The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) supports people with disability through funded services. The NDIS participant journey starts from applying for the NDIS to using your approved plan and beyond. In this guide, weโll walk you through each stage, from the NDIS application process to planning meetings, understanding your NDIS plan, using your supports, and preparing for plan reassessment. Our aim is to explain each step in plain language so you know what to expect and how to get help along the way.
Step 1: Applying for the NDIS
Applying for NDIS funding begins with checking eligibility and submitting an Access Request. To be eligible, you must be younger than 65 on the day you apply, be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or a Protected Special Category visa holder, live in Australia, and meet the disability requirements or the early intervention requirements. If you believe you meet these criteria, your local NDIS partner can help you apply: a local area coordinator (LAC) if you are aged 9 to 64, or an early childhood partner for children younger than 9. They can help you gather the right information and evidence, such as proof of age and residence, and reports from health professionals that describe how your disability affects you.
Gather any relevant reports or assessments that explain your support needs (e.g. doctorโs letters, therapy reports) and personal details (e.g. DOB, address). Your NDIS partner will help you fill in the Access Request form and submit the application. The NDIA reviews all information and says it will make an eligibility decision within 90 days once your application and all your supporting evidence are submitted. NDIS partners also help people who are not NDIS participants, so they can connect you with community and government services while you wait.
Tips for a successful application: Be clear about the daily challenges you face due to your disability, and gather evidence from professionals who know you well (e.g. doctors, therapists, teachers). If the NDIA asks you for more information, send it as soon as you can. Your NDIS partner can help you with this.
Explore our services at Centre of Hope
Step 2: Your NDIS Planning Meeting
Once youโre approved as an NDIS participant, the next step is to create your NDIS plan in a planning meeting. The plan meeting is a conversation with the NDIA planner who approves your plan. The planner invites you once they are ready to show you your plan, and you can meet in person, online or by phone. You can bring someone to help you, such as a family member, friend, support coordinator or recovery coach.
The planner explains how your plan was created and which supports are included. If you give new information or evidence at the meeting, the planner may change the plan during the meeting. They approve your plan during or soon after the meeting.
What to prepare for your planning meeting:
- List of short-term and long-term goals
- Reports or letters from doctors, therapists, or schools
- Notes about current supports and providers
- Questions you want to ask about managing your plan
If you have a Support Coordinator, they can assist you in navigating this process. Learn more about the levels of support coordination.
Step 3: Understanding Your NDIS Plan
Your approved plan appears in the my NDIS portal and app, and your my NDIS contact gets a copy. Funding sits in up to 4 support budgets:
1. Core Supports: Everyday activities, personal care, community participation.
2. Capacity Building Supports: Therapy, support coordination, training, and employment services.
3. Capital Supports: Assistive technology, home modifications.
4. Recurring Supports: Recurring transport, which helps you get to work, study or community activities.
Youโll also decide how to manage your funds:
- Self-managed: You pay and claim directly.
- Plan-managed: A plan manager, funded in your plan, pays providers and keeps records for you.
- NDIA-managed: The NDIA pays your providers directly, and you can only use registered providers.
To get the most from your plan, itโs important to understand the categories and how they relate to your goals. Your my NDIS contact or support coordinator can help you make the most of your plan.
Step 4: Using Your NDIS Plan
Now that your plan is active, itโs time to begin using your supports. Hereโs how:
1. Choosing Providers: Use the NDIA’s Provider Finder, ask your my NDIS contact or support coordinator, or search locally. If your funding is self-managed or plan-managed, you can use registered or unregistered providers.
2. Budgeting Wisely: Check your balances in the my NDIS app or portal, so your supports last the full plan period.
3. Getting Help:
- A Support Coordinator can help you connect with the right services, set up service agreements, and resolve issues.
- A Psychosocial Recovery Coach can be funded if you have a psychosocial disability, offering support focused on your recovery.
Centre of Hope provides both Support Coordination and Psychosocial Recovery Coaching. Make a referral here or book an appointment to speak with our team.
Step 5: Monitoring and Plan Reassessment
The NDIA keeps in touch about whether your plan still meets your needs. This happens through:
Check-ins: a conversation with your my NDIS contact about how your plan is going. You usually have one 2 to 3 months before your plan ends, or when big changes are coming up in your life, and you can ask for one at any time.
Plan Reassessment: a new plan with different supports, when your needs have changed significantly. It is a chance to:
- Reflect on your goals and achievements
- Identify whatโs working and what isnโt
- Request changes to support types or funding levels
You donโt have to wait for your plan to end. If your situation changes significantly, you can ask for a plan reassessment at any time using the NDIA’s request form, with evidence of the change. Smaller changes, like a new address, only need to be reported: our guide to an NDIS change of circumstances explains which is which.
Read our guide to the NDIS plan reassessment, or the NDIA’s page on what a plan reassessment is.
What Is Changing in the NDIS Participant Journey
Two changes are coming. The NDIA will begin introducing a new way of planning from April 2027, and the government plans a commissioned Support Coordination and Connection service from 1 July 2028. Until then, the steps above apply. Read more about NDIS planning changes and what the 2028 changes mean for support coordination.
Youโre Not Alone on the NDIS Journey
The NDIS participant journey can feel overwhelming, but you donโt have to do it alone. From your first application to managing your plan year after year, the right support makes all the difference. At Centre of Hope, weโre committed to helping participants navigate every stage with confidence.
Explore our NDIS services, make a referral, or book a meeting with our team today. You deserve a plan that works for you, your family, and your goals.
FAQs
1. How long does it take to get an NDIS plan?
Once your application and all your supporting evidence are submitted, the NDIA says it will make an access decision within 90 days. After you become a participant, its timeframe to approve your first plan is 56 days, and the plan meeting happens as part of that step.
2. What should I bring to my planning meeting?
Bring your goals, evidence from health professionals, information about current supports, and any reports or assessments. It also helps to bring someone for support, such as a family member or your support coordinator.
3. Who helps me use my plan?
Your my NDIS contact is there to help you use your plan. If your plan funds them, a support coordinator or psychosocial recovery coach helps you find providers and manage services, and a plan manager takes care of payments.
4. Can I change providers mid-plan?
Yes. You can change providers at any time. Check your service agreement for any notice period. Your my NDIS contact or support coordinator can help you find a new provider.
5. What happens at a plan reassessment?
A plan reassessment creates a new plan with different supports. It happens when your needs have changed significantly, when you ask for one with evidence, or when the NDIA contacts you, for example near the end of your plan when you need significant changes.
Useful Resources:
- NDIS Support Coordination Levels Explained
- Top NDIS Services You Didn’t Know You Could Access
- NDIS Funding Explained
- Creating your plan (ndis.gov.au)
- Using your funding (ndis.gov.au)
- Working with providers (ndis.gov.au)
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and does not replace personal advice. It is current as at 25 September 2026 and reflects the NDIA’s pages on eligibility requirements, NDIS partners, my NDIS contacts, plan meetings, support budgets, plan management, check-ins and plan reassessments, and the Participant Service Guarantee timeframes. Rules and processes change, so confirm the latest at ndis.gov.au or call the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
