What Evidence Do You Need for an NDIS Plan Reassessment in 2026?

A plan reassessment is the NDIA’s opportunity to consider current information about a participant’s disability-related support needs, goals and circumstances. Strong NDIS plan reassessment evidence turns a general statement like “things are harder now” into a clear description of three things:

• what has changed

• how the participant’s day-to-day functioning is affected

• which supports are recommended, and why

The short answer: good allied health reports for a plan reassessment cover several things. They describe the participant’s current functional impact and the therapy delivered. They show progress against goals using measures or specific examples, and explain any barriers and risks. They also make clear recommendations backed by clinical reasoning. For Support Coordinators, the key is to start early, map out what evidence is missing, and ask the right practitioner the right question.

This guide explains what the NDIA looks for, what each section of an allied health report should cover, and how Support Coordinators can manage the process without a last-minute scramble for reports.

What is a plan reassessment?

According to the NDIS, a plan reassessment is needed when a participant’s situation has changed significantly and their current plan no longer meets their needs. That could mean needing more supports, fewer supports or different supports.

A reassessment usually happens in one of three ways:

• A scheduled check-in: the participant’s my NDIS contact usually starts this about 2 to 3 months before the plan’s reassessment date.

• An NDIA-initiated contact: the NDIA may get in touch if it has information that the participant’s needs have changed.

• A participant request: this is for a significant change in circumstances when no check-in is coming up.

Only the participant, their plan nominee or their child representative can request a reassessment. A provider can’t request one on their behalf. When a participant makes the request, the NDIS says the evidence must show a significant change to their ongoing support needs. It must also be recent: dated within 4 months of the request, and after the current plan was approved.

What should allied health evidence demonstrate?

The NDIA’s guidance on how to write a plan reassessment report focuses on a few areas:

• the therapy approach

• the outcomes achieved during the reporting period

• progress towards the participant’s goals

• what additional supports are needed

Recommendations should be detailed, evidence-based and supported by clinical reasoning.

The NDIA uses these reports to help decide whether recommended supports meet the reasonable and necessary criteria. Useful evidence therefore describes:

• baseline function at the start of the plan period

• the intervention delivered

• measurable or observable outcomes

• barriers and risks

• remaining needs

• the rationale for future recommendations

1. Current functional impact

Evidence should describe how disability affects daily activities now. Include the level and type of assistance required, how often it’s needed, how much it varies, any environmental barriers, and any risks.

Specific functional examples are generally more useful than broad statements. “Requires significant support” tells a planner very little. Compare it with “needs hands-on assistance to transfer from bed to wheelchair each morning, and has had two near-falls in the bathroom in the past month”. The second version shows the type, frequency and risk of the support need.

A Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) completed by an Occupational Therapist can be particularly helpful here. It looks across self-care, mobility, communication, social participation, learning and daily living, so it gives a broad picture of current function.

2. Progress and outcomes

Reports should show what happened during the reporting period. They should answer:

• Which goals were addressed?

• Which interventions were used?

• What changed, and what didn’t?

The NDIA asks practitioners to summarise functional capacity at the start of the plan period, name the assessment measures they used, and show how functional ability is changing. Wherever possible, include objective measures, structured observations or specific functional examples.

Showing what didn’t change is just as important as showing progress. It helps explain why ongoing or different supports may be needed.

3. Barriers and risks

If progress has been limited, the report should explain why. Barriers may include:

• changes in health or disability

• environmental constraints

• inconsistent support

• communication barriers

• behavioural complexity

• difficulty accessing appropriate services

The NDIA also asks practitioners to describe how they addressed these barriers and whether they reviewed their therapy approach.

Risks should be specific and clinically grounded, not dramatic or speculative. A clear description of a real risk, and how it’s being managed, is more credible than general warnings.

4. Recommendations

Each recommendation should cover four things:

• what is being proposed

• why it is needed

• what outcome it is intended to achieve

• how it relates to the participant’s disability and goals

Where a frequency or intensity of therapy is recommended, the report should explain the clinical rationale behind it.

The NDIA suggests practitioners also consider whether a recommended support:

• falls within their scope of practice

• fits the participant’s life and environment

• comes with risks if it isn’t provided

Reports can also identify informal, community and mainstream supports that would help. These are part of how the NDIA looks at the plan as a whole.

5. Evidence from the right professional

The most useful evidence comes from practitioners whose expertise matches the issue being assessed. For example:

• An Occupational Therapist may be best placed to describe daily living, home safety or assistive technology needs.

• A Speech Pathologist can speak to communication or swallowing.

• A Behaviour Support Practitioner can describe behaviours of concern and the strategies in place.

A participant may need evidence from more than one discipline when their needs cross physical, cognitive, communication, behavioural or psychosocial areas. The aim is for each report to answer a distinct question, rather than several reports repeating the same information.

What Support Coordinators can do before the reassessment

Support Coordinators play an important role in bringing evidence together. The NDIS describes the support coordination role as including monitoring plan budgets and support effectiveness, which puts you in a good position to spot evidence gaps early.

Start early

Don’t wait for the check-in. Begin mapping the evidence three to four months before the reassessment date. That leaves practitioners enough time to assess, write and share reports.

Map needs and evidence gaps

Work out the participant’s major functional issues. Then review existing reports to check they’re still current and relevant, and ask each practitioner what information they need from you. Avoid ordering several assessments that answer the same question.

Build a simple evidence matrix

A short table can turn a chaotic chase for reports into a manageable workflow. For each issue, record:

• Issue: for example, “unsafe transfers at home”

• Current evidence: which report already covers it, and its date

• Evidence gap: what’s missing or out of date

• Responsible practitioner: who is best placed to provide it

• Referral date: when the request was sent

• Report due date: when the report is needed

• Reassessment date: the final deadline

Make sure reports reach the NDIA

The NDIA’s guidance says practitioners should give their report to the participant, who can then share it with the NDIA during the reassessment. With the participant’s consent, practitioners can also upload reports through the provider portal. Confirm with each practitioner how and when their report will be shared.

Evidence doesn’t guarantee a funding outcome

The NDIA assesses supports against NDIS legislation and its funding criteria. As the NDIS puts it, the agency can only include supports that its rules say it can fund. When making its decision, the planner also considers:

• how the participant has used their current plan

• the participant’s use of community and mainstream supports

• how the plan works as an overall package of supports

Strong evidence improves clarity, but it doesn’t guarantee that every clinical recommendation will be funded. Reports should focus on accurate clinical evidence, not on predicting or promising a funding decision. You can read more about how the NDIA decides what supports to include in its Operational Guidelines.