You know your disability support needs have changed.
Your family knows.
Your support workers see the difference every week.
But will the information you provide clearly explain that change to the NDIS?
For participants and families in Melton, Melton South, Brookfield, Kurunjang, Caroline Springs, Rockbank, Cobblebank, Burnside, Fraser Rise and surrounding western Melbourne communities, gathering useful evidence can be one of the most important parts of preparing for an NDIS plan reassessment.
Current guidance from the National Disability Insurance Scheme says participants asking for a plan reassessment need evidence showing a significant change to their ongoing support needs. Evidence may include assessments, reports or other information from treating healthcare professionals, therapists or support workers.
The objective should not be to collect the largest possible stack of documents.
It should be to provide relevant evidence that clearly explains your situation.
What Is the NDIS Looking for in Reassessment Evidence?
A plan reassessment is different from simply telling the NDIA that you would prefer additional services.
The evidence needs to help demonstrate what has changed.
Current NDIA guidance says that when considering whether to reassess a plan, an NDIA planner may review the participant’s existing plan and how supports have been used, the evidence provided, use of community and mainstream supports, the requested change, whether requested supports are NDIS supports, how the overall package works and how supports relate to the participant’s goals.
So instead of thinking:
“How do I prove that I need more funding?”
a more useful question is:
“What information accurately explains my current functional needs and what has changed since my existing plan was approved?”
That change in perspective can improve the quality of the evidence you gather.
Evidence Should Explain Everyday Function
A diagnosis alone does not necessarily explain what assistance somebody needs in everyday life.
Two people with the same diagnosis can experience very different functional impacts.
Useful evidence may therefore describe areas such as:
personal care;
mobility;
communication;
social interaction;
learning;
self-management;
participation in work or education;
household activities; and
other relevant daily tasks.
The NDIA’s supporting-evidence guidance emphasises information about how disability affects daily life, including the tasks a person needs assistance to complete and the type of assistance required.
Consider the difference between:
“Sam has cerebral palsy.”
and:
“Sam requires physical assistance transferring from his wheelchair, preparing meals and completing particular personal-care activities.”
The second statement begins to explain the functional impact.
What Should You Ask Your Occupational Therapist to Include?
Occupational therapists can play an important role where the participant’s functional capacity falls within their professional scope.
Rather than simply asking:
“Can you write me an NDIS letter?”
consider explaining why the report is needed and what has changed.
Current NDIA guidance for allied health professionals says plan reassessment reports should explain the therapeutic approach and provide evidence of outcomes and progress towards participant goals.
The NDIA specifically asks allied health professionals to describe the participant’s functional capacity at the beginning of the plan period, identify relevant assessment measures, describe therapies trialled and demonstrate progress towards goals.
Where relevant to their professional role, an OT report might therefore help explain:
what activities were assessed;
the participant’s current functional capacity;
how function has changed;
what assistance is currently required;
what interventions have been trialled;
relevant outcomes;
and evidence-based recommendations within the therapist’s scope of practice.
Specific information is usually more useful than broad statements.
What About Physiotherapy Reports?
A physiotherapist may provide valuable evidence where mobility, strength, balance, transfers or other physical-function issues are relevant.
The NDIA’s current allied-health guidance even provides examples of measurable assessments such as the Timed Up and Go test, six-minute walk test and Berg Balance Scale when discussing how professionals can quantify changes in functional capacity.
That does not mean every participant requires those assessments.
The clinician should decide which assessment tools are appropriate.
The broader principle is valuable:
where possible, demonstrate change rather than simply describe it vaguely.
For example, information showing a measurable decline or improvement in mobility can provide much more context than:
“Participant continues to experience mobility difficulties.”
Speech Pathology, Psychology and Other Allied Health Evidence
The same principle applies to other professionals.
A speech pathologist might provide evidence concerning relevant communication or swallowing needs within their professional scope.
A psychologist may document relevant functional impacts and therapeutic outcomes within their expertise.
Other treating health professionals may contribute evidence appropriate to the participant’s disability and circumstances.
Current NDIA guidance identifies professionals who may provide disability evidence, including GPs, paediatricians, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, neurologists, psychologists, psychiatrists and physiotherapists.
The professional should provide information within their scope of practice and expertise, rather than attempting to make recommendations about areas they are not qualified to assess.
What Should Recommendations Actually Explain?
A recommendation is more useful when it contains reasoning.
Compare:
“Participant requires 20 hours of therapy.”
with a recommendation that explains:
what support is recommended;
why it is recommended;
the participant outcome it is intended to address;
how it relates to functional needs;
how it relates to the participant’s goals;
and what relevant risks or impacts may exist if the support is unavailable.
Current NDIA guidance asks allied health professionals to give detailed, evidence-based recommendations and justify recommendations for more or different NDIS supports. Reports should explain expected outcomes and relevant risks or impacts on other supports.
A specific recommendation helps the decision-maker understand the reasoning behind it.
Can Support Workers Provide Evidence?
Yes, support workers can contribute useful information.
The NDIA’s current reassessment guidance specifically says evidence may include information from support workers, as well as therapists and treating healthcare professionals.
Support workers can have valuable observations because they may see the participant regularly in their everyday environment.
For example, they may be able to describe:
changes in assistance required;
tasks the participant completes independently;
tasks requiring prompting or physical support;
changes in community participation;
support strategies being used;
and relevant practical observations.
However, support workers should stay within their role.
They should describe what they observe rather than making clinical diagnoses or recommendations outside their expertise.
Don’t Forget Family and Carer Information
Families and carers often see aspects of disability that professionals only observe during appointments.
The NDIA acknowledges that participants, providers and carers can provide information about how impairment affects daily life, helping build a fuller picture of day-to-day support needs.
A carer statement might explain:
what informal assistance is currently provided;
how frequently assistance is required;
how this has changed;
what tasks family members perform;
and relevant changes in the family’s capacity to continue providing assistance.
Avoid exaggeration.
Accurate examples of everyday life can be powerful.
Evidence Should Usually Be Recent
This is especially important following the NDIS reassessment changes that commenced on 27 August 2026.
Current NDIA guidance says evidence for a participant-requested plan reassessment should usually be:
within four months of the date the participant asks for reassessment; and
created after the current plan was approved.
That means an excellent occupational therapy report from two years ago may provide useful historical context but may not adequately demonstrate the participant’s current change in ongoing support needs.
Check document dates before submitting your request.
More Evidence Is Not Necessarily Better Evidence
Imagine Participant A submits:
eight old reports;
three duplicate assessments;
several appointment letters;
and dozens of pages of medical history.
Participant B submits:
a recent functional assessment;
a relevant treating-professional report;
clear provider information;
and concise evidence demonstrating what has changed.
Participant A has submitted more pages.
Participant B may have provided a clearer explanation.
Quality, relevance and recency matter.
Before including a document, ask:
“What does this document help explain?”
If you cannot answer that question, consider whether it is genuinely useful.
Connect Recommendations to Goals and Outcomes
NDIS plans are not simply collections of services.
Current NDIA guidance for allied health professionals asks them to demonstrate how supports have helped participants progress towards goals and how recommended future supports are linked to therapy outcomes and participant goals.
For example, instead of describing therapy as an isolated service, evidence could appropriately explain how improved mobility may support greater independence within the home.
Or how improved communication capacity may support participation in community activities.
The important connection is:
functional need → support → expected outcome → participant goal.
Include What’s Already Been Tried
Reports should not necessarily jump directly from:
“There is a problem”
to:
“Fund this support.”
Where relevant, explain what has already been tried.
The NDIA’s reassessment-report guidance asks allied health providers to provide evidence of therapies trialled and describe progress made towards participant goals.
This can help demonstrate why a recommendation has been made.
It also helps avoid repeatedly funding strategies that have already been shown to be ineffective for that individual.
Explain Mainstream, Community and Informal Supports
The NDIS does not operate in isolation.
Current guidance asks allied health professionals making reassessment recommendations to identify additional NDIS, informal, community or mainstream supports that may help the participant work towards their goals.
This makes reports more balanced.
For example, some needs may appropriately involve:
health services;
education;
employment;
local community organisations;
family or informal supports;
and NDIS-funded disability supports.
A useful report distinguishes between these rather than treating the NDIS as the answer to every need.
Remember the New Reassessment Process
Since 27 August 2026, only the participant, their nominee or their child representative can formally request a plan reassessment.
The request must use the correct form, explain what has changed and why reassessment is needed, and include evidence. Once the NDIA has the information it needs, current guidance says it will make a decision within 90 days about whether to reassess, not reassess or vary the plan.
A Support Coordinator or allied health professional can help the participant prepare.
They cannot replace the authorised person who must make the request.
A Practical NDIS Evidence Checklist
Before submitting a reassessment request, check whether your evidence clearly answers these questions:
- What has changed since my current plan was approved?
- How has my functional capacity changed?
- Which everyday activities are affected?
- What assistance do I currently require?
- What supports have already been tried?
- What outcomes have those supports achieved?
- What additional or different supports are being recommended?
- Why are those recommendations being made?
- How do the recommendations relate to my disability-related needs and goals?
- Is the evidence sufficiently recent and relevant?
If your evidence tells that story clearly, it is much easier for somebody reading it to understand your current circumstances.
For Allied Health Professionals and Referral Partners
If you are preparing information for a participant, specificity matters.
Current NDIA guidance encourages allied health professionals to document:
the service and therapeutic approach;
duration and frequency of support;
goals;
functional capacity;
assessment measures;
interventions trialled;
outcomes achieved;
future support recommendations;
expected outcomes;
and justification for recommendations.
It is also important to share the report with the participant. The NDIA’s guidance says allied health professionals should provide their plan reassessment report to the participant so they can share it during reassessment.
This supports transparency and participant involvement.
How Support Coordination May Help
Where Support Coordination is included in a participant’s plan, a Support Coordinator may help identify gaps in information, communicate with providers and assist the participant to organise relevant reports.
The coordinator should not tell clinicians what conclusions to reach.
Evidence needs to reflect the professional’s independent assessment.
Instead, coordination can help ensure everyone understands the practical question being addressed:
What has changed, what does the participant currently need, and what evidence demonstrates it?
Talk to BHA Disability Services
If you are an NDIS participant, family member, carer, Support Coordinator, plan manager, allied health professional or referral partner exploring relevant disability support in Melton or Melbourne’s western suburbs, BHA Disability Services welcomes enquiries.
You can discuss the participant’s goals, current support arrangements, disability-related support needs and relevant supports available in their NDIS plan.
BHA Disability Services can explain the services it actually provides and discuss whether they may be appropriate for the participant’s circumstances.
When preparing for an NDIS reassessment, remember:
A longer report is not automatically a stronger report. Relevant, recent and specific evidence that explains everyday functional impact is what matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What evidence do I need for an NDIS plan reassessment?
Current NDIA guidance says evidence must demonstrate a significant change in ongoing support needs. It may include assessments, reports or other evidence from treating healthcare professionals, therapists or support workers.
How recent should my NDIS reassessment evidence be?
For a participant-requested reassessment, the NDIA says evidence should usually be within four months of the date of the request and after the current plan was approved.
What should an OT report include for an NDIS reassessment?
Where relevant to the OT’s scope, the report may describe the therapeutic approach, functional capacity, assessment measures, interventions trialled, progress towards goals, recommendations and expected outcomes. Current NDIA guidance asks allied health professionals to justify recommendations for more or different supports.
Can my support worker provide evidence for an NDIS reassessment?
Yes. Current NDIA guidance specifically says reassessment evidence may include information from support workers. Support workers should describe relevant observations within their role rather than making clinical conclusions outside their expertise.
Can my family provide information about my disability support needs?
Yes. NDIA guidance acknowledges that participants, providers and carers can contribute evidence about the everyday impacts of impairment, helping create a fuller picture of day-to-day support needs.
Does my therapist decide what the NDIS will fund?
No. Allied health professionals can provide assessments, evidence and recommendations, but funding decisions are made by the NDIA under applicable NDIS legislation and rules.
How long does the NDIA have to decide whether to reassess my plan?
Under the process that commenced on 27 August 2026, the NDIA says it will make its decision within 90 days once it has the information it needs.
For current official guidance, see the NDIS guide to plan reassessment evidence, NDIS guide for allied health professionals writing plan reassessment reports and NDIS guide to preparing for a plan reassessment.
