An NDIS plan is based on your circumstances and disability-related support needs at a particular point in time. If you need to make an NDIS change of circumstances in Melton, it’s important to update your plan as your situation evolves.

But life does not always stay the same.

You might move out of the family home. A person who previously provided substantial unpaid support may no longer be able to do so. Your functional capacity could change. You may experience a significant life transition, or your existing supports may no longer adequately meet your disability-related needs.

When something significant changes, you do not necessarily have to wait until your next scheduled plan reassessment.

Current guidance from the National Disability Insurance Scheme says participants can tell the NDIA about changes in their situation and ask about changing their plan at any time. Depending on what has changed, the NDIA may decide that no plan change is required. Alternatively, it may vary part of the existing plan. It can also complete a plan reassessment and create a new plan.

For participants and families in Melton, Melton South, Melton West, Brookfield, Kurunjang, Cobblebank, Caroline Springs and surrounding western Melbourne communities, understanding these pathways can help you respond more effectively when circumstances change.

What Is an NDIS Change of Situation?

The NDIA describes a change of situation broadly as something that has changed in your life.

Not every change will affect your NDIS plan.

For example, current NDIA guidance specifically notes that simply moving house to another city may not require your plan to change. However, the NDIA still asks participants to keep it informed about relevant changes, including moving address or moving out of residential accommodation or aged care. In addition, going overseas in some circumstances or receiving or claiming compensation related to an accident or illness associated with disability should also be reported.

The more important question for plan funding is often:

Has the change affected the disability-related supports you need?

If the answer is yes, it may be worth discussing the situation with your my NDIS contact.

What Kinds of Changes Could Affect Your NDIS Support Needs?

A significant change is individual.

Examples that may be relevant can include changes in:

Your functional capacity

Perhaps your ability to perform everyday activities has changed substantially.

Rather than simply saying, “My condition has become worse,” it may be more useful to explain what has changed functionally.

For example:

What could you previously do that you can no longer do?

What now requires assistance?

How frequently do you need support?

How does the change affect daily living, mobility, communication, self-care or community participation?

The NDIA’s decision-making material identifies changes in functional capacity as one consideration when determining whether a plan reassessment may be required.

Your informal supports

Informal support can include assistance provided by family members, friends or other people who are not paid NDIS providers.

If that support changes significantly, the effect on the participant may need to be considered.

For example, an adult participant living in Melton may have relied heavily on a parent for disability-related assistance. If that parent’s circumstances change and they can no longer provide the same level of support, the participant’s situation may be different.

A change in informal supports is another factor identified in current NDIA plan-change decision guidance.

This does not mean the NDIS automatically replaces every form of family assistance. Funding decisions still need to satisfy NDIS requirements.

Your living situation

Moving house by itself does not necessarily mean your NDIS plan needs more funding.

But a significant change in how you live and what support you require may be different.

For example, moving from a family home into a more independent living arrangement could affect the way disability-related support needs are considered.

Current NDIA guidance identifies changes in living situation as potentially relevant to a plan reassessment.

A significant life transition

Leaving school, beginning a different stage of adult life or experiencing another major transition may affect the support required to pursue your goals.

NDIA decision guidance specifically identifies starting or leaving school as an example of a significant life transition that may be relevant when considering a reassessment.

Again, the transition itself does not guarantee additional funding.

The relevant issue is whether it creates a significant change in the participant’s need for NDIS supports.

Plan Variation vs Plan Reassessment: What’s the Difference?

These two terms are important.

A plan variation changes part of your existing NDIS plan.

A plan reassessment involves creating a new plan.

Current NDIS guidance describes a variation as suitable for smaller changes that fit within the participant’s overall package of supports. A variation may potentially address matters such as goals, the reassessment date, management of funding components, or technical errors. It may also allow certain assistive technology additions, or crisis and emergency funding to be included.

A reassessment is used where bigger changes are required—for example, where there has been a significant change in the participant’s life and the existing plan no longer meets their needs, or where more, less or different NDIS supports are required.

You do not necessarily need to determine the correct pathway yourself.

Tell the NDIA what has changed and provide relevant information. The Agency determines what type of plan change may be appropriate.

You Don’t Have to Wait for Your Next Reassessment Date

This is an important point.

Current NDIA guidance explicitly says that if you think your plan needs to change, you can let the NDIA know at any time. You do not need to wait for a check-in.

That can be particularly important when a participant’s current plan no longer reflects their disability-related circumstances.

Waiting many months simply because a reassessment date is in the future may not be appropriate if there has genuinely been a significant change.

What Evidence Might the NDIS Ask For?

Depending on the change, the NDIA may require additional information or evidence.

Current guidance says this can include assessments or reports from healthcare professionals, therapists or support workers.

The strongest evidence is usually relevant to the actual change being considered.

A report that merely lists diagnoses may be less useful than one explaining:

what has changed;

when it changed;

how it affects functional capacity;

what disability-related support is now required;

why existing arrangements are insufficient; and

how the proposed support relates to the participant’s needs.

Participants should avoid assuming that obtaining the longest or most expensive report automatically produces a better outcome.

Ask your my NDIS contact what information is required for your circumstances. The NDIA specifically recommends doing this if you are unsure what evidence to provide.

How Do You Tell the NDIS About a Change?

Current NDIA guidance provides several options.

Participants can contact the NDIS by phone, submit an enquiry through the service hub, speak with their my NDIS contact or visit an office, or complete the Change of details or change of situation form.

Supporting evidence can also be submitted.

When explaining the change, try to be specific.

Instead of:

“I need more funding.”

consider explaining:

“My circumstances changed in June. This is what I could previously do, this is what I now require assistance with, these are the supports I currently receive, and this is why the existing arrangement no longer meets my disability-related needs.”

That gives the NDIA much more useful information to consider.

Does a Change of Situation Automatically Mean More Funding?

No.

Telling the NDIA that something has changed does not automatically result in additional funding or even a new plan.

Current guidance says the NDIA will first consider whether existing funding and supports can be used flexibly to meet the participant’s needs. A change of situation often will not require the plan itself to change.

Where a plan does need to change, the resulting decision could involve more, less or different supports depending on the participant’s circumstances and applicable NDIS funding criteria.

That is why this process should be viewed as:

“My needs have changed and my plan may need reconsideration,”

rather than:

“I have found a way to get extra funding.”

What Happens After You Submit the Information?

Current NDIA guidance says that once it has the information and evidence required to make a decision about a requested plan change, it will let the participant know its decision.

The NDIA’s current change-of-situation guidance says participants will be contacted with the relevant decision within 21 days when it needs to decide whether to change the plan. If a plan variation is approved, the participant receives a copy of the varied plan within seven days.

If the change is significant and the current plan no longer meets the participant’s needs, a plan reassessment may be required.

What If the NDIA Refuses to Change Your Plan?

A refusal does not necessarily end the process.

Current NDIS guidance confirms that decisions not to do a plan reassessment and not to do a plan variation are among the decisions that can be internally reviewed.

Timing matters.

The current NDIA review guidance says participants generally need to request an internal review within three months of receiving the decision.

A request to change your plan and a request to review an NDIA decision are different processes, so make sure you use the appropriate pathway.

How Can a Support Coordinator Help?

Where Support Coordination is included in a participant’s plan, a Support Coordinator may help the participant understand their existing supports. In addition, they may identify where circumstances have changed, gather relevant information and prepare for discussions with the NDIA.

Current NDIS guidance also identifies Support Coordinators and Recovery Coaches as people who can help participants prepare when a plan reassessment is required.

The Support Coordinator does not decide whether the NDIA will change the plan.

Their role can include helping the participant navigate the process while keeping the participant’s goals and preferences central.

For Families, Allied Health Professionals and Referral Partners

When supporting a participant through a change of circumstances, focus on functional impact rather than assumptions about funding.

An allied health report, for example, can be particularly useful when it clearly explains how a change affects everyday function and disability-related support needs.

Families can help document what has changed in daily life.

Support workers may also have observations about changes in assistance required over time.

With appropriate participant consent, bringing these perspectives together can help provide a clearer picture.

Talk to BHA Disability Services

If you are an NDIS participant, family member, carer, Support Coordinator, allied health professional or referral partner seeking relevant disability support in Melton or Melbourne’s western suburbs, BHA Disability Services welcomes enquiries.

If a participant’s circumstances have changed, tell us about their current goals, the disability-related support being sought and the relevant supports available in their NDIS plan.

BHA Disability Services can discuss the services it actually provides and whether they may be appropriate for the participant’s current circumstances.

Where a participant believes their NDIS plan itself needs changing, the NDIA remains responsible for deciding whether a variation or reassessment is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as a change of circumstances for the NDIS?

A change can involve many aspects of life. For plan reassessment purposes, potentially relevant changes can include functional capacity, informal supports, living arrangements and significant life transitions where these result in a significant change to the participant’s need for NDIS supports.

Do I have to wait until my NDIS plan ends to ask for more appropriate supports?

No. If you believe your plan needs changing because your circumstances or support needs have changed, you can tell the NDIA at any time.

What is the difference between an NDIS plan variation and reassessment?

A variation changes part of the existing plan. A reassessment is used for bigger changes and results in a new NDIS plan.

Will moving house automatically change my NDIS funding?

No. The NDIA specifically notes that moving to another city may not affect a plan. What matters is whether the change affects your disability-related support needs.

What evidence should I provide?

The evidence required depends on the reason for the requested change. It may include assessments or reports from healthcare professionals, therapists or support workers. Ask your my NDIS contact what evidence is relevant to your circumstances.

Can I appeal if the NDIS refuses to vary or reassess my plan?

Decisions not to undertake a plan variation or reassessment are reviewable decisions. Current NDIA guidance says an internal review generally needs to be requested within three months of receiving the decision.

For authoritative current guidance, see the NDIS guide to telling the Agency about a change of situation, NDIS guide to changing your plan and NDIS explanation of plan variations.