Why Plan Review Preparation Matters More Than the Meeting
A plan review lasts 60-90 minutes. The preparation you do in the 4-6 weeks before it is what determines whether that meeting gets you the plan you need, or leaves you with gaps you’ll be complaining about for the next 12 months.
Most participants underprepare. They turn up with a vague sense of “things that haven’t been working” and leave the planner to make assumptions. Planners aren’t mind-readers — if you don’t bring the evidence, the decision defaults to whatever’s simplest administratively, not whatever’s best for you.
Step 1 — Review Your Current Plan
Pull out your current NDIS plan and work through it with these questions:
- Which goals have I achieved, and what evidence can I show?
- Which goals haven’t been achieved, and why?
- Which supports have I used, and were they enough?
- Which supports did I underuse or not use at all? Why?
- What’s changed in my life since the last plan (health, family, work, living situation)?
- Where did I have to pay for things I couldn’t fund under this plan?
Step 2 — Document Your Goals
NDIS plans are structured around goals. The more specific and evidenced your goals, the easier it is for the planner to justify funding. Weak goal: “I want to be more independent.” Strong goal: “I want to prepare my own breakfast and dinner at least 5 days a week, catch public transport to weekly medical appointments independently, and maintain my current part-time employment.”
Frame each goal with:
- Specifics — what, when, how often
- Why it matters — the impact on your life
- What supports are needed to get there — the bridge to funding
Step 3 — Gather Evidence
Evidence trumps opinion every time. For the supports you want to increase, maintain, or add, bring:
Allied health reports
- OT functional capacity assessment (for daily living supports)
- Physio assessment (for mobility and equipment supports)
- Psychology report (for psychosocial supports)
- Speech pathology report (for communication supports)
- Dietitian report (for nutrition-related supports)
Medical evidence
- GP letter summarising your condition and its functional impact
- Specialist reports from any relevant medical specialists
- Hospital discharge summaries for any admissions during the plan period
- Medication lists and any clinical changes
Provider reports
- Shift reports showing what supports have been delivered and their impact
- Progress notes from therapists
- Support coordinator’s six-monthly reports
Your own documentation
- A journal of support needs you’ve struggled with
- Examples of things that have gone wrong when support wasn’t adequate
- Photos of equipment or environmental issues (accessibility problems, etc.)
Step 4 — Prepare Your Case for New or Increased Supports
For every support you want added or increased, prepare a clear case:
- What’s the support? (specific description)
- Why do I need it? (link to disability and functional impact)
- How much do I need? (hours per week, total annual)
- What evidence backs this up?
- What happens if I don’t get it?
- Why is this “reasonable and necessary” under the NDIS Act?
Language the NDIS rewards
Use the same language the NDIS Act uses. Your planner is writing decisions against the Act’s tests:
- “Reasonable and necessary”
- “Effective and beneficial”
- “Relates to disability”
- “Helps pursue goals”
- “Value for money”
When you speak this language, planners recognise you’ve done the work and they write decisions more easily in your favour.
Step 5 — Who to Bring With You
You don’t have to go alone. Depending on your situation, consider bringing:
- Your support coordinator — they know your plan and can speak to implementation
- A trusted family member or friend — for support and to help you remember
- A disability advocate — organisations like Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion provide free advocates for NDIS planning
- Your current SIL or support provider’s representative (we attend plan meetings for our participants when invited)
Step 6 — The Meeting Itself
Practical tips for the meeting:
- Ask for the meeting to be in-person or at least video, not phone. Planners make bigger decisions when they can see you and your evidence.
- Don’t rush. If the planner is time-pressuring you, ask to schedule a follow-up.
- Take notes or ask for the meeting to be recorded.
- Get explicit confirmation on what’s being recommended — don’t leave with ambiguity.
- Ask when you’ll see the draft plan — this is your chance to correct errors before finalisation.
Step 7 — After the Meeting
Within 2-4 weeks you should receive a draft plan. This is the critical review point:
- Compare it line by line to what was agreed in the meeting
- Flag any missing supports or cut funding immediately
- Respond within the window the NDIS gives you (usually 14 days)
- Push back in writing — don’t just verbally disagree
What to Do If You Get a Bad Plan
- Request an internal review (unscheduled plan review) — you have 3 months
- Get an advocate involved if you haven’t already
- If internal review fails, appeal to the AAT (Administrative Appeals Tribunal)
- Don’t delay — the windows for each step are strict
Plan Review Timing
Most NDIS plans run for 12 months, though longer plans (2-3 years) are increasingly common. Your plan review meeting is typically scheduled 6-8 weeks before your plan expires, so start preparation 3-4 months before plan end date.
If your circumstances have changed significantly (new diagnosis, hospital admission, family change, loss of informal supports), you don’t have to wait for the scheduled review — request an unscheduled review immediately.
