How do I take an NDIS decision to the Administrative Review Tribunal?

Last checked: 1 November 2026

The short answer

If you still disagree after the NDIA's internal review, you can ask the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) to review the decision. You have 28 days from getting the internal review decision, and there is no fee. Most NDIS cases go through conferences where you and the NDIA try to agree, and a hearing happens only if you cannot agree. Free advocates through the NDIS Appeals program can help you the whole way.

Key dates and time limits

• Apply to the Tribunal within 28 days of getting the NDIA's internal review decision.
• If you are late, you can ask the Tribunal in writing for more time and give your reasons. The NDIA has 14 days to say if it objects.
• If the NDIA has not decided your internal review within 90 days of your request, you can apply without waiting.
• The NDIA usually sends its documents (the 'T documents') within 28 days after the Tribunal tells it about your application.
• If your case is dismissed because you missed a case event, you can ask to reinstate it within 28 days of being told.

Step by step

1. 1

   Get help early

   Contact an NDIS Appeals advocate as soon as you get the internal review decision. The service is free, and you must have finished the NDIA internal review to use it. Victoria Legal Aid may give you a free one hour advice session and may fund a lawyer in some cases.

2. 2

   Apply within 28 days

   Apply online, by phone on 1800 228 333, by email to reviews@art.gov.au, by letter or at a Tribunal office. There is no application fee for NDIA decisions. Give the date you got the decision, a copy of it, brief reasons why it is wrong, and a copy of your internal review request.

3. 3

   Read the NDIA's documents

   The NDIA sends you and the Tribunal the documents from your file, called T documents. Check they are complete and note anything wrong or missing. You can keep sending new evidence to the Tribunal throughout the review.

4. 4

   Take part in case events

   Your first event is often a case conference or directions hearing, run by a Tribunal registrar and about an hour long. You talk about the issues, the evidence still needed and whether you can agree. There may be more conferences or a conciliation. If you and the NDIA agree, the terms are put in writing and signed.

5. 5

   Prepare your evidence

   Ask your treating doctors and therapists for reports that answer the questions in dispute. Expert witnesses must be independent. A provider who would be paid for the support can give a report but should not act as your advocate.

6. 6

   The hearing, if needed

   If you cannot agree, a Tribunal member holds a hearing and decides. The hearing is informal, and you can bring a support person and ask for a free interpreter. The member can confirm, change or replace the NDIA's decision.

Who can help

Forms and the law