Getting ready for your NDIS planning meeting

Before the Meeting: How to Prepare (Without Panicking)

Let’s be honest: stepping into an NDIS planning meeting in 2025 involves more than just a “friendly chat” about your goals. With the NDIS tightening its belt and the introduction of the new PACE system, you face a formal negotiation.

The goal isn’t to “dream big” anymore; you must justify every dollar you need to live an independent life.

As Support Coordinators, CoAbility is here to help you build your case. But first, you need to understand the new rules of engagement.

1. Know What Meeting You Are Walking Into

The strategy changes depending on whether you are a new participant planning your first meeting or an existing participant looking for your next plan.

Scenario A: The First Plan (The “Starter Pack”)

If you are new to the NDIS, do not expect the “gold standard” plan on day one.

The Reality: The NDIS often issues what they internally call a “Typical Support Package” (TSP). A computer, not a person, generates this standardised baseline budget.

The Mechanism (“Streaming”): When you enter the scheme, the system puts you into a “Stream” based on your age and disability type (e.g., General, Supported, or Intensive). This stream dictates your funding range. If the computer thinks you fall into the “General” category but your needs remain high, your budget will prove insufficient from day one.

Your Strategy: Your goal for this first plan often focuses on securing enough funding for assessments (OT, Psych, Speech). You will use those reports to prove the system placed you in the wrong stream.

Insider Tip: The “Re-stream” Manoeuvre

If the “Starter Pack” looks dangerously low, do not just accept it. The Planner may have placed you in the wrong stream. You can push for an immediate fix by asking for a “Re-stream.”

What is Re-streaming? This describes the internal NDIS process where they manually move a participant from a lower funding band (like General) to a higher one (like Intensive). This happens when new evidence shows your needs exceed what the computer predicted.

The Ask: Explicitly ask your Planner to “submit a re-stream request via the Business System”.

The Evidence: You must provide justification (e.g., a letter from a specialist or OT) detailing why your functional impairment matches a higher stream. For example, you might highlight complex behavioural needs or a lack of informal supports.

Escalate: Moving to higher streams often requires higher-level approval (a Delegate). If the Planner says they “can’t” change the budget, ask them to escalate the re-stream request to a Delegate who can.

Scenario B: The “Check-in”

You might receive an unexpected call from the NDIS for a “Check-in.”

The Reality: This often sounds like a friendly chat, but do not let them fool you; it represents a formal administrative touchpoint. They check if your current funds are “working.” If you give even a hint that things are “going well,” they will likely roll over your plan (same budget, new dates) without you realising you just attended a review meeting.

The Risk: If you agree to a rollover now, but you actually need more funding for a big life change (like leaving school or moving out), you might have to wait months or fight for a new review later.

Your Strategy: Take Control of the Call

Do not let them catch you off guard. You control this meeting.

Stop and Reschedule: If they call at a bad time (e.g., while you are driving, cooking, or stressed), do not take the meeting. You have the right to say, “This isn’t a good time. I need to check my schedule and get my Support Coordinator involved. Please email me some available times for next week.”

Bring Your Wingman: You do not have to do this alone. If you want your CoAbility Support Coordinator or a trusted family member there, reschedule the call to a time they can join. Having a witness ensures nothing gets “lost in translation.”

Be Explicit About What You Want: Do not leave it up to interpretation. Use the correct terminology:

• “I want a Plan Rollover (no changes).”

• “I require a Plan Variation (small fix).”

• “I require a full Plan Reassessment (formerly called a Review) because my needs have changed.”

Be Prepared (Bring the “Receipts”)

If you ask for a Reassessment or a significant change (like 1:1 support or SDA), you cannot just request it during a check-in call; you must provide evidence that you need the change.

Evidence is Key: Have your progress reports ready. If you don’t have them yet, give the Planner a firm date: “My OT report will be uploaded to the portal by the 15th. Please do not finalise the plan until you have read it.”

The Carer Impact Statement: This serves as your secret weapon. We recommend submitting one for every planning meeting. It documents the real, human cost of the unpaid care your family or informal support network provides.

Big Changes Need Big Evidence: If you leave school, move out of home, or receive a new diagnosis, the NDIS considers this a significant “Change of Circumstance.” You need strong, recent evidence to back this up.

After the Check-in

Get it in Writing: Always end the call by asking for an email confirming what you discussed and agreed upon.

Follow Up: Chase your therapists if those progress reports remain outstanding. The NDIS won’t wait forever.

Important Note: The NDIS may call you to follow up on a complaint you made. This is not a Check-in. If you feel unsure, ask them at the start of the call: “Is this a plan check-in or regarding my complaint?” To lodge a formal complaint, visit NDIS Feedback and Complaints.

2. The Myth of the “Sign Off”

Let’s bust the biggest myth in the NDIS: You do not sign your plan.

Unlike a mortgage or a contract, you do not get to read the final document and say, “I agree.”

Once the Planner or LAC hits “Submit” on their computer, they have made the decision. The next time you see the plan, it becomes active, and the system allocates the money.

The Fix: You must be vocal during the meeting. Ask specific questions: “Can you read back the budget you have entered for Capacity Building?” or “Have you definitely included the funding for the comms device?” Don’t wait for the paperwork.

3. Preparation: Build Your Case (Don’t Just “Dream”)

In 2017, when we were baby Support Coordinators and the NDIS felt relatively fresh, we told you to “visualise your future” before your planning meeting. We now tell you to document your deficits. It sounds harsh, but the NDIS funds based on “functional impairment,” not “dreams.”

Planners now use a specific framework called the Plan Conversation Support Tool (PCST) to build your budget. If your evidence doesn’t feed directly into their tool, you won’t get the funding.

Here is how to prepare a bulletproof case:

A. The “Worst Day” Diary (Your Reality Check)

Planners only see you for an hour, usually when you are dressed, medicated, and putting on a brave face. You need to show them the reality of your life behind closed doors.

The Strategy: For two weeks, document every single time you need help.

What to Record:

• Safety risks: Did you leave the stove on? Did you trip? Did you need prompting to shower?

• Missed opportunities: Did you miss a social event because no support worker was available?

• The “Invisible” Support: Document the prompting and supervision. If you can cook dinner but need someone standing there to ensure you don’t burn the house down, you cannot cook independently. Make that distinction clear.

B. Speak the Language of the “PCST”

Planners and LACs must use the Plan Conversation Support Tool (PCST) for all new plans and reassessments. This tool maps your answers to specific funding categories.

• Don’t say: “I need help cleaning.”

• Do say: “My functional impairment in Self-Care and Self-Management prevents me from maintaining a safe home environment without physical assistance.” (This maps directly to Core Supports).

• Don’t say: “I want a job.”

• Do say: “I need to build capacity in social interaction and self-management to transition from supported employment to open employment.” (This maps to Capacity Building and Supports in Employment) .

C. Goals = Funding Codes (The PACE Rule)

In the new PACE system, if a support doesn’t connect to a specific, active goal, the computer often blocks the funding. Your goals act as the “keys” that unlock different budget categories.

• Goal: “I want to be independent.” (Too Vague – unlocks nothing).

• Goal: “I want to improve my mobility and access the community safely.” (Better – unlocks Assistive Technology and Transport).

• Goal: “I want to learn to cook so I can move out of the family home.” (Best – unlocks Daily Living supports for cooking lessons and Occupational Therapy for a functional assessment).

D. The “Hard” Evidence Checklist

Do not walk into the meeting with just your diary. You need clinical backing.

• Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA): This is your gold standard. An OT report detailing exactly what you can and cannot do. Ensure it is recent (less than 12 months old).

• Carer Impact Statement: A letter from your family/carer explaining the toll their unpaid support takes on their own health, employment, and wellbeing. This proves crucial for securing Respite or Short Term Accommodation.

• Specialist Reports: If you have a condition like Motor Neurone Disease or Multiple Sclerosis, ensure your specialist reports explicitly state the “progressive” nature of the condition, so the plan includes flexibility for rapid change.

4. During the Meeting: Face-to-Face is Still an Option

If you are not tech-savvy, do not let them force you into a video call or phone meeting.

You have the right to ask for a face-to-face meeting at your home or the NDIS local office.

If you feel nervous, CoAbility can attend with you. We speak “NDIS fluently” and can translate the jargon in real-time.

5. After the Meeting: The “Quarterly” Surprise

In the old days, you received your plan and saw a big, beautiful lump sum of money sitting there for the year. You could spend it how you liked, when you liked.

Those days are effectively over.

Under the new PACE system, the NDIS has introduced “Funding Periods.” This represents the biggest silent change in the scheme, and if you fail to prepare for it, it can leave you unable to pay your providers.

How it Works (The “Drip Feed”)

Instead of giving you your total funding on Day 1, the computer splits your funding into chunks, usually released every 3 months, at the discretion of the plan builder.

• The Good News: Unspent money rolls over. If you don’t spend your budget within the allocated period, it carries over to the next funding period. You don’t lose it.

• The Bad News (The Trap): You cannot “borrow” from the future. If you don’t have enough funding for your support in the funding period, even if you have $50,000 sitting in the “future” buckets of your plan, you cannot access it until the period unlocks.

Your Strategy: Demand “Front-Loading”

You must anticipate your big expenses before the plan is approved.

Scenario: You want to send your child to a specialised capacity-building program in January. That costs $3,000 in one hit.

The Fix: In your planning meeting, you must explicitly tell the planner, “I have a high-cost support occurring in Month 3. I need the first Funding Period to be front-loaded to cover this.”

The Warning: If you don’t ask your planner for this, the computer will default to an even split (e.g., $10,000 every 3 months), and you will generally fall short when the hefty invoice arrives.

Immediate Action: If you have a significant expense coming up (such as a program of support, equipment trial, or comprehensive functional assessment), tell your CoAbility Support Coordinator now. We may need to request a variation to unlock those funds early.

The Bottom Line

The NDIS is still a solid scheme, but it requires a sharper strategy than it used to. You need to be prepared, specific, and back everything with evidence.

You don’t have to fight this alone. Contact CoAbility and let us help you prepare for your next battle.