NDIS – What is it?

Self-managed Funding:

The NDIA provides you with funding so you can access the supports that will best help you pursue your goals. 

Self-management is when you manage your NDIS funding. It gives you the flexibility and choice to decide what supports you buy to pursue your plan goals.

It lets you think creatively about how you can use your funds to best meet your needs.

If you are interested in self-managing all or part of your NDIS plan, speak with your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or NDIA planner. You could also talk to someone you know who is self-managing about their experience or connect with a self-management peer support group.

The benefits of self-managing:

Self-managing your NDIS funding gives you control, independence and flexibility in arranging and paying for your support.

If you self-manage your NDIS funding you will have:

• Choice in deciding what supports you purchase in line with what is included in your plan, who provides these supports and how they are delivered.
• Flexibility to use any provider that will best help you to pursue your plan goals.
• Capacity to employ or contract staff directly, or have someone employ staff on your behalf.
• Ability to negotiate the costs of your support so you get the best value for money and to use savings to buy more or better quality support.
• Control over and responsibility for your NDIS funding so you can manage your own budget for the duration of your plan.

Plan-managed Funding:

Plan management is when a provider supports you to manage funding in your NDIS plan. These providers are known as plan managers. 

The NDIA will provide funding in your plan to pay for a Plan Manager who pays your providers for you, helps you keep track of funds and takes care of financial reporting for you. 

Plan management is different from having the NDIA manage funding in your NDIS plan, or you choosing to self-manage your plan.

The benefits of plan-managing:

A plan manager can help you: 

• increase your financial and plan management skills
• learn how to self-manage your plan 
• pay providers
• increase your choice of providers
• get NDIS plan budget reports and greater budget oversight. 

How can I have a plan manager?

At your planning meeting, you can tell NDIS staff that you would like a plan manager to support you. 

The NDIS will include funding in your plan to pay for your plan manager. This is separate from your other services and supports in your budget. 

If you are mid-plan and want to change, contact NDIS on 1800 800 110 to discuss how you can include plan management in your plan. 

How do I find and connect with a plan manager?

You can find and connect with a plan manager through: 

• your Local Area Coordinator, early childhood partner or support coordinator 
• the Provider Finder tool on the NDIS myplace participant portal
• your friends and family
• other online resources and websites

NDIA-managed Funding:

The NDIA pays your providers on your behalf. 

 When your plan is managed by the NDIA (sometimes referred to as Agency-managed):

• You are able to choose from a range of NDIS registered providers.
• Your providers claim payment electronically from your funding.
• You cannot use unregistered providers.
• You can look on the myplace portal to see what claims providers are making against your NDIS funding and keep track of your budget.
• The NDIA will manage your book-keeping and records of your spending.

At DWSP, we are only registered to provide therapy to NDIA-managed participants who are over 7 years of age.  For children under 7 years of age, their NDIS plan must be self-managed or plan-managed.