NDIS funding crisis: prepare for unexpected support needs
Navigating NDIS Funding in a Crisis: Achieve Financial Stability (Part 1)
By Tanya · Originally published 1 October 2023
Original article
Meet Tanya, Founder and Director of Your Plan Manager. In 2014, Tanya envisioned a personalised approach to NDIS plan management. With a diverse executive background in accounting, legal and financial services, tackled the challenge of starting a Plan Management business. In her downtime a binge-worthy TV show is all it takes to reset and recharge the batteries, ready for another day.
When you have an NDIS plan, funds are designed to be used in a regular, ongoing pattern over the life of the plan. Planners make decisions based on a point in time.
This means that funding does not usually account for crisis. With the discussion around new plans being 3-5 years, it is when you hit a speedbump (which is inevitable in all our lives) that funds can be quickly exhausted before you realise there is a problem. Trust me, it creeps up on you!
This happened to our family, with one of our children, who is a participant in the scheme. At 16, he found himself suddenly out of school and needed to be kept occupied for both his mental health and our family wellbeing and safety while we worked out next steps.
We implemented additional supports. What we didn’t realise - because we were in the middle of a crisis - was how quickly his funds would be exhausted as a result.
Within weeks, we were running very low on funding. With his new plan not due for another couple of months we knew we would not make it. We had under 2 months of funding left.
So, we put in for an early review and we waited.
The agency had numerous contacts for us in this time, while we tried to understand what the process was to gain a review.
In addition to his change in schooling, we also had new diagnoses and additional information, which contributed to our crisis. Meanwhile, over a period of 8 weeks, our funds hit zero.
It was not until we lodged a series of complaints that we finally received the planning review we desperately needed, and some additional funds to support our crisis.
[Clickability update, October 2026: This is the family’s historical experience, not a guaranteed route to additional funds. Ask about the appropriate variation or reassessment request; complaints about service handling are separate. Read how to ask for a plan change.]
We are now in an environment where the NDIA review panel has expressed a desire for consistency and stability for participants. Minister Shorten would like to see 5-year plans.
[Clickability update, October 2026: The named minister and proposed five-year plans belong to the historical account. Check the dates and terms of your actual plan rather than assuming a standard duration.]
Having experienced a crisis, I can say that unless there are strong levers to enable participants to get quick results, any 5-year plan will not succeed. If you think back to 5 years, was your life the same as it is now?
Planning for the Unexpected
This is where planning for crisis can be critical to your success, particularly if you are going to continue to have to wait for supports in a crisis. A crisis can be very short, or extremely long and drawn-out. For every person it is different. However, the key point is that it uses funds in an unusual way because of an increased need for supports.
Before a crisis happens, think back to when they have happened in the past or to what proved a challenge to you or the person you support. For me, I didn’t realise I was in a crisis until it was too late – so it is valuable to do some pre-planning around funding to ensure you know what needs to happen:
Keep an eye on your funds. Even if plan or self-managed, it is your responsibility as a carer or participant to understand your regular pattern of usage and what areas might be running low. A great plan manager or support coordinator can help you work out a budget. Make sure you stick to it if you can. If you can’t, use the reports provided to you and talk to your trusted network to get an idea of what you might need to do. It’s never too late to revise services and supports.
Think about what a crisis looks like and make an emergency plan. This workbook details how emergency preparation is a process that we work through. It raises great advice and information to ensure you think about what an emergency might be. You can use this workbook to cover off both physical emergencies (bushfire, flood) but also emergencies such as running out of funds or having a participant with challenging behaviours home and being aggressive. Run through scenarios in your head and how you might manage them.
Most importantly, think about what your worst days would look like and how you would manage them. If you can, think about how you would engage and involve your connections to support you during a crisis that required additional funding. If we had thought it through more thoroughly I am convinced we would have been more prepared for the inevitable crisis that occurred!
If you spend a lot of core on unexpected items rather than direct services, and then run low on funds, be prepared to explain to the planner why and how you made your spending decisions. Consumables can be necessary, but if you are sacrificing direct supports and you need direct supports in a crisis you may struggle to get additional funds. This is because planners build plans based on functional needs. Talk to your LAC or Support Coordinator early if you need to buy lots of unbudgeted items or services to make sure you have a good plan.
However, as much as you plan for the unexpected, sometimes you will find yourself in crisis and you need to take swift action. In our next blog post, I’ll explore what steps you can take when you find yourself in a crisis.
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
How families can prepare without taking responsibility for every risk
With permission, keep key contacts, service arrangements and the help already being provided in one accessible place. Check spending patterns and outstanding claims, then identify the essential supports that would be difficult to replace. Record what could change your capacity to assist.
Discuss a safe response with the participant and relevant providers. Preparation can make communication easier, but it does not prevent every crisis or guarantee additional funding. Changed needs have a formal plan-change route.
Make the contingency plan reflect your choices
Explain who you want contacted and which routines or supports are essential to you. Ask how you will be told about a funding problem and what options will be discussed before services change. You should not have to buy unwanted support or agree to unsafe arrangements to make a budget last.
Questions readers ask
Does making a complaint guarantee more NDIS funding?
No. A complaint and a request to change your plan serve different purposes. Official guidance
Can planning prevent every support crisis?
No. Use preparation to improve communication and continuity, without assuming every risk is within your control.
Find a plan manager who helps you understand available funding
Use Clickability to describe the financial administration help you need. Compare profiles and reviews, then ask how the manager flags spending patterns, outstanding claims and funding-period limits.
