Incluso Team
NDIS Support Needs Assessment Explained
What Is the NDIS Support Needs Assessment?
If you’ve recently heard about the NDIS Support Needs Assessment or received information about upcoming changes to NDIS planning, you may be wondering what it means for you.
The NDIS is introducing a new way of planning, including a Support Needs Assessment designed to better understand the disability-related supports participants need in everyday life.
Importantly, the changes are being introduced gradually, with the new planning approach scheduled to begin rolling out from April 2027. Your current NDIS plan remains in place until the NDIA contacts you about moving to the new planning approach.
In this guide, we explain what the Support Needs Assessment involves, what you can expect, how it may inform your NDIS plan and how you can prepare.
Why is the NDIS changing the planning process?
The NDIS planning changes are part of broader reforms intended to make planning more consistent, transparent and focused on participants’ disability-related support needs.
Rather than focusing primarily on functional impairment, the new approach is intended to look more broadly at the disability-related supports a participant needs in everyday life.
According to the NDIS information about the new way of planning, the changes are intended to create fairer and more consistent budgets, increase flexibility and reduce some of the burden associated with obtaining supporting evidence.
As part of the NDIS’s new way of planning, participants move through a simple four-step journey.
The four-step participant journey
- The NDIA contacts the participant and provides information to help them prepare for the assessment.
- The participant meets with a trained NDIA assessor to discuss their daily life, disability-related support needs and personal preferences.
- The assessor prepares and submits the Support Needs Assessment report to the NDIA.
- The NDIA uses the report to develop the participant’s plan and determine their total NDIS funding amount. Participants receive both their assessment report and their new plan.
You can read the NDIA’s latest information about Support Needs Assessments and the new planning approach.
What is the NDIS Support Needs Assessment?
The NDIS Support Needs Assessment is a structured conversation with a trained assessor about your everyday life and the disability-related supports you need.
It isn’t a medical examination or a test you need to study for. Instead, the assessment is designed to build a clearer picture of the support you need across different areas of your life.
You can also have people who support you involved in the process, such as a family member, carer or support person.
The assessment may explore:
- your everyday routines and activities
- where, when and how often you need disability-related support
- communication and community participation
- mobility and safety
- your living arrangements
- your goals and the support that helps you build independence.
💡 Remember: The Support Needs Assessment is designed to understand your disability-related support needs. Preparing examples from your everyday life can help you explain what support looks like for you.
Housing and living arrangements
Your living arrangements can provide important context for understanding your everyday support needs.
The assessment may consider the support you need within your home and how your accommodation contributes to your independence.
If you currently receive or are exploring Supported Independent Living (SIL), it can be useful to think about the assistance you need throughout a typical day and night.
Incluso provides Accommodation and Supported Independent Living (SIL) services tailored to participants’ individual support needs.
If you’re still working out how SIL works within the NDIS, our guide to Supported Independent Living (SIL) in the NDIS explains SIL funding, daily supports, staffing arrangements and what is and isn’t typically included.
How to prepare for an NDIS Support Needs Assessment
You don’t need to memorise answers or prepare for the assessment like an exam.
However, spending some time thinking about your typical week can make it easier to explain your support needs clearly.
Before your assessment, you may find it helpful to have:
Notes about your daily routine
Think about what a typical week looks like and where, when and how you need support.
Relevant information
Consider whether you have existing information that helps explain your disability-related support needs.
Questions you want to ask
Writing down your questions beforehand can help make sure you cover what matters to you.
Someone you trust
Consider whether you would like a family member, carer, support person or another trusted person involved.
Your current NDIS plan
Reviewing your current plan may help you think about the supports you use now and what your day-to-day support needs look like.
You can also explore Incluso’s NDIS services to learn more about the types of support available to participants.
How does the Support Needs Assessment affect your NDIS plan and funding?
The Support Needs Assessment will play an important role in the new planning process.
Under the new framework, the assessment will identify the type, amount and frequency of disability-related support needed. This information will then help determine funding under a participant’s new NDIS plan.
The NDIA has also confirmed that plans will continue to be approved by trained NDIS staff rather than being automatically generated.
Because the new planning framework is still being developed ahead of the April 2027 rollout, participants should refer to the NDIS new way of planning page for the latest official information.
What do the NDIS planning changes mean for participants and families?
Changes to NDIS planning can understandably raise questions for participants, families and carers.
One of the most important things to remember is that there is no immediate change to your existing plan simply because the new planning framework has been announced.
The new way of planning is scheduled to begin rolling out from April 2027, and existing participants will transition over time.
For families and carers, understanding the process can make it easier to support someone through the transition. This could include helping them think through their typical week, identifying where support is needed and being involved in the assessment where appropriate.
If you already have Support Coordination in your plan, your support coordinator can also help you understand changes to your plan and work through your next steps. Learn more about how Support Coordination works in the NDIS.
For the latest information as implementation progresses, check the official NDIS new way of planning page.
Need support navigating changes to your NDIS plan?
You don’t need to work through changes to the NDIS on your own.
Incluso supports NDIS participants across Australia with services designed around individual needs, independence and everyday life.
Whether you’re reviewing your current supports, considering Supported Independent Living or simply have questions about what the changes could mean for you, our team can help you understand your options.
Contact Incluso to talk with our team about your support needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NDIS Support Needs Assessment?
The NDIS Support Needs Assessment is a structured conversation with a trained assessor about your everyday life and disability-related support needs. The information gathered will help inform the budget in your new NDIS plan.
When will NDIS Support Needs Assessments start?
The NDIA currently says the new way of planning, including Support Needs Assessments, will begin rolling out from April 2027. The transition will happen progressively rather than affecting every participant at once.
For the latest rollout information, visit the official NDIS new way of planning page.
How should I prepare for an NDIS Support Needs Assessment?
Think about what a typical week looks like, including where, when and how often you need support, as well as the type of support you need. It may help to make notes beforehand and consider whether you would like a family member, carer or another support person involved.
Will the NDIS Support Needs Assessment affect my funding?
Yes. Under the new planning framework, information collected through the Support Needs Assessment will help determine a participant’s NDIS plan budget.
Can someone support me during my assessment?
Yes. The NDIA says participants can involve family members, carers or other support people in the Support Needs Assessment.
What happens to my existing NDIS plan?
There is no immediate change simply because the new planning approach has been announced. The new framework is being introduced progressively, and existing participants will transition over time.
Where can I find official information about the changes?
The best source for current information is the NDIS new way of planning page. Because implementation details can change as the new framework is finalised, check the NDIS website for the latest information.
