NDIS Emergency Planning: Protect Your Safety and Keep Support Going

What Do You Do as an NDIS Participant in an Emergency?

Originally published 12 March 2025

Original article and dated context

For NDIS participants, natural disasters and emergencies are scary and anxiety inducing. Loss of electricity means powerchairs don’t get charged and ventilators run off limited back-up power, while floods make it difficult for essential workers to get safely in and out. If you suffer damage to your home, your support needs might also change. Yep, it’s a lot.

To ease your (very valid) angst, we’ve written this guide to support you during and after a crisis. Whether you are affected by a bushfire, flood, or other disaster, you need to know what help is available through the NDIS and how to request additional support if needed. This includes knowing how to lodge a change in circumstances afterwards.

Understanding the NDIS and Emergency Support

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding and support to Australians with disabilities, helping them live independently and achieve their goals. We all know this – it’s the bread and butter of the NDIS!

However, in times of emergency, NDIS participants may require extra assistance to ensure their safety and well-being. The NDIS works closely with government agencies and emergency services to provide additional support when disasters occur.

What should you do in an emergency?

If you find yourself in an emergency, follow these steps to ensure your safety and access NDIS supports:

Prepare: Coordinate with your supports, stock up on supplies (including medication), and have a plan for emergency power, whether that’s power banks or a generator.
[Clickability update, September 2026: Choose backup power suitable for your equipment. Fuel-powered generators must only run outdoors away from windows and vents because of carbon monoxide risk. See official safety advice.]
Prioritise Safety: If you’re in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000) for emergency services. Follow evacuation orders and seek shelter in designated areas.
Reach Out to Your Support Coordinator or Provider: If you have a support coordinator, they can help arrange alternative supports and accommodation.
Stay Connected: Inform family, friends, and carers about your emergency plan and discuss how they can assist you if needed.
Monitor Government Alerts: Follow local emergency services and the NDIS for updates on available support.

Who should you contact in an emergency?

In the event of an emergency, the National Disability Insurance Agency should not be your first port of call – you should instead contact the following:

SES support for floods and storms: 132 500
Police/fire/ambulance for life-threatening scenarios: 000
Police attendance: 131 444
[Clickability update, September 2026: This is a non-emergency police contact, not the number for immediate danger. Call 000 when urgent police, fire or ambulance assistance is required.]

To keep up to date, we also recommend checking out the following:

Lodging a Change in Circumstances with the NDIS

We’ve explored what to do during an emergency, but what do you do afterwards? As people with disability, our support needs can change drastically following an emergency. As such, you may need to update your NDIS plan. The NDIS allows participants to lodge a change in circumstances request to access additional funding or services.

[Clickability update, September 2026: The process has changed since publication. Current NDIA guidance distinguishes urgent plan variations from early reassessments, which only participants, plan nominees or child representatives can request. Ask which pathway fits your situation.]

When do you request a change in circumstances?

You should consider lodging a change in circumstances if:

You have lost access to essential supports due to an emergency.
Your home has been damaged or destroyed, affecting your ability to live independently.
You require additional assistive technology or equipment due to the impact of the disaster.
Your disability-related needs have changed significantly following the emergency.
Your informal support network (family or carers) is no longer able to provide the same level of assistance.

How to Lodge a Change in Circumstances

Complete the Change of Circumstances Form: Download the form from the NDIS website (Change of Circumstances) or request a copy by calling 1800 800 110.
Provide Supporting Evidence: Include medical reports, assessments from support providers, or statements from emergency responders detailing how the event has affected your disability-related needs.
Submit the Request: Send your completed form and supporting documents via email, post, or directly to your local NDIS office.
Wait for a Response: The NDIS will review your request and may schedule a plan review meeting to discuss your new support needs.

Above all else, stay safe.

Emergencies can be stressful, but knowing what to do as an NDIS participant can help you stay safe and access the support you need. Whether it’s immediate assistance during a disaster or lodging a change in circumstances to update your NDIS plan, help is available. Stay prepared, stay informed, and don’t hesitate to reach out to the NDIS if your support needs change.

Clickability editorial update, September 2026

What belongs in an NDIS participant’s emergency plan?

Write down the help you need if electricity, transport or regular staff become unavailable. Include an accessible destination, who can help you leave, essential equipment and how you communicate. Ask your equipment supplier or treating team what backup arrangements your equipment requires. A generic power bank may not meet those needs.

Keep a copy with you and share it with the people you want involved. Practise the parts that are safe to practise: finding the contact list, packing essential items and checking that transport can actually take your equipment. The NDIA emergency page links to the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness tool.

How participants can make an emergency plan usable

Choose a place you could actually reach with your equipment and check who would help you get there. Write down how you want alerts delivered, where essential items are kept and who can access your support instructions. Keep a copy available without relying on internet access.

Test a small practical step with the people involved, such as locating the contact list or checking whether the proposed vehicle can carry your chair. If one person or one power source is essential, agree on a backup. Follow emergency-service instructions during an immediate threat; a funding conversation does not replace emergency assistance.

Who will keep essential support going?

Ask your provider who to contact after hours, who covers a missed shift and what happens if roads are closed. The Commission’s emergency management standards address continuity of critical supports. Make the arrangements specific to you.

If your support needs change, contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110. Under current plan-change guidance, urgent or short-term changes may use a plan variation; early reassessments have different requirements. Explain what has changed and what support is at risk rather than assuming every emergency needs the same form or process.

For planning conversations, preparing a service agreement can help identify responsibilities before a crisis occurs.

What providers should settle before a missed shift becomes a crisis

Ask which support the participant cannot safely go without, then agree on an escalation contact, replacement arrangements and how updates will reach them. Check that a replacement worker can obtain essential instructions with appropriate privacy safeguards.

Review the arrangement after a near miss or a change in support needs. The registered-provider practice standards address emergency management and continuity; turn those requirements into responsibilities people can follow.

If the concern involves abuse rather than a routine service interruption, read reporting disability-service abuse safely.

Questions readers ask

Should I call the NDIS first in an emergency?

No. Call 000 for immediate danger and follow local emergency advice. The NDIA deals with disability support arrangements, not frontline emergency response.

Can I run a generator indoors if a window is open?

No. Fuel-powered generators must be outside, away from windows and vents. See Queensland Government generator safety advice.

Will a disaster automatically lead to extra NDIS funding?

No automatic approval should be assumed. Explain the changed disability support needs to the NDIA and ask what evidence and process apply.

Should I wait for reassessment if essential support is urgently needed?

Tell the NDIA the situation is urgent and ask about a plan variation. Keep emergency services and immediate safety arrangements separate from funding administration.