What to Do If Your NDIS Funding Has Been Reduced in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Sense of Care Team
- Jun 29
- 6 min read
Receiving a new NDIS plan with less funding than expected can be confusing, stressful and overwhelming. Many participants and families rely on their supports to maintain independence, participate in the community and achieve their goals.
If your funding has been reduced, it is important to understand that a reduction does not automatically mean that your support needs have changed or that there are no options available to challenge the decision.
This guide outlines practical steps participants can take following a reduction in funding.
Step 1: Carefully Review Your New Plan
Before taking any action, compare your previous plan with your new plan line by line.
Consider:
- Which supports have been reduced or removed?
- Have support categories changed?
- Has funding shifted between categories?
- Has the NDIA provided reasons for the changes?
- Are there references to supports being considered mainstream responsibilities?
- Are your current support needs accurately reflected in the evidence used to make the decision?
Creating a side-by-side comparison of your plans can help identify exactly what has changed and where further investigation may be required.
Step 2: Read the Reasons for the Decision
The NDIA should provide information explaining why funding decisions have been made.
If you are unclear why your funding has been reduced, request a copy of the Decision Outcome Letter and ask the NDIA to clarify the evidence and reasoning relied upon to make the decision.
Common reasons for funding reductions may include:
- Changes to legislation or operational guidelines.
- Supports being considered the responsibility of another service system.
- Insufficient evidence demonstrating functional impact.
- Assumptions that informal supports can meet unmet needs.
- Changes to goals or circumstances recorded during planning meetings.
- Inconsistencies between reports from different providers.
Understanding the reason behind the decision helps determine the most appropriate next steps.
Step 3: Consider Requesting Information Under Freedom of Information
Participants may request access to information held by the NDIA through the Freedom of Information process.
Documents that may be useful include:
- Planner case notes.
- Records of conversations and planning meetings.
- Internal decision summaries.
- Evidence relied upon by the NDIA when determining supports.
- Copies of assessments or reports held on file.
- Internal correspondence relating to your plan decision.
Freedom of Information requests can provide valuable insight into how decisions were reached and whether important evidence may have been overlooked or misunderstood.
This information can often assist participants and providers to identify gaps in evidence and strengthen future review requests.
You may be able to locate the requested Practice Guides by searching the NDIA Disclosure Log available on the NDIA website. Use the link below to access the log and browse documents that have been previously released under FOI.
Step 4: Gather Current Evidence
Evidence is often the most important factor when seeking a review of an NDIS decision.
Useful evidence may include:
- Functional Capacity Assessments.
- Occupational Therapy reports.
- Physiotherapy reports.
- Psychology reports.
- Behaviour Support Plans.
- Specialist medical reports.
- Support worker observations.
- Hospital discharge summaries.
- Risk assessments.
- Carer statements.
- Participant impact statements.
The strongest evidence clearly explains how disability impacts everyday functioning and why specific supports are reasonable and necessary.
Good evidence focuses on functional impact rather than diagnosis alone.
For example, rather than simply stating that a participant experiences chronic pain, reports should explain how pain impacts mobility, self-care, domestic tasks, social participation, employment or community access.
Step 5: Ensure Consistency Across All Reports
One of the most common reasons participants experience difficulties during reassessments is inconsistency between reports from different providers.
The NDIA places significant weight on consistency of evidence across all documentation.
For example:
- An Occupational Therapy report may describe daily assistance with showering.
- A Physiotherapy report may describe independent community mobility while support worker notes document frequent falls.
Even where these differences are unintentional or reflect fluctuations in disability, inconsistencies can create doubt regarding support requirements.
Participants and providers should ensure that all evidence consistently describes:
- Functional capacity.
- Risks and vulnerabilities.
- Support requirements.
- Frequency and intensity of support needs.
- Use of informal supports.
- Changes in circumstances.
- Capacity fluctuations and good days versus bad days.
Reports do not need to be identical, but they should accurately describe the participant's typical presentation and explain variability where it exists.
Where disabilities fluctuate, reports should clearly explain:
- What the participant can do independently.
- What they can do with prompting or supervision.
- What they cannot safely or reliably do.
- How often support is required.
- The consequences if support is unavailable.
Where possible, evidence should also clearly explain exactly how funded hours will be used.
For example:
- One hour each morning for a personal care routine including showering, dressing and medication prompts.
- Thirty minutes daily for meal preparation and nutritional support.
- Two medical appointments per week requiring transport and community access support.
- One social or community participation activity each week.
- Weekly grocery shopping and essential errands.
Specific examples help demonstrate why supports are reasonable and necessary and provide decision makers with a clear understanding of the participant's actual support requirements.
Step 6: Focus Evidence on the Disabilities You Met Access On
The NDIS only funds supports that relate to the specific impairments that allowed the participant to meet the access criteria.
While participants may develop additional health conditions over time, funding decisions often focus heavily on the impairments for which access was originally granted unless additional disabilities or conditions have subsequently been recognised by the NDIA.
Participants should consider contacting the NDIA to confirm exactly which disability category or impairment they originally met access under, as access pathways and categories have evolved over time.
When preparing evidence, reports should clearly demonstrate the relationship between requested supports and the participant's recognised disability-related impairments.
For example:
- A participant who met access due to Autism may require support with social communication, emotional regulation, executive functioning and community participation.
- A participant who met access due to Cerebral Palsy may require support related to mobility, transfers, personal care and fatigue management.
- A participant who met access due to psychosocial disability may require support with routine establishment, self-management, community participation and maintaining tenancy.
Where secondary conditions, ageing, injuries or medical issues contribute to support needs, reports should clearly explain the interaction between these conditions and the participant's primary disability where appropriate.
Strong evidence creates a clear line between:
1. The recognised disability-related impairments.
2. The resulting functional impacts.
3. The risks associated with unsupported needs.
4. The supports required to address those impacts.
This direct connection between disability, functional impact and support recommendation is often critical when seeking to maintain or increase funding.
Step 7: Ensure Providers Describe Functional Impact Rather Than Diagnosis
Diagnoses alone rarely justify supports.
Instead, evidence should clearly describe:
- What tasks the participant cannot complete independently.
- What support is required.
- How often support is required.
- What risks arise without support.
- How the support will build capacity or maintain functioning.
The key question decision makers are often seeking to answer is not:
"What diagnosis does the participant have?"
Instead, the focus is generally:
"How does the participant's disability impact their everyday life and what support is required because of that impact?"
Step 8: Speak With Your Support Team
Your support network can play an important role in identifying gaps and risks created by reduced funding.
This may include:
- Support Coordinators.
- Recovery Coaches.
- Occupational Therapists.
- Physiotherapists.
- Psychologists.
- Behaviour Support Practitioners.
- General Practitioners and Specialists.
- Family members and carers.
Collaboratively documenting unmet needs and emerging risks can strengthen requests for additional supports.
Step 9: Document Risks and Changes
If reduced funding results in increased risks, these should be documented.
Examples may include:
- Increased falls risk.
- Reduced access to personal care.
- Carer burnout.
- Hospital admissions.
- Social isolation.
- Reduced community participation.
- Deterioration in physical or mental health.
- Loss of employment or education opportunities.
Evidence of these impacts may support future funding requests or reassessments.
Step 10: Consider Your Review Options
Participants who disagree with an NDIS decision may have review options available to them.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include requesting an internal review of a reviewable decision and, if unsuccessful, pursuing external review pathways such as the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).
Timeframes apply to review requests, so seeking advice early is important.
If you experience a significant deterioration in function, loss of informal supports or another substantial change in circumstances, a Change of Situation request may be more appropriate than a review.
Step 11: Continue Advocating for Your Needs
Navigating the NDIS can be complex, particularly during periods of legislative and policy change.
Participants and families often become experts in their own circumstances and support requirements.
Seeking assistance from experienced professionals and maintaining clear evidence of support needs can make a significant difference throughout the process.
How Sense of Care Can Help
At Sense of Care, we work alongside participants, families and allied health professionals to help people understand their plans, identify evidence requirements and build strong foundations for ongoing support outcomes.
Our team understands that every participant's situation is different and that effective advocacy begins with understanding an individual's goals, strengths and support needs.
If you would like assistance understanding your supports or preparing for future planning conversations, our team is here to help.
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Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and should not be considered legal advice. Individual circumstances vary and participants should seek professional advice relevant to their specific situation.
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