Good news first: within your current plan, unspent funding isn't lost. Most plans now release funding in instalments called Funding Periods (usually every three months) and anything you don't use in one period rolls over and stays available for the rest of your plan.

When your plan ends, though, leftover funding doesn't carry into your next plan. And if you're consistently underspending, your planner may ask about it at your reassessment. Sometimes it leads to adjusted funding, but often it's a flag that you couldn't find the right providers or supports, which is worth raising.

The best approach: use your funding steadily across your plan if you can. If something's getting in the way - provider waitlists, not knowing what you can spend on - deal with it early rather than at the end.

If you're plan-managed with us, we track your spending and flag underspending well before it becomes a problem. Email hello@providerchoice.com.au if you'd like that kind of visibility.