Payments and billing

To help you to continue to deliver supports to participants through this time, the NDIA is introducing a number of changes, including:

An advance payment to registered providers
A temporary 10 per cent increase to the price limit of some Core and Capacity Building supports.

The Government has announced a range of financial support measures for eligible businesses and sole traders affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More information is available at Services Australia .

The agency will be continuing to monitor spending to ensure funds are used appropriately. If you believe a participant or their representative are trying to take advantage of the current crisis, you can make a report to the fraud reporting hotline on 1800 650 717 or email fraudreporting@ndis.gov.au

The NDIA have a dedicated team to assist with compliance issues. It’s important to engage with us early; the agency will work with you to rectify the issue. Contact us on 1800 650 717 and we can help fix the mistake.

If a specific item is required to maintain supports, providers will need to supply written confirmation that the AT item is necessary and appropriate to support this purchase.

This written advice needs to be provided to the NDIA.

Self-managed participants or plan managers can upload the written advice from their provider direct to the participant record.

Providers can email it to enquiries@ndis.gov.au with the subject line ‘Low cost AT flexibility evidence’.

Providers and plan managers should also keep a copy of this written advice in case the Agency requests it at a later date.

The written advice (which can include an email) should include:

the participant’s name and NDIS number;
confirmation that delivery of current supports in the participant’s plan have been significantly hindered due to physical distancing restrictions (or other consequences of coronavirus (COVID-19)) and that alternative solutions to maintain delivery/outcome have been considered, but do not fully address the limitations;
how the device is necessary to maintain supports and services while maintaining physical distancing requirements;
the specific technologies and associated accessories required, and that these represent the lowest specification capable of delivering the benefit; and
that the participant is able to use the device/s to access the support.

Before the participant (or nominee) or provider makes a claim for the selected item, the participant should be sure that:

the participant does not already have the item, another suitable item or access to the item, and
a similar or suitable item has not been funded by another service system (such as education), and
the item or circumstances are not specifically excluded under this policy.

The criteria for participants to purchase an AT item with their existing NDIS funding is listed on the Assistive technology explained page.

Supported Independent Living (SIL)

We know participants living in SIL arrangements are at higher health risk during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, due to the SIL environment and other existing health conditions.

We are also aware that you may require additional funding to manage the care and support of residents who are diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19).

Two new support items will be available for participants residing in SIL properties and diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19).

These new items will support you to continue to deliver services and ensure participants receive the support they need.

The new support items will cover three situations when a participant is diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19):

they continue to reside in their normal SIL accommodation.
they are admitted to hospital.
they are relocated to alternative housing for isolation purposes or while transitioning into or out of hospital.

A participant could move through all of these situations, and funding will follow to the provider in all of these situations.

The two new support items are:

Cleaning services: $300 to cover the cost of a one-off professional deep cleaning of a residence per participant newly diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19), with one claim allowable per participant diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19).
Additional supports: $1,200 maximum daily rate to cover the cost of higher intensity support including staffing increase, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), professional laundering, and any ancillary costs directly related to the participant’s diagnosis. This item may be claimed throughout a participant’s period of infection (based on number of days from diagnosis to negative test result), whether they are located in their normal accommodation, in hospital, or isolated in alternative accommodation.

The NDIS will not cover additional administrative costs, staff sick leave, medical costs associated with a hospital stay or everyday expenses.

You can continue to claim usual SIL costs while a participant diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) is in hospital or isolated in alternative accommodation. Alternative accommodation will also be claimable through the short term accommodation support item.

If you have a participant residing in SIL who is diagnosed you must immediately notify the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

The Commission will inform the NDIA, and we will update the participants plan as quickly as possible to include additional funding against these new items as stated supports.

You can continue to claim usual SIL costs while a participant diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) is in hospital or isolated in alternative accommodation.

Alternative accommodation will also be claimable through the short term accommodation support item.

If you have a participant residing in SIL who is diagnosed you must immediately notify the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

The Commission will inform the NDIA, and we will update the participant’s plan as quickly as possible to include additional funding against these new items as stated supports.

You can claim from these items following the normal myplace portal processes.

You can claim $300 to cover the cost of a one-off professional deep cleaning of a residence per participant newly diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19), with one claim allowable per participant diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19).

The ongoing cost of cleaning is covered in the daily amount.

When informed of a confirmed participant diagnosis, the NDIA will update the participants plan as quickly as possible to include additional funding against these new items as stated supports.

If you have a participant residing in SIL who is diagnosed you must immediately notify the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission .

The Commission will inform the NDIA, and we will update the participants plan as quickly as possible to include additional funding against these new items as stated supports.

We have a dedicated team to manage coronavirus (COVID-19) related participant issues and will monitor these cases and the time it takes to update plans – if there are delays NDIA processes will be adjusted to improve this process.

Yes. However, when a participant has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has notified the NDIA, additional funding will be added to the participant’s plan to meet these costs.

These items can be claimed from 30 April 2020.

For example, if a participant was diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) on 20 April, the $300 one-off cleaning charge and $1,200 day rate can be claimed from 30 April until the participant tests negative.

Funding alternative SIL arrangements would depend on the individual situation.

Please contact your support coordinator, LAC or planner.

Advance payments

Financial assistance is available to registered NDIS providers to continue delivering supports at this time.

Eligible registered NDIS providers received a one-off advance payment in the week commencing 30 March 2020. The advance payment represented approximately one-third of a provider’s payment claims processed via the NDIS myplace portal between December 2019 and February 2020.

To cover the additional costs of service delivery for existing supports, a temporary 10 per cent COVID-19 loading has been added to price limits for some Core and some Capacity Building supports.

The cancellation rules have also changed and three new support coordination items added to the NDIS Price Guide under Core Supports to support plan flexibility.

Please note: this is a changing situation and further measures may be introduced.

The advance payment is part of the NDIA’s plan to ensure providers can continue to deliver support to NDIS participants.

The one-off advance payment:

has been made to eligible NDIS providers by electronic funds transfer
is part of a proportionate and coordinated strategy in line with the whole of government response
represents a pre-payment for disability services which must be provided to NDIS participants to deliver reasonable and necessary supports approved in their plans.

Treasury and the Australian Taxation Office have confirmed that the advance payment made to providers are not included in the JobKeeper turnover test for NDIS providers.

The advance payment has been calculated as approximately one-third of a provider’s cumulative payment claims processed via the NDIS myplace portal between December 2019 and February 2020.

The advance payment does not include:

Plan managers
Unregistered providers
Providers who would have received an advance payment of less than $50.

The NDIA advised providers of their advance payment amount through a direct email sent 25 March 2020.

Please note: the amount received is specific to each provider and different from the amount other providers may receive.

Yes, if you have not opted out of receiving the advance payment, it will need to be repaid (in accordance with section 182 of the NDIS Act).

The advance payment has been designed to assist with your cash flow, so you can continue to support the sustainability of your business.

It is for you / your organisation to decide if you want to accept the advance payment.

The payment is interest-free.

If you did not opt out of the advance payment, you have agreed to repay the advance payment in full under an agreement for the purposes of the NDIS Act, where the NDIA will offset all of your future payment claims.

The offset repayment will commence from a date to be determined by the NDIA, until the balance of the advance payment is reduced to zero.

In the event that the total advance payment is unable to be offset against future claims, you will be obliged to repay the balance of any outstanding advance payment to the NDIA within 30 days of the Agency issuing a demand on you.

Providers may be eligible to apply for Australian Government support for business in response to COVID-19. For more information, refer to the Department of Treasury website.

Refer to state and territory government websites for their latest response during the pandemic.

Some local government areas are also offering support to businesses at this time and providers can refer to their local government website .

The NDIA continues to closely monitor the situation and has not ruled out additional future measures.

As the situation is constantly changing, the NDIA will consider a range of factors when determining when you will be required to commence repaying the advance payment, including the current status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Treasury and the Australian Taxation Office have confirmed that the advance payment made to providers are not included in the JobKeeper turnover test for NDIS providers.

The advance payment will not be treated as input taxed loans and they should be excluded from Goods and Services Tax (GST) turnover.

The GST turnover test only includes supplies that have or are likely to be made in the test period and the advance payments are for supplies that will be made in a later period.

We encourage you to seek advice from a taxation specialist.

You will be able to identify the advance payment on the remittance advice as there will be no Payment Request number, as this field usually has a system generated number.

Advance payments will be viewable on the Payment Summary screen in the myplace portal. The myplace provider portal will display the totals for the advance paid, advance recovered, and the advance remaining.

The NDIA has indexed the payment by 5.3 per cent to account for a seasonal adjustment.

First please check your junk and spam folders. If you haven’t received a letter and think you qualify, please email Provider.Support@ndis.gov.au, and include your organisation’s legal business name and ABN. We will confirm and reply.

You should have received an automated reply acknowledging receipt of your “NO” or “OPT OUT” email.

Please do not reply to the automated email.

Please phone the NDIS on 1800 800 110 or email Provider.Support@ndis.gov.au to discuss how this can be repaid.

All communication regarding your payment will come directly from the NDIA by email ending in .gov.au

The Minister’s announcement regarding the advance payment and other key NDIA responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are available for more information.

NDIS registered providers were eligible if they received a payment paid through the myplace provider portal in February 2020 and at least one other payment in December 2019 or January 2020.

If you receive the advance payment and want to return it:

please email advance.payment1@ndis.gov.au with the subject line ‘return of advance payment’.

We will then make the arrangements for you to return the advance payment in full.

Pricing increase

The increase in price limits is applicable to price controlled support items only. It does not apply to quotable supports.

Support items with price limits listed under the following categories, with some exclusions, had the 10 per cent increase applied to their price limits for up to six months, from 25 March 2020:

Assistance with Daily Life (but not including Supported Independent Living)
Assistance with Social and Community Participation
Improved Health and Wellbeing (but not including personal training)
Improved Daily Living Skills.

The price limit increases have been applied to existing support line items. Providers can claim up to the new price limits under the existing line item numbers, subject to the service agreement with the participant.

Service bookings created at the line item level will need to be updated. Service bookings created at the category level will not need to be updated.

The NDIA released an updated NDIS Price Guide on 25 March 2020.

Service bookings created at the category level will not need immediate action, however to apply the temporary price increase, the ‘Allocated Dollar’ amount should be updated.

Service bookings created at the line item level will need to be updated.

You can find more information about updating service bookings in response to pricing changes.

Plans should have sufficient funds to cover these costs without needing a plan review.

We proactively monitor participant plans to identify the need for an early plan review.

Registered providers must not add any other charge to the cost of the supports they provide.

Where price limits apply, prices charged to participants must not exceed the price limit prescribed for that support in the NDIS Price Guide and Support Catalogue.

Participant plans will not be indexed. The NDIA automatically extends plans that are due to expire, ensuring participants have the funding they need.

Providers should review and abide by the service agreements they currently have in place with participants, and should inform the participant before implementing any price increases.

At this time, NDIS funds cannot be used to pay family members to provide supports.

This is an unprecedented situation and it is understandable that some systems and processes are delayed. We encourage Plan Mangers to liaise with providers to make suitable arrangements.

These measures require changes to NDIA’s business systems by Services Australia .

Services Australia is progressing requests as fast as possible but unfortunately this does take time and there are many competing priorities due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

NDIS participants continue to have choice and control over how they use the funded supports in their plan.

Providers and participants need to discuss and agree on any new arrangements and the impact on service fees.

The 10 per cent COVID-19 loading has been added to price limits for certain supports for up to six months as part of a financial assistance package to assist registered providers to continue to deliver supports during this time.