Section 33 Update (How Funds are Distributed)
Stay up to date with the latest speech pathology tips and trends
What Is Section 33 and Why Does It Matter?
Section 33 introduces a new way of distributing NDIS funding—breaking it into funding periods (monthly, quarterly, etc.) rather than providing the full budget upfront. While this is meant to improve oversight and planning, it may also limit how and when you can access the supports your child needs.
Under the new Section 33 rules, NDIS participants will receive their funding in smaller, timed instalments—most commonly every three months (quarterly).
Here’s what that means for you:
- You can only access the amount allocated for that quarter—not the full annual budget upfront.
- For example, if your child’s plan includes $20,000 for the year, you might receive $5,000 every three months.
- This is designed to help with budgeting and pacing supports across the year.
🔁 What if you don’t use all the funds in a quarter?
- Unused funds will roll over to the next quarter.
- You won’t lose them—but you can’t access future quarters early, even if you need more support now.
- This means careful planning is essential, especially for therapies or supports that are more intensive at certain times of the year.
For some families, this may feel like it is giving less choice and control, but we’re committed to helping you work within your funding periods to get the best possible outcome.
What you need to do?
- Let us know if you require changes to date/frequency of our services. For example, if your child requires a Speech Pathology review assessment, we can help schedule this to keep within your budget allocation for that period.
- Share your child’s NDIS goals with your therapist.This will allow us to match the language we use in our goals and reporting to align with the impairment criteria that your child has qualified for.
- Ensure your NSST Therapy Plan is prepared with the next 12 months in mind. If you have an NDIS review or planning meeting coming up, please let us know if you require an updated Therapy Services Plan from NSST. This plan details the services we recommend, the evidence behind the services, and the duration and frequency recommended for each service we will provide.
How North Shore Speech Therapy is Supporting You
Right now, we’re still working to understand exactly how these changes will unfold and what they will mean for you and your family. While we don’t have all the answers yet, please know that we are actively monitoring the situation and will keep you updated every step of the way.
We will be posting updates on our website NDIS Updates – North Shore Speech Therapy.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to us through the contact form provided. We’re here to listen and to help you navigate whatever comes next.
