NDIA Accountability Project

This project is in DRAFT

Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

‹ PrevPage 1 of 14 · Source p. 125Next ›

FOI 24/25-1912 DOCUMENT 7

Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss

the proposed budget

SGP KP Publishing

Exported on 2025-09-10 23:51:31

SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

Table of Contents

1 Recent updates …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

2 Before you start …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

3 Discuss the proposed budget………………………………………………………………………………… 6

3.1 Determine if there are changes to the proposed budget ……………………………………………. 7

3.1.1 If there are no changes to the proposed budget ………………………………………………………………… 7

3.1.2 If you need to change the proposed budget ………………………………………………………………………. 7

4 Change the proposed budget ………………………………………………………………………………… 8

4.1 Participant provides new information or has a change in situation ……………………………… 8

4.2 Requested support doesn’t meet the NDIS funding criteria ……………………………………….. 8

4.3 Request for a replacement support ………………………………………………………………………… 9

5 Next steps …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10

SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

This article provides guidance for a planner delegate or planner (non-partnered area) to:

   discuss the proposed budget
  change the proposed budget.

SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

1 Recent updates

6 November 2024

  Updated guidance that you'll need to update the draft budget and Plan Conversation
   Support Tool (PCST) when making any changes to the proposed budget.
  Added additional step if a budget breakdown is requested during the plan meeting.

3 October 2024

  Added new information about if the participant or authorised representative requests a
   replacement support.
  Removed information that declined supports will not show on the plan approval cover
      letter.

SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

2 Before you start

You have:

   completed steps in article [Conduct the plan meeting – Complete the participant profile](https://www.ndis.gov.au)
   read and understood [Guide – Conversation style guide](https://www.ndis.gov.au).

SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

3 Discuss the proposed budget

Explain to the participant (or their authorised representative) how you developed the budget, the evidence you used, and the support categories included.

  1. In the Plan Approval case, select the Draft Budget tab.
  2. Explain to the participant how you developed the budget. You can refer to information from the Plan Conversation Support Tool to help with this conversation. You might need to explain: o the different support budget categories o flexible and stated supports, and what this means o the budget amounts, the level of support we’ve included and how we worked that out o the home and living application, if applicable. Talk to them about what this means for the home and living supports in their plan. Explain that other home and living supports may be added with a plan change if their current situation changes o how funding is made available and any periodic payments o supports pending decision (if required) o which Our Guidelines (external) you used to make reasonable and necessary decisions o what information, assessments and reports you used to include the supports in their plan.
  3. Ask the participant if there is any new information they want to provide. Note: If the participant or authorised representative requests a replacement support, go to article Create and action a request for a replacement support.
  4. Discuss any declined supports with the participant. You’ll need to clearly communicate all declined supports to the participant at the plan meeting. Declined supports will also be included on the plan approval cover letter once the plan is approved. o You can view declined supports on the Record a Declined Support tab of a Plan Approval case. Explain why this support wasn’t included, how you made your decision and the evidence you used. o You can find declined supports in previous plans in the Statement of Supports on the Decisions tab of the Person Account. This will help you understand the reason why a support was previously declined. You’ll need to decide whether the participant’s situation has changed and if the support should now be considered.
  5. Discuss how long the plan will go for and why. Let the participant know the plan reassessment date will show on the plan. Tell them they can contact us if their situation changes before the reassessment date. The plan duration will determine the plan reassessment date.
  6. Record key things you discussed in Plan Meeting Notes. Refer to article Add plan meeting notes.
  7. The participant or authorised representative might ask for a copy of how the draft budget was developed. You can generate a budget breakdown once the plan has been approved. For more information, go to article Record and action a request for a budget breakdown.

SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

3.1 Determine if there are changes to the proposed budget

After your discussion with the participant, you’ll need to determine if there are changes to the proposed budget.

Make sure you have discussed:

   the participant's current situation
   the proposed budget and how the participant can use it to meet their needs
  any new information that has been provided.

3.1.1 If there are no changes to the proposed budget

  1. From the Plan Meeting tab, select the Confirmed checkbox. Select Next and go to article Conduct the plan meeting – Discuss fund management.

3.1.2 If you need to change the proposed budget

  1. Go to section Change the proposed budget in this article.

FOI 24/25-1912 SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

4 Change the proposed budget

4.1 Participant provides new information or has a change in situation

You can change the proposed budget if you have evidence to support the change.

  • For minor changes, it’s likely you can make the changes to the proposed budget and approve the plan during the plan meeting.
  • For major changes, you should approve the proposed budget at the plan meeting. You’ll need to create a CEO-initiated plan change request to make the changes to the plan. You’ll need to decide if this is a s47A variation or a s48 reassessment. Refer to article Prepare to submit a plan change request.

To make changes, you’ll need to update the draft budget in PACE and the PCST.

  • To change the PCST, go to article Understand and update the plan conversation support tool.
  • To change the draft budget and re-upload the PCST, go to article Change the draft budget.

Sometimes a participant may request a support in a plan meeting without the appropriate supporting evidence for you to make a decision. If you don’t have the evidence, the participant needs to provide this evidence before we can create a plan change case. Refer to article Prepare to submit a plan change request.

If a High Decision Delegate (HDD) previously checked the proposed budget and there are changes, the HDD will review these before they approve the plan. You’ll need to let the participant know:

  • that the plan needs to be checked by someone else
  • it will be approved within the timeframes in the Participant Service Guarantee (external).

You can check the Approve Participant Plan Milestone on the Plan Approval case to check the time remaining.

4.2 Requested support doesn’t meet the NDIS funding criteria

When the participant requests a support at the plan meeting that doesn’t meet NDIS funding criteria, record this in the Record a Declined Support tab. Refer to article Record a declined support.

Explain your decision and any declined supports to the participant. It’s important to make sure you communicate all declined supports to the participant in the plan meeting. There’s an attachment in the plan approval letter that provides the justification and sub-justification for supports we declined.

Record any new and declined supports in Handover Notes. Refer to article Add handover notes for a plan approval case.

Change the proposed budget – 8 Page 132 of 280

FOI 24/25-1912 SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

4.3 Request for a replacement support

If the participant or authorised representative requests a replacement support, go to article Create and action a request for a replacement support.

Change the proposed budget – 9 Page 133 of 280

FOI 24/25-1912 SGP KP Publishing – Conduct the plan meeting - Discuss the proposed budget

5 Next steps

  1. Discuss fund management. Go to article Conduct the plan meeting – Discuss fund management.

Next steps – 10 Page 134 of 280

FOI 24/25-1912 DOCUMENT 8

Changing your plan

This factsheet explains:

  • plan variations
  • plan reassessments
  • how to ask for changes to your plan.

Plan changes

The NDIS is designed to give you the reasonable and necessary supports you need to build your skills, maximise your independence, and help you pursue your goals. If your circumstances and needs change, your plan may also need to change.

For more information, you can read Our Guideline — Changing your plan on the NDIS website.

There are two types of plan changes we can make: plan variations and plan reassessments.

Plan variations

A plan variation is a small change to your current plan. When we do a plan variation, we only make changes to some of your plan. Your current plan keeps going. We can vary your plan if you ask us to, or if we think a plan variation is required.

ndis.gov.au

Page 135 of 280

FOI 24/25-1912

Small changes we can make include:

  • your goals
  • the information about you, including your contact details
  • your plan reassessment date
  • the way your funds are managed
  • varying your funding component amounts and funding periods
  • providing funding for short-term supports when your situation changes suddenly.

If the plan change is about funding in your plan, the varied plan must still meet the NDIS funding criteria.

Plan reassessments

When we do a plan reassessment, we can replace your plan with a new one, or we can vary your current plan. This will depend on your situation. We’ll reassess your plan if you need bigger changes than we can do in a plan variation, or if your plan no longer meets your needs.

When we do a plan reassessment, we’ll consider your plan as a whole. You’ll meet with an NDIS planner to create your new plan, if we need to. In this case, your old plan will end, and you’ll receive a new plan with new funding.

We’ll do a plan reassessment when:

  • your situation changes
  • the plan reassessment date in your plan is coming up
  • we need to include a total funding amount, funding component amounts and funding periods in your plan for the first time, based on the updated laws for the NDIS.

When your situation changes

You should tell us about any changes in your situation so we can make sure you are getting the right support. You can talk to your support coordinator, recovery coach or my NDIS contact about your situation and what has changed.

ndis.gov.au

Page 136 of 280 2

FOI 24/25-1912

When the reassessment date in your plan is coming up

We must reassess your plan before the reassessment date in your plan.

We’ll arrange a check-in meeting with you around 3 months before your plan reassessment date. At this check-in meeting, we’ll to talk about how your plan is meeting your needs. We’ll also write to you to let you know your reassessment is coming up.

We do this to make sure that your NDIS supports are meeting your needs and circumstances as your life changes. It’s a good chance to think about how your plan is working for you and if your goals or support needs have changed.

If your needs haven’t changed, we can approve a new plan that includes the same NDIS supports as your previous plan.

When we include a total funding amount, funding component amounts and funding periods in your plan

If we prepare and approve a new plan because of a reassessment, your new plan will include a total funding amount, funding component amounts and funding periods. This is because of changes to NDIS laws.

Learn more in Our Guideline – Changing your plan on the NDIS website.

Until we have finished updating our computer systems, new and reassessed plans completed in our new computer system will go for one year.

How to ask for changes to your plan

You can ask us to change your plan at any time. You can talk to your my NDIS contact, support coordinator or recovery coach about the changes you want and why. We’ll work with you to see if your plan needs to change, and let you know what information or evidence you’ll need to prepare.

You can also ask for changes by:

  • completing our change of details or change of situation form on the NDIS website
  • calling us on 1800 800 110
  • visiting one of our offices.

You’ll need to give us any new information to help us decide if we can make changes to your plan. The information we need will depend on the reason you’re asking for

ndis.gov.au

Page 137 of 280 3

FOI 24/25-1912

changes. If your support needs have changed, we’ll need assessments, reports, or other evidence from your health professionals. Learn more in our Factsheet: What evidence you need to give us before we create or change your plan. If we do a plan variation, we usually won’t need this information.

What happens next?

After you ask us to change your plan, we’ll make a decision within 21 days, or let you know that we need more information.

If we decide to change your plan, we’ll work with you to make the changes you need. Then you’ll get a copy of your new plan.

If we decide not to change your plan, we’ll explain our decision. We’ll talk to you about your review rights and other ways we can support you. For more information about changing your plan, visit ndis.gov.au.

National Disability Insurance Service

ndis.gov.au

Telephone 1800 800 110

Webchat ndis.gov.au

Follow us on our social channels

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn

For people who need help with English

TIS: 131 450

For people who are deaf or hard of hearing

TTY: 1800 555 677

Voice relay: 1800 555 727

National Relay Service: accesshub.gov.au

DA0836 Factsheet: Changing your plan – October 2024

ndis.gov.au

Page 138 of 280 4