be able to review my plan before it is finalised?
In short, no. However, the ability to see draft plans is underway as part of the new participant pathways introduced by the NDIS in response to participant and provider feedback. This may take a while to be implemented across the country though.
If the meantime if you are unhappy with your plan, you are able to request a review. There are a few types of review you are able to request if you feel your plan does not offer adequate support for your needs.
What does ‘quote required’ in my plan mean?
Where support is listed as ‘quote required’ additional information such as quotes and/or specialist reports will be required. Once the quote is approved, the funding will be made available in your plan. Often this falls in the assistive technology category.
In general, supports over $1,000 in value will require a quote prior to supply, while lower cost items can be directly authorised (fixed price) through the myplace portal.
For more information view the NDIS webpage about assistive technologies and home modifications under the NDIS.
Can you help me understand my NDIS Plan?
Can we help you understand your plan?
Yes, of course.
We love talking about the NDIS and have team who know all about the scheme and how it works for people with an intellectual disability.
You can chat to us for free by calling 1800 112 112.
Why did I receive more/less funding than my last NDIS Plan?
Why did you receive more or less funding than your last plan?
Good question.
To be honest, it depends on the supports you need for the next 12 months.
Every time you meet with the NDIS, they will review your support needs. It could be a case that your needs or your goals have changed, or maybe you’ve already purchased some of the things so you don’t need to buy them again in this plan.
If you received less funding and your new plan doesn’t meet your needs, make sure you contact the NDIS. From there they’ll do an internal review. This essentially means that the NDIS will take a second look at their decision.
How much NDIS funding will I get?
Lots of people ask ‘how much funding will I get’?
I love this question and I get it all the time.
I have some good news and some bad news for you.
The good news is, everyone is different and the NDIS looks at you and makes a decision based on your needs and that’s what makes the NDIS so great.
The bad news is, I don’t know how much funding you’ll get. There are just so many factors at play, it’s impossible to guess. The NDIS looks at your individual goals and what is reasonable and necessary to support you to achieve these. Planning and preparing for your meeting is the key to getting the funding you need. Have a look at our pre-planning tools on our website for free, and if you have any questions, give us a call on 1800 112 112.
What do I do if I'm not happy with my NDIS Plan?
What should you do if you’re not happy with your plan?
The first thing is ask the NDIS to review it by requesting an internal review of the decision.
This basically means that the NDIS will take a second look at their decision.
When asking for a review, it is very important to be able to explain why you think the decision is incorrect, and what supports you need to make it better.
