Your NDIS plan review, now usually described by the NDIS as a check-in, next plan or plan reassessment, is easier when your evidence and goals are organised before the conversation.
Quick answer: review how your current supports worked, write down what has changed, ask providers for useful evidence, check your goals and prepare the questions you want answered. If you need significant changes before your usual check-in, contact your my NDIS contact about a plan reassessment.
Plan review, check-in and plan reassessment: what is the difference?
The language has changed, but people still commonly search for and talk about an NDIS plan review.
- A check-in is a conversation about how your plan is going, whether your supports meet your needs and whether anything is changing.
- Your plan may be continued if it is working, varied for smaller changes, or replaced with a new plan after a plan reassessment when significant changes are needed.
- You can ask for a plan reassessment at any time if significant and ongoing changes mean your current plan no longer meets your support needs.
The NDIS says your my NDIS contact will generally organise a check-in about two to three months before your plan's reassessment date. If your situation has significantly changed, the NDIS works towards a new plan when it is 56 days from that date. Read the current NDIS guide to your next plan for the official process.
Your plan review preparation checklist
Start early enough to give your providers time to prepare reports. Four to six weeks is a useful planning window, but the right timing depends on your circumstances and the evidence you need.
1. Review your current plan and spending
Read through your current plan and look at each relevant funding category. Ask:
- Which supports did I use?
- What helped me work towards my goals?
- What did not work, and why?
- Is funding being used too quickly or too slowly?
- Are there supports I could not access because of waitlists, distance or provider availability?
Underspending does not always mean you needed less support. Keep records of practical barriers, such as providers having no capacity or services being unavailable in your area.
2. Write down what has changed
Make a clear list of changes since your current plan was approved. This could include changes to your functional capacity, living arrangements, work or education, equipment, informal support, safety, health services or the help available from family and carers.
Describe the practical effect of each change. For example, explain what task is now harder, what support is missing and what happens without it.
3. Gather useful, current evidence
Ask the professionals who know your situation to explain:
- the support they have provided;
- your progress and current functional needs;
- the outcomes or risks if support changes;
- what they recommend next and why; and
- how the recommendation connects to your disability support needs and goals.
For a participant-requested plan reassessment involving significant changes, the NDIS says evidence will usually need to be from within four months of the request and dated after the current plan was approved. The request must come from you, your nominee or your child representative on the required form. Check the current NDIS plan reassessment requirements before submitting anything.
4. Review your goals
Think about what you want your supports to help you do in everyday life. Note:
- progress towards your current goals;
- goals that still matter;
- goals that no longer fit; and
- new goals linked to changes in your life.
Use your own words. A practical goal such as getting to appointments more independently or joining a local activity can be clearer than formal language.
5. Describe a normal week, including difficult days
It can help to write down what support you need across a typical week. Include tasks that take longer, activities you avoid, help provided by family or friends, and what happens when regular supports are unavailable.
Be accurate rather than minimising a difficult day or describing only your best day. The purpose is to give a complete picture of your support needs.
6. Prepare your questions
Write down anything you want your my NDIS contact to explain, including:
- whether a continuation, variation or reassessment is being considered;
- what evidence is needed for a requested change;
- how funding periods or management arrangements will work;
- when you should expect the next step; and
- who to contact if information is missing.
During your check-in or reassessment
You can bring a support person, nominee, advocate, recovery coach or support coordinator. Choose someone who understands your situation and can help you cover the points you prepared.
Use examples instead of broad statements. “I need more help” is less useful than explaining the task, how often help is needed, what has already been tried and what happens without the support.
Ask for plain-English explanations when something is unclear. It is reasonable to take notes and confirm what information or evidence is still required.
After the decision
Read the plan and written decision carefully. Check your goals, funded supports, management arrangements and reassessment date. If a new plan is approved after a reassessment, the NDIS says it will send you a copy within seven days.
If you disagree with a reviewable decision, you can ask for an internal review. The request generally must be made within three months of receiving the decision in writing. The NDIS decision review guide explains the current process, including external review by the Administrative Review Tribunal after an internal review.
How a support coordinator can help
A support coordinator can help you review how the current plan worked, organise provider information, explain your options and keep the preparation focused on your goals and support needs. Learn more about what a support coordinator does and our registered support coordination service.
If your check-in or plan reassessment is approaching, request a free intro call and we will help you work out the clearest next step.
This guide provides general information and was reviewed against NDIS material current on 2 September 2026. Your circumstances and the rules applying to your plan may differ, so confirm requirements with your my NDIS contact or the NDIS.
Want help putting this into action?
We are registered NDIS support coordinators in Adelaide, here for all of South Australia. Tell us what support you need and we will help you make sense of your plan.