As a Plan Manager, one of our key roles is to simplify the financial aspects of your NDIS plan. A significant change in how NDIS funding is released means understanding "funding periods" is more important than ever. If your NDIS plan was created or reassessed from 19 May 2025 onwards, you'll find your funding is now made available in distinct stages, rather than all at once.
This update from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is designed to help participants better manage their budgets, encourage consistent use of supports, and provide greater clarity throughout the plan's duration.
What Are NDIS Funding Periods?
Essentially, funding periods are time-based segments within your NDIS plan during which a specific portion of your total allocated budget becomes available. Instead of having access to your entire plan's funding from day one, it's now released in smaller, manageable chunks at set intervals.
This doesn't change your total NDIS budget for the year; it only changes when you can access those funds.
How Do Funding Periods Typically Work?
While your individual plan will detail your specific funding periods, here's a general overview:
- Most Common: Quarterly (3-Month) Releases: For many participants, funding will be released in three-month blocks. This means at the start of each quarter of your plan, a new portion of your budget will become available. This structure aims to balance flexibility with effective budgeting.
- Monthly Releases for High-Cost Supports: Certain high-cost, regular supports, such as Supported Independent Living (SIL) or Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), may have monthly funding periods. This aligns the funding release more closely with the consistent service delivery of these supports.
- Upfront/One-Off Releases: For larger, one-off purchases like significant Assistive Technology (e.g., a custom wheelchair) or Home Modifications, the full funding amount for these items may be released at the beginning of your plan, allowing for their immediate procurement.
The NDIA determines the structure and timing of your funding periods based on your individual needs, your plan goals, and the types of supports you require.
Key Things to Know About Funding Periods:
- Unspent Funds Roll Over: If you don't use all the funds available in a particular funding period, don't worry! Any unspent funds will automatically roll over into your next funding period within the same plan. This ensures you don't lose out on allocated support if your spending varies from month to month.
- Funds Don't Carry Over to a New Plan: While funds roll over between periods within your current plan, any unspent funds remaining at the very end of your plan (when it concludes) will not carry over into your next NDIS plan. This highlights the importance of making the most of your allocated funding during your plan's lifecycle.
- No "Borrowing" from Future Periods: You cannot access funds from a future funding period early. The system is designed to release funds as per the schedule outlined in your plan. If your needs change significantly and require more funding sooner, you would typically need to discuss a plan reassessment with the NDIA.
- Previous funding period funds: If you find yourself exhausting all the funds of a support category within a funding period, currently the NDIS Act (2013) does not permit to claim from previous funding periods during an active plan.
How Your Plan Manager Helps with Periodic Funding:
As your Plan Manager, we play a crucial role in helping you navigate these new funding periods:
- Budget Monitoring: We provide you with regular statements and updates, showing you exactly how much funding has been released, how much you've spent, and your remaining balance within each funding period. This proactive monitoring helps you stay on track.
- Guidance and Support: We're here to explain how your specific funding periods work and to answer any questions you have about managing your budget effectively.