What a progress report is for
When your plan is reassessed or you ask for a change, the NDIA needs to know whether your supports are working and what you need next. Progress reports from your providers are some of the best evidence of that, because they come from people who have worked with you through the plan.
Allied health providers write most of them, but support coordinators, behaviour support practitioners and other providers can write them too.
What to include
The NDIA's guidance for allied health providers says a report should explain the therapy approach and give evidence of outcomes and progress. A good report covers:
- Participant and provider details, plan dates and the date of the report
- The type of service, therapeutic approach, frequency and duration of supports delivered
- The participant's goals from their plan, and the progress made on each
- Results of standardised measures at the start and now, using the same tools, such as WHODAS 2.0 or goal attainment scaling
- Recommendations for the next plan, including type, frequency and hours of support
- Why each recommendation is reasonable and necessary and value for money, and whether it will reduce costs in the long term
- The risk if the support is not provided
When reports are needed
Timing matters. The NDIA contacts participants 2 to 3 months before a scheduled reassessment, so that is the time to ask providers for reports. Reports also help with:
- Unscheduled reassessments, which since 27 August 2026 need a significant and ongoing change in your needs or circumstances
- Plan variations, for example when you need new assistive technology
- Reviews of early intervention participants, to show what has changed
- The high support needs plan variation for people with 24 hour support
Tips for participants
- Ask each provider early, and tell them your plan end or reassessment date
- Agree in your service agreement how much report writing time they can charge
- Read the report before it goes to the NDIA and correct anything inaccurate
- Make sure it describes your hard days, not only your progress
- Keep copies of every report you send
For providers: billing and good practice
Report writing is usually claimed as non face to face time under the support item you deliver, up to the price limit. You can only charge for it if it is agreed with the participant beforehand, ideally in the service agreement, and it is a genuine part of delivering the support. There is a separate way to claim for reports the NDIA specifically requests, so check the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements.
From 1 December 2026 claims must be made within 90 days of the support being delivered, so invoice report time promptly. Write for a planner who has never met the participant: use plain language, specific examples and numbers, and avoid jargon.
Why progress reports matter more now
Under the 2026 reforms, the October 2026 funding reset reaches plans when they are created, reassessed or renewed. From 1 February 2027, unspent funds no longer roll over into renewed plans. Clear evidence of what is working, and what still needs funding, has become more important at every plan change.