Helping you decide how to manage your NDIS plan
When you get a new NDIS plan, you will be asked how you want to manage it.
In other words, the NDIA is asking who is going to pay your bills.
You have three options to choose from. We explain each one below.
In this resource we will cover the following topics:
What are the 3 options to manage my NDIS plan?
The budgets in your NDIS plan can be agency managed, self-managed, or plan managed. Your plan budgets can also be managed using a combination of these options.
Agency managed (also called NDIA-managed)
Only 8% of NDIS participants are agency managed. Key features include:
- A provider submits the claim and the NDIS pays the provider — you do nothing.
- You need to log in to the NDIS Participant Portal to view your claims.
- NDIS keeps all records.
- You can only use NDIS registered providers.
- You cannot pay providers more than the NDIS price limits.
- No support with budgeting.
Plan managed
63% of NDIS participants are plan managed (the most popular option). Key features include:
- A provider emails invoices to your plan manager, and you approve them before the plan manager pays.
- Funding is added to your plan for plan management — this funding can’t be used for anything else.
- If you pay for a service, you submit the invoice to the plan manager who reimburses you.
- Your plan manager keeps all records, including invoices, receipts, and provider emails.
- Your plan manager helps you understand your funding and provides monthly reports showing how much you have left.
- You can use both registered and unregistered providers.
- You cannot pay for supports that cost more than the NDIS price limits.
- Your plan manager can flag if you’re over or under spending.
- Your plan manager helps you only spend your funds on allowed NDIS supports.
- You have access to a portal and phone app to track funding levels 24/7.
Self-managed
29% of NDIS participants are self-managed. Key features include:
- You pay invoices yourself and claim amounts from the NDIS portal.
- You communicate with and pay providers yourself.
- You can use both registered and unregistered providers.
- You can pay more than the NDIS price limits (for example, psychology).
- You must track your own spending — you won’t get budget warnings.
- You need to manage your budget so you don’t run out of funds.
- You need to know what you can spend funding on and ensure supports are on the NDIS “in” list.
Which NDIS plan management option is best for me?
When choosing the best plan management option for you, consider:
- How much time you have to make claims, deal with providers, and pay bills.
- Your capacity to manage emails, check and pay invoices, and keep records of payments.
- How comfortable you feel knowing which supports you can spend funding on (so you don’t get into trouble).
- Whether you need to pay for services priced higher than the NDIS limits.
When to choose self-management
Self-management can suit you if you have the time and capacity to make sure providers charge the correct rates, and you feel comfortable using the NDIS Participant Portal to make claims.
You’ll also need to be comfortable with online banking, and be organised and efficient with record keeping and managing emails.
When to choose plan management
Plan management can suit you if you prefer an NDIS expert to review invoices and only pay them if they’re correct. You don’t want to manage record keeping and emails, and you appreciate support tracking budgets so you don’t run out of funds. You also want help staying within NDIS rules.
When to choose agency management
Most people don’t choose agency management. Sometimes parts of a plan are agency managed so the NDIA can monitor complex, high-value supports. Where possible, we generally recommend choosing one of the other options for the remaining supports in your plan.
