How to Read and Understand Your NDIS Plan
A plan can feel dense the first time it arrives. Once the structure clicks though, it actually reads pretty logically. Here's a plain-English walkthrough of what's actually in it.
On this page
The 2 Main Parts of Your Plan
Every plan splits into two core documents, and understanding this split makes everything else click into place.
Statement of Goals and Aspirations
This part captures the personal side: who someone is, their current situation, and the goals they want to work towards. A participant largely shapes this section themselves, with as much or as little support as they need to put it together.
Statement of Participant Supports
This part sets out exactly what's funded, tied directly back to the goals in Part 1. Every support listed here has to meet the official funding criteria, nothing gets included arbitrarily.
Other Sections to Expect
Beyond the two core statements, a typical plan also includes:
- Basic information: disability details, daily routine, living situation, and who provides day-to-day care
- Informal supports: unpaid help from family or friends, acknowledged in the plan even though it isn't funded
- Mainstream and community supports: services already available outside the scheme, like libraries, health centres, or public transport
- Support budgets: the funded categories themselves, broken down by type
Worth knowing: plans built in the newer computer system look different from older layouts, the underlying information stays the same, but the presentation is clearer. Plans approved or reassessed after 19 May 2025 also include funding periods, generally set at 3 months.
Key Terms Worth Knowing
Flexible
Funding a participant can direct across different supports within a category, based on what suits them.
Stated / Fixed
Funding tied to one specific support, it can't shift to something else instead.
In-kind
A support already arranged and paid for in advance, delivered by a specific nominated provider.
Funding period
The timeframe a portion of funding covers, generally 3 months in newer plans.
Where to Actually View It
An approved plan appears in the my NDIS participant portal, the myplace portal, and the my NDIS app, with a mailed paper copy generally following as well. Any of these give a full view of goals, funded supports, and the specific budgets involved.
Continue Learning
This guide is part of our full "Understanding the NDIS" series:
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two main parts of an NDIS plan?
The statement of goals and aspirations, covering personal goals, and the statement of participant supports, covering exactly what's funded.
What's the difference between flexible and stated supports?
Flexible supports let a participant direct funding across different supports within a category. Stated supports lock funding to one specific purpose only.
What does "in-kind" mean in my plan?
It means a support has already been arranged and paid for in advance, delivered by a specific nominated provider named in the plan.
Where can I view my approved plan?
Through the my NDIS participant portal, the myplace portal, the my NDIS app, or a mailed paper copy.
What is a funding period?
The timeframe a specific portion of funding covers. Newer plans generally use 3-month funding periods.
Do informal supports from family count in my plan?
They're acknowledged in the plan as part of the overall picture, but they aren't funded, since they're provided informally rather than through paid NDIS supports.