What happens when...

Access

Your access request will still be processed.
If your access request is approved, we will call you to book a planning meeting. This meeting will be held over the phone.

You can still complete and submit an access request.
There are no changes to the NDIS access process at this stage.
You will need to submit your access request form via post or phone call rather than dropping off your form to an NDIS office.

Plan review

We are making some changes to the plan review process in response to the coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic.
If your plan is due to end soon, the NDIA will contact you by phone to undertake your plan review.
As part of this plan review process, we will discuss with you the option of having a plan in place for up to 24 months.
To ensure NDIS plans don’t reach their end date, on the day your plan is due to expire it will be automatically be extended by 12 months.
If your plan is due to expire soon, you do not need to do anything – all plans will be automatically extended by 12 months.
Your extended plan will have the same core and capacity building budget funding (excluding capital) as your current plan.
If your current plan is not a 12 month plan, your extended plan will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
You will not receive a copy of this plan in the mail, but you can access the new dates and budgets via the portal.

Your plan will not expire, it will be automatically extended by 12 months to make sure you have the funding you need.
Your extended plan will have the same core and capacity building budget funding (excluding capital) as your current plan.
Once your new plan is finalised, it will replace this extended plan and you will receive a copy of your new plan in the mail.
You do not need to contact us if you have had a review meeting and haven’t yet received a copy of the plan in the mail.

If you have met the access requirements and received a letter, we will call you soon.
Like existing participants, your first planning meetings will be held over the phone.

At this stage, scheduled plan reviews are still occurring and your scheduled plan review will still go ahead.
Your planning or plan review meeting will be held over the phone.
You can let us know if you would prefer the meeting to take place by email.
We will continue to communicate through regular updates to participants and we will advise if there are any changes to the plan review process.

Transcript for 'Tips for your phone planning meeting'

We are automatically extending plans about to expire to make sure you have the funding you need.
At this stage, scheduled plan reviews are still occurring and we will call you to organise a planning meeting at a time that suits you.
If you live somewhere under health restrictions, some offices may be closed. Check the list of closed NDIA offices on our website.
Your planning or plan review meeting may be held over the phone or by email, depending where you live.
When we contact you, you can let us know how you would prefer the meeting to take place.
If you are happy with your extended plan, we will not need to do a plan review meeting.
We will continue to communicate through regular updates to participants and we will advise if there are any changes to the plan review process.

If you have a plan in place, or your plan was extended by 12 months, and you;
- have a significant or urgent change in circumstances, and
- your plan cannot be used flexibly for your disability-related needs,
Please call us on 1800 800 110.
Your funding will be available until a new plan or plan extension has been put in place.
To help us work with you on any changes, or to include different supports in your new plan, you can provide us with important information and evidence by email.
Once the plan review is completed, we can provide you with a plan that is in place for up to 24 months.

Transcript for 'I have a significant or urgent change in circumstances, and my plan no longer meets my needs'

Yes. Your plan review meeting may be held over the phone or by email.
If you live somewhere under health restrictions, some offices may be closed. Check the list of closed NDIA offices on our website.
When we contact you, you can let us know how you would prefer the meeting to take place.
Your planning meeting will be an opportunity for you to tell us about any changes to your support needs and goals.
You can still provide us with important information and evidence by email.

Transcript for 'Will my plan review be different to last time?'

Planning meetings are going ahead as they usually would. At this time, there is no disruption to services. If anything changes, we will let you know.
Your plan will not expire. Plans that reach their end date will be extended for 12 months to make sure you have the funding you need.

We have a large workforce and we are working together to make sure you receive the services and supports you need.
It is important to remember that your NDIS plan will not expire, it will be extended for 12 months so you can continue to get the supports you need.

If your plan is about to expire, we will automatically extend it for up to 12 months to make sure you have the funding you need.
We are still working on participant requested reviews in the usual way.
In the meantime, keep using your current plan to access the supports you need.
We’ll contact you with the outcome of your review request.

Plan funding / inclusions

Your current plan will be automatically extended by 12 months to make sure you have the funding you need.
We will call you to organise a planning meeting at a time that suits you.
In your scheduled plan review meeting, we will talk to you about your support needs and goals, including assistive technology. If approved, funding for assistive technology items will be included in your new plan.

Your funding may change in your next NDIS plan, but this is determined by your disability-related support needs, not by assessing unspent funds from your previous plan.

Your next NDIS plan will be based on your disability-related support needs.
Your plan will include funding for supports and services to meet your immediate needs, and to help you achieve your goals, even if those supports and services are currently unavailable due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
You can use your core support budget flexibly to make sure you get the supports you need.

You can use your core support budget flexibly to make sure you get the support you need.
If you need additional assistance, and your funds are low, phone us on 1800 800 110. Special teams of planners in the NDIS are available to help.

If you already receive support coordination, and require additional hours above what is funded in your Capacity Building funds, you can use your Core budget flexibly to make sure you get the support you need, including increased support coordination.
Any agreed increase in support coordination must have a service agreement and new service booking in place.
Additional items have been added to the Price Catalogue for Support Coordinators to claim from the Core budget
If you need additional assistance from your support coordinator, and your funds are low, in both your Capacity Building and Core budgets call us on 1800 800 110. Special teams of planners in the NDIA are available to help.

Plans

In your scheduled planning meeting, you can talk to us about your support needs and goals.
If your services and supports needs are likely to be the same over the next two years, we can create a longer plan, up to 24 months.
If your circumstances change, you can request a plan review, outside of the scheduled plan review process.

Transcript for 'Making Plans Last Longer - Auslan'

Plan flexibility

The funding in your core support budget is flexible, so you can use the overall funding in this budget to purchase the disability-related supports you need.
You can decide how to use this funding for day-to-day disability-related assistance, to pay support workers to help with everyday tasks like grocery shopping, or daily living tasks.
Daily living expenses like groceries, rent or bills are still a personal expense, and you cannot use your NDIS plan to pay for day-to-day items.

Transcript for 'Using the Funding in Your Plan Differently - Auslan'

If your core support funding is low, we can move some of your capacity building funding to your core support funding, so you can purchase the services you need now.
Special teams of planners in the NDIA are available to help make these changes. Call us on 1800 800 110 if you need your plan funding moved from capacity building to core supports.
Your capital support budget will still be separate to the other budgets, and is for approved expenses like assistive technology items, car or home modifications.

Transcript for 'My core support funding will not meet my needs'

We can make changes to how you manage your plan. You can request that part or all of your NDIS plan be self-managed, so that you can use your funding more flexibly.
A plan review over the phone needs to be completed to make changes and there might be circumstances where it is not possible to self-manage your plan.
Self-managing participants can arrange services and supports from registered or non-registered providers and payments will be made through the myplace portal.
Self-managed participants have increased record keeping requirements and may need to get advice on insurance and employer obligations.
A guide on how to self manage your plan is on our website.
Call us on 1800 800 110 if you need to change your plan management arrangements.

Transcript for 'How else can I use my plan funds flexibly?'

From 9 May 2020, participants who are either plan-managed or Agency-managed and have a Core Support budget, will be able to use all four funding categories without the need for a plan review.

This means that, if your NDIS Plan is plan-managed or Agency-managed, you have more flexibility in how you use your Core Support budget.

This means flexibility in accessing the disability related supports you need to achieve your goals, for example, purchasing a smart device to participate in telepractice sessions.

It is important to remember that NDIS funding is for disability-related supports, not for everyday or ordinary living expenses.

While this change will give you greater flexibility as a Plan or Agency-Managed participant using their Core Support, your total plan amount will not change.

Participants who already receive periodic transport payments will continue to have these paid into their bank account. This funding is not flexible.

Participants should not notice any changes to the look of their NDIS participant plan.

However, participants viewing their plan through the myplace portal (View My Plan section) may notice a $0 funding in the transport category. This is a known error, and participants are still able to use their core funding for transport.

You do not need to do anything.

Participants who already receive periodic transport payments will continue to have these paid into their bank account. These funds cannot be used towards other core supports.

Participants who do not receive periodic transport payments will still be able to use their funding flexibly across all four support categories for transport funding.

If you have periodic transport funding already in your plan, you will be able to use your funding across three core support categories, not including transport.

Capacity building supports are considered the highest priority for children under 7 years of age because of the impact that timely early childhood intervention can have on the long term outcomes for children with developmental delay or disability.

This is why ECEI plans will generally have funding concentrated in the capacity building and consumable budgets.

You can already use the Capacity building budget in your child’s ECEI plan flexibly to purchase a range of early childhood intervention supports at the frequency and intensity that suits your child’s developmental needs.

You may want to think about your child’s NDIS plan and consider alternative ways to get the supports you need. You can purchase supports you need in a variety of different ways.

For example, if your weekly one hour early childhood intervention session no longer meets your needs, you could check in with your provider for a shorter session twice a week. Your provider may offer new programs and supports that suit you better, you can talk to them about changing to a support that works best for your child.

Although early childhood intervention may look different at the moment, progress towards your child’s plan goals will still be able to continue.

Yes, if your Core Supports are Agency-managed or plan-managed, this update will mean you can use your funding flexibility across all core support categories.

You are, however, restricted to the amount allocated to the plan management type.

Your overall plan value will not change.

You will be able to use your overall core budget flexibly to purchase the services and supports you need.

If your support needs change, we can conduct a change of circumstances plan review. This may include a review of the funds in your capacity building budget and/or core support budget to ensure your plan meets your needs during this time.

To help us work with you on any changes, or to include different supports in your plan, please share additional information and evidence with us. We can work with you to develop a new plan based on the information provided.

You can contact us on 1800 800 110, and select option 5 to talk to us about using your plan during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Services and supports

If your support workers can’t work with you, your provider should be in touch to organise a replacement worker or carer to help you.
It’s important that you discuss what your essential needs are with your providers, to ensure they are being met.
All NDIS providers are expected to follow NDIS rules, codes and policies.

Transcript for 'My regular support workers can't deliver services to me'

The funding in your core support budget is flexible, so you can use the overall funding in this budget to purchase the disability-related supports you need.
You can decide how to use this funding for day-to-day assistance, to pay support workers to help with everyday tasks like grocery shopping, or daily living tasks.
If your core support funding is low, we will move the funding in your capacity budget to your core support budget, so that you can use it flexibly for day-to-day assistance.
We are making more NDIS plans self-managed, so that you can use your funding more flexibly.
Call us on 1800 800 110 if you need to change your plan management arrangements.

Transcript for 'My family usually care for me, but now they can't, what should I do?'

The funding in your core support budget is flexible, so you can use the overall funding in this budget to purchase the disability-related supports you need.
You can decide how to use this funding for day-to-day assistance, and can pay support workers to help with everyday tasks like grocery shopping.
Daily living expenses like groceries, rent or bills are still a personal expense, and you cannot use your NDIS plan to pay for day-to-day items.

If you feel unsafe or are unhappy with the quality of your supports and services – whether or not these issues relate to COVID-19 – it is important to know that you can speak to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) about your concerns. It is always okay to speak up.

If you are in New South Wales, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria or Tasmania, you can make a complaint to the NDIS Commission by:

Phoning 1800 035 544 (free call from landlines) or TTY 133 677. Interpreters can be arranged.
Phoning National Relay Service and ask for 1800 035 544.
Completing a complaint contact form .

If you are in Western Australia please continue to contact HADSCO to make a complaint until 1 December 2020.

The NDIS Commission have produced a COVID-19 factsheet for NDIS participants that provides information to explain:

what you can expect from your NDIS providers
your rights
how to make a complaint about a provider
what resources are available from the NDIA
where to find more information and resources about coronavirus (COVID-19).

If you are an NDIS participant and are admitted to hospital, it is the responsibility of the hospital to care for and meet your health needs.

This includes making reasonable adjustments to accommodate your disability-related needs.

The NDIS may fund reasonable and necessary supports like:

guidance and training for hospital staff working with participants who have challenging behaviours
participant-specific training to help hospital staff communicate with participants with complex communications needs.

You can learn more about the Australian Government’s plan for protecting the health of people with disability during the pandemic by reading the Department of Health’s Management and Operational Plan for People with Disability .

When you are medically ready for discharge, you or the hospital staff supporting you can contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 to:

apply for access to the NDIS
start a new plan
request a review of your plan or
advise of a change in circumstances.

We prioritise access requests for people in hospital to streamline hospital discharge through the Health liaison officers

Once your plan is approved, you will be supported by your planner, Local Area Coordinator and/or Support Coordinator to get the necessary supports in place to help you leave hospital as quickly as possible.

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have made a number of changes to speed up hospital discharge for participants including:

streamlined processes to identify housing options, including medium term accommodation if eligible
temporary and flexible provision of assistive technology
interim home modifications.