How to Make Changes in Your NDIS Plan?
What is an NDIS plan?
An NDIS plan states participants’ goals, the support they require, the amount of funds allocated for them to assist them in their everyday life, and how the funds will assist them in achieving their goals. Every NDIS plan has a reassessment date.
Once your NDIS plan is close to expiration, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) itself reviews your NDIS plan through a formal plan review to ensure whether it needs any updates or not. However, if you feel that your plan requires a revision, even before the reassessment date, due to unavoidable circumstances that have affected your life, feel free to contact the NDIA.
Conditions under which your NDIS plan can change:
You must inform the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) if you plan on changing your NDIS plan. However, there are only certain circumstances that can revise your NDIS plan. These include:
- If the participant’s support needs have changed
- If the family, carer, or support coordinator can no longer provide the same amount of support to the participant.
- If the participant’s living conditions have changed drastically.
- If the participant meets with an immediate accident or illness.
- If the participant has had a drastic change in the nature of their job.
Steps to be followed to get your NDIS plan changed:
If you believe you meet any of the NDIS plan changing conditions above, you need to proceed to the next step. Let the NDIA know about any of these changes in your circumstances, and to do so, you must fill the ‘NDIS-Change in Circumstances Form’ and ask for an ‘NDIS Plan Review.’ To ask for an NDIS Plan Review, you can:
- Take help from the NDIS Support Coordinator in Melbourne.
- Call NDIA on 1800 800 110.
- Email NDIA at enquiries@ndis.gov.au.
- Head over to the NDIA office to speak to an NDIA representative.
- Write a letter regarding your concern and send it to the NDIA.
Once you have contacted the NDIA through any of these mediums, the NDIA will conduct an internal review and reach out within 90 days to inform you about the formal revision of your NDIS plan. If the appeal gets rejected, you can resume using your previous plan; however, if the NDIA accepts your plan revision request, an NDIS Support Coordinator in Melbourne will contact you for an NDIS Plan Review meeting.
Plan Review Meeting:
The NDIS reaches out to you at least six weeks before your Plan Review Meeting will be scheduled. Participants can choose whether they want this meeting to be held over the phone, online, or face-to-face. It is essential to gather as much evidence as possible regarding your circumstances within these six weeks to increase the chances of making changes to your NDIS plan.
What to do if you are not happy with the NDIA’s decision:
Suppose you are dissatisfied with the NDIA’s decision after the internal review as your request for changes in the NDIS plan got rejected. In that case, you can appeal for a check with the NDIA by applying for a ‘Review for Reviewable Decision’ within the first 90 days. The request can be made by phone, in writing, or personally visiting the NDIA.
Once you have placed your request, a new person not previously involved in your Plan Review Meeting will review your plan again and let you know about his decision. However, this does not ensure the acceptance of your plan review request. The new reviewer can either agree to change your plan or keep it the same.
If your NDIS plan change request gets rejected and you are still unsatisfied, you can contact the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), which works separately from the NDIA. However, it is essential to note that you cannot request the AAT to review your NDIS plan before you have heard NDIA’s initial decision on your plan review.
For additional information, feel free to reach out to Personalised Support Services. They can help you prepare for Plan Review Meetings and address any further queries related to making changes in your NDIS plan.
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