NDIS Funding Is Now Split into Quarters. What That Means for You

If you’ve been told your NDIS funding is now divided into quarters, you’re not alone in feeling confused.

Here’s an outline of how it works.

Instead of having one yearly budget you can use flexibly across 12 months, your funding is now effectively split into four parts.

Think of it like this:

• You still have the same total amount for the year.
• But you can only use one quarter of it at a time.
• If too much is used in one three-month period, claims may not be paid, even if there is money left in the yearly total.

That’s the key change.

Why was this introduced?

The NDIA says it helps prevent providers from using up all of a participant’s funding too quickly.

It also helps the Government predict and control how much the scheme spends throughout the year.

From their perspective, it’s about pacing. From your perspective, it can feel like restriction.

What does this mean in real life?

It means timing matters more than it used to.

If you have fewer supports in one quarter, for example over winter, during school holidays, or while waiting for a therapist, that unused amount doesn’t automatically roll forward in a flexible way.

Later in the year, you may want more sessions. But the quarterly cap can limit how much can be claimed in that period.

This is especially relevant for:

• Therapy that runs in blocks
• School-term programs
• Seasonal services (like outdoor or equine programs)
• Supports that depend on worker availability
• Participants in regional areas with fewer providers

It can also affect providers. Sometimes a service is delivered in good faith, but a claim is rejected because the quarter’s allocation has already been reached. That can create stress for small providers and confusion for families.

Many participants don’t monitor their quarter balances closely. Some don’t want to share detailed plan information with providers, which is completely understandable. But without clear visibility, it’s easy for everyone to be caught out.

How to track your quarterly balance

You don’t need to become an accountant to stay on top of this. A few simple habits make it easier.

1. Check the NDIS myplace portal regularly. Your quarterly budgets are visible there. You can see what has been claimed and what remains in each support category for the current quarter.
2. Ask your support coordinator to review quarterly pacing with you. A good support coordinator will flag if you’re likely to hit a quarterly cap before a planned service block. This is especially worth doing at the start of each quarter.
3. Keep a simple tally with your provider. You don’t need to share your full plan, but a rough sense of how many sessions are planned for each quarter helps both sides avoid surprises.
4. Plan for your busy seasons in advance. If you know spring is when you do intensive equine or outdoor programs, talk to your provider early about how to structure that within quarterly limits.

So what should you do?

Stay aware of how your funding is being used across the year.

If you know you’ll need more support in a particular season, talk early with your provider or support coordinator about how that fits within quarterly limits.

If you’re unsure how your funding is structured, ask for a clear explanation. It’s your plan. You are entitled to understand it.

Most importantly, don’t panic. The total yearly amount hasn’t disappeared. But the way it can be accessed has changed.

If you feel confused, frustrated, or unsure how this affects you, reach out. We can’t change the funding rules. But we can help you understand them and plan around them calmly.

For Robert’s opinion piece on these changes, click here. If you want to know more about how the NDIS is working right now, read this.

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