A Simple Guide to NDIS Funding Periods

The NDIS created funding periods to make it easier to budget, set up service agreements and to schedule your supports.

When you understand what your funding periods are, how they work, and how to read them, your NDIS plan becomes easier to manage, and you have more control over your funding.

So, what are funding periods?

Funding periods only exist for all new and reassessed plans approved after 25 May 2025. While your total funding amount stays the same for your entire plan, the NDIS may release parts of that funding in instalments. These are called funding periods.

The duration of funding periods tends to depend on the type of support being delivered, but are usually weekly, monthly or quarterly.

For each funding period, you will have:

• a start date
• an end date
• the amount of funds available for that period

Here's an example of what a funding period might look like:

A participant with a one-year plan has Core funding divided into four equal quarters. They can use up to the amount available in each quarter, and any leftover funds roll into the next period.

Why does the NDIS use funding periods?

The NDIS introduced funding periods to help you manage supports and stay in control of your budgets and spending:

• By breaking your funding into smaller time blocks, you’re less likely to overspend or underspend.
• It’s easier to plan supports. With supports like therapy, SIL, or personal care often following weekly or monthly schedules, funding periods ensure the right amount of funding is available when those supports are delivered.
• With funding paced across your NDIS plan, you have more control. It means you can easily check your progress along the way and reschedule supports as needed.

Where can you see your funding periods?

There are a few places you can find your funding periods:

• The ‘my NDIS participant portal’
• The My NDIS app
• Your NDIS plan document
• Plan Partners’ Dashboard (for customers only)

In all three places, you’ll be able to see how much funding is available in each period, how much you’ve used, how much has been released so far and when the next funding period will start.

With your consent, Plan Managers and Support Coordinators can also see this information. But other service providers won’t be able to see your funding periods, so it’s worth discussing them when setting up supports and service agreements.

Can unused NDIS funds be rolled over?

Being able to roll over funds depends on the situation and what you’re wanting to do. For plans starting on or after 19 May 2025, here’s how it works:

• Within the same plan:
  Yes. If you don’t use all your funding in a period, whatever’s left simply rolls over into the next one.
• Using future funding early:
  No. You can’t dip into a future period’s funding ahead of time unless the NDIA signs off on it in special circumstances.
• Across NDIS plans:
  No. Any leftover funding at the end of your plan won’t carry over to the next plan.

Can funding periods be changed?

Funding periods can be changed if the current structure isn’t working for you. The three pathways to request a change are:

1. Plan variation
   A plan variation is for fixing minor errors or adjusting how funding is spread across periods.
2. Internal review
   If you believe you don’t have enough funding or the way your funding is structured, you can request an internal review within 3 months of your plan being approved.
3. Plan reassessment
   You can request a plan reassessment after the 3 months internal-review period has expired or if your plan needs significant changes. You can also use a plan reassessment to request early access to future funds, but only in exceptional circumstances. Approval is rare and tends to be on a case-by-case basis.

Can supports be billed across two funding periods?

Providers can claim for supports delivered in a previous funding period, so long as the invoice dates fall within the overall plan period and there’s enough unspent or rolled-over funding from that earlier period.

Using funding periods when setting up service agreements

Funding periods can also be incredibly helpful when setting up your service agreements, with providers. Here’s how:

• Avoid overcommitting by matching your scheduled supports to the funding in each period before you sign a service agreement.
• Easily check your plan progress; halfway through a period, check whether your spending is on track, adjust supports if needed, and decide if it’s time to review your service agreement.

Remember, most providers can’t see your funding periods, so you (or your plan manager) should share your funding periods and available amounts to avoid any misunderstandings.

Tips for reading and understanding your funding periods

• Start with the date range.
  Each funding period has a clear start/end date. This tells you how long your funds need to last.
• Look at the allocated amount.
  Divide the funds by days, weeks or months according to the length of your funding period.
• Check your remaining balance often.
  The participant portal and app update in real time. And if you’re plan managed with Plan Partners, you can check live balances in your Dashboard.
• Rollovers can be a blessing.
  If you underspend one period, the extra funds might help in the next.
• Service agreements should match reality.
  Make sure the frequency and price of supports make sense for the funds available in each period.
• Ask for help if you need it.
  Your My NDIS Contact can help with any queries. And if you’re a customer with Plan Partners, we’ll give you the tools and resources to understand your funding periods and plan your spending.

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