Asking the NDIS to change your child's plan? The rules changed on 27 August.
Please note This information was current on 28/8/26 however we encourage you to always speak with the NDIA or reference the NDIS website for the most current information.
New NDIS laws started on 27 August 2026. Along with them came new forms, new evidence rules, and a higher bar for asking the NDIA to change a plan.
First, the reassuring part. Your child's current plan keeps running exactly as it is. Their supports continue. You don't need to do anything.
This only matters when you want to ask for something.
And if you're heading into that conversation, four things have shifted.
1. The request has to come from you
Most families assume their support coordinator handles this. That's changed.
From 27 August, an unscheduled plan reassessment can only be requested by the participant, their plan nominee, or a child's representative. For most of our families, that's you.
Your support coordinator can't lodge it. Your therapist can't lodge it. We can't lodge it.
What we can do is help you work out which pathway fits, gather the evidence, and get your child's reports saying what they need to say. Then you send it.
2. There are two forms now, and they do different jobs
This is the part worth slowing down on.
Plan Reassessment Request Form — you're asking for a whole new plan, because something significant and ongoing has changed.
Plan Variation Request Form — you're asking for a specific change to the plan you already have, without rebuilding the whole thing.
Here's the bit that matters for a lot of our families: the variation form specifically covers assistive technology and vehicle modifications.
So if you're chasing a wheelchair, a communication device, or a car conversion, the variation pathway is usually your starting point. Not a full reassessment.
Getting this right at the front end saves months at the back end.
3. Your reports need to be recent
This is the one that will catch people out.
The NDIA now says evidence supporting a reassessment request should usually be:
• from within four months of your request, and
• completed after your current plan was approved.
Read that second point again. A thorough, detailed report written before your child's current plan started may not count, no matter how good it is.
Which means timing matters more than it used to. If your child's plan is coming up, or something has shifted at home or at school, tell us early. A fresh assessment takes time to schedule, complete and write.
And send the reports with the form. Not afterwards. The NDIA decides on what's in front of them.
4. The bar is higher, and the wait is longer
To request a reassessment, there now needs to be a significant change to your child's ongoing disability-related support needs. Significant and ongoing.
An example of how that plays out.
Say a grandparent has been doing school pickups and after-school care for years, and they permanently move interstate. That support is gone for good. Your child's ongoing needs have shifted. A reassessment may be the right pathway.
Now say that same grandparent has surgery and can't help for eight weeks. The pressure on your family is real. But it's temporary, and a full reassessment may not be the fit. A variation might respond better.
Same family. Same person. Different pathway.
On timing: the NDIA now has up to 90 days to decide whether to reassess. It used to be 21. That's 90 days to make the decision, not 90 days until a new plan lands.
If they don't decide within 90 days, it's treated as a decision not to reassess, and you can ask for that to be reviewed.
What this means for you, practically
• If something has changed, tell your OT early. Don't wait until the plan is nearly up.
• Ask which form fits before you fill anything in.
• Check the dates on the reports you're holding.
• Expect the process to take longer than it used to.
We're learning this alongside you
The guidance is new. Some of it is still settling, and how the NDIA applies it in practice will become clearer over the coming months.
We won't pretend to have every answer today. What we can do is what we've always done: make sure your child's evidence is current, clear, and pointed at the right pathway.
If your child's plan is coming up, or something has changed at home, at school, or with their support needs, bring it to your next session. Or give us a call.
You don't have to work this one out on your own, Join our waitlist!
This is general information, not advice about your child's specific circumstances. For the latest NDIA guidance, visit ndis.gov.au