NDIS internal review: how to challenge a decision

Got an NDIS decision you don’t agree with? You can ask the NDIA to look at it again. This is called an internal review. This Easy Read guide explains what you can ask to be reviewed, the time limits, and what to do if you still don’t agree.

What is an internal review?

The NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) runs the NDIS. When it makes a decision about you, like whether you can join the NDIS or what is funded in your plan, it will tell you.

If you think the decision is wrong, you can ask the NDIA to review it. This first step is called an internal review, because it happens inside the NDIA.

Start by asking why

Before you ask for a review, it can help to understand the decision. The NDIA says you can contact them and they can explain why they made it. You can:

• call the NDIS on 1800 800 110
• send an enquiry through the NDIS service hub
• talk to your my NDIS contact
• visit your local NDIS office.

Still don’t agree? Then ask for a review.

Which decisions can be reviewed?

Many NDIA decisions can be reviewed, but not all of them. The NDIA lists these common ones. You can ask for a review if the NDIA decides:

• you are not eligible, or no longer eligible, for the NDIS
• to approve your plan, including the supports funded in it
• not to do a plan reassessment
• to vary your plan, or not to vary it
• to vary your plan under the high support needs criteria
• you need a plan nominee or a different child representative.

Important: the NDIA says budget reductions are not a reviewable decision. This includes the funding changes that started on 1 October 2026 for community participation and daily living skills supports. But you can still ask for a plan reassessment if your support needs have changed in a big and ongoing way. See our NDIS changes 2026 guide.

Watch the time limit

You need to ask for an internal review within 3 months of the day you got the decision. Write down the date your letter or plan arrived so you don’t miss it.

What to tell the NDIA

The NDIA suggests you tell them:

• what decision you were expecting
• why you think they should make a different decision
• any information you already gave them that you want them to look at again
• whether you will send new evidence.

Evidence could be reports or letters that explain your disability and how it affects your daily life. If the NDIA asks you for more information, you have up to 28 days to send it. You can ask for more time if you need it.

How to ask for a review

You can:

• call 1800 800 110
• send an enquiry and your evidence through the service hub
• post a letter and evidence to the Chief Executive Officer, NDIA, GPO Box 700, Canberra ACT 2601
• visit your local NDIS office
• fill in the NDIA’s “Request for a review of a decision” form.

You don’t have to do it alone. Family, friends, your local area coordinator or early childhood partner, your my NDIS contact, or your nominee can help you ask. You need to let the NDIA know they have your permission.

What happens next

The NDIA aims to finish internal reviews within 60 days. They will tell you how they will contact you.

If you still don’t agree after the internal review, you can ask the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) to look at it. This is called an external review. You have 28 days after the internal review is finished to apply.

The Tribunal is completely separate from the NDIA. Its job is to check that decisions are legally correct and fair.

What you can do now

• Find the date on your decision letter and count forward 3 months.
• Call the NDIA and ask them to explain the decision.
• Check whether the decision can be reviewed.
• Gather recent reports from your doctors, therapists or support workers.
• Write down, in your own words, what you expected and why.
• Ask someone you trust to help, and give the NDIA permission to talk to them.

Where to read more

• NDIS: How to request a review of a decision
• Administrative Review Tribunal: National Disability Insurance Scheme
• Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Funding changes for NDIS supports

Information correct as at 22 October 2026. This is general information, not advice about your plan.