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NDIS plan review letter: how to ask for one

When to ask, who to write to, and a letter template · Last updated 2 August 2026

The short version (Easy Read):

Lots of people say ‘plan review’. The NDIA stopped using that phrase a few years ago, but the things people mean by it still exist — they just have new names now. Knowing the right name matters, because it tells the NDIA exactly what you are asking for, and different requests have different rules and timeframes.

This guide covers both paths, in plain words, and gives you a letter template.

‘Plan review’ means one of two things

Path one: asking the NDIA to change your plan. Use this when your plan no longer fits your life — your needs have changed, something in the plan is wrong, or a support is missing. There are two kinds of change:

Path two: asking the NDIA to check a decision. Use this when the NDIA has made a decision you disagree with — for example, the supports funded in your new plan, a decision that you are not eligible, or a decision not to change your plan. This is called an internal review. A different NDIA staff member, not involved in the original decision, looks at it again — the law, the facts, and your circumstances.

One common mix-up is worth naming: if the NDIA has just approved a plan and you are unhappy with what is in it, the right path is an internal review — not a reassessment request. And the internal review has a deadline, so it pays to move within the window.

Path one: asking for a change to your plan

You can ask at any time. You do not have to wait for your check-in or your plan's reassessment date. Ways to ask:

After you ask, the NDIA says it will contact you with a decision within 21 days. Three things can happen: it varies your plan, it does a reassessment and creates a new plan, or it decides not to change anything.

Be ready for the wait to be longer. The 21 days is a target under the Participant Service Guarantee, not a promise — and in the NDIA's own published figures for the March 2026 quarter, that target was met only 29% of the time. Once the NDIA agrees to a reassessment, it aims to finish within 28 days, and that target was met 87% of the time.

There is a useful rule hiding in the law here. If the NDIA does not decide on your change request within 21 days, the law treats that as a decision not to change your plan — and you can then ask for an internal review of that. So a long silence is not a dead end.

And one calm reassurance: if your plan's reassessment date arrives before the NDIA gets to it, your plan continues automatically for another 12 months with the same funding, and unspent funds carry over. Your supports do not stop, and you can keep using your current plan while a reassessment is under way. We cover the whole process in NDIS plan reassessment: what to expect.

Path two: asking for an internal review of a decision

You have 3 months from the day you receive the decision to ask for an internal review. Note the date you got the letter, or the date it appeared in the portal or app — the clock runs from when you received it, so it matters.

Ways to ask (you can do it in speech or in writing):

The NDIA aims to complete internal reviews within 60 days, and the law allows up to 90. In the March 2026 quarter, the 60-day target was met 34% of the time — so again, many people wait longer. If the NDIA asks you for extra documents during the review, you have up to 28 days to send them, and you can ask for more time.

The letter template

You do not need a formal letter — a phone call counts. But writing it down gives you a record, and it makes you set out your reasons clearly. The NDIA asks review requests to cover four things: the decision you were expecting, why you think a different decision should be made, information you have already given that you want looked at again, and any new evidence you will provide. Here is an honest skeleton that does exactly that:

To: Chief Executive Officer, National Disability Insurance Agency,
GPO Box 700, Canberra ACT 2601

Request for internal review of a decision

My name: [full name]. My NDIS number: [number]. My date of birth: [date].

I am asking for an internal review of the decision made on [date on the decision letter]. I received this decision on [date you got the letter, or saw it in the portal or app].

The decision I was expecting: [say what you expected — for example, funding for a support your therapist recommended].

Why I think the decision should be different: [give your reasons, one per line, and link each one to your evidence — for example, ‘my occupational therapist's report of [date] recommends this support because…’].

Information I have already given that I would like looked at again: [list reports or assessments already with the NDIA].

New evidence attached: [list each attachment]. I can provide more if needed.

Please contact me on [phone or email]. Signed, [name and date].

Keep a copy of the letter and everything you attach. Do not promise yourself an outcome — no letter can guarantee more funding — but a clear letter with good evidence gives the reviewer the best picture of your life. The same skeleton works for a change-of-plan request: swap the heading and describe what has changed in your situation instead. Matey can help you draft a letter like this in your own words — you check it and send it yourself.

What evidence helps

For both paths, the strongest evidence is recent and specific:

A short report that says why a support is needed is worth more than a tall stack of paper. If a report is old, ask the professional whether they can update it.

If you disagree with the internal review outcome

You can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) — the independent body that checks government decisions. (Older guides say ‘AAT’; that tribunal was replaced by the ART in 2024.) You have 28 days from receiving the internal review decision. If you miss the 28 days, you can ask the ART in writing for more time, with your reasons.

There is no application fee for an ART review of an NDIA decision, and you can represent yourself. You generally cannot go to the ART until the internal review is decided — with one exception: if the NDIA has not completed your internal review within 90 days, the ART may be able to take your case without waiting. You can apply online at art.gov.au, call 1800 228 333, or email reviews@art.gov.au.

Free help, and who does what

If you are not sure which budget or support your request is really about, start with Understanding your NDIS plan and NDIS budget categories explained — a clear ask names the support and the budget it lives in.

Want a hand with the letter?

Talk it through with Matey and draft it in your own words — voice or text, 12 languages, Easy Read. You send it yourself. Nothing stored.

Talk to Matey →