To make sure participants can access urgent repairs for their Assistive Technology (AT) supports even when they don’t have funding in their plan, the NDIA National Call Centre can provide authorisation for funds over the phone.
Repairs and maintenance of AT is included in a participant’s NDIS budget where they are funded for AT supports. If there is no funding available for an urgent repair, the NDIS National Call Centre can provide an authorisation number over the phone to ensure participants can access the support they need and providers are paid appropriately.
Repairing AT damaged in a natural disaster will be classified as an urgent repair. This extends to hiring a replacement item where needed (e.g. the AT is destroyed or significantly damaged) until a more permanent solution is available.
If a participant needs an urgent repair to their AT supports, and does not have funding available in their NDIS budget, the following action should be taken:
Agency-managed participants
- Providers should always try to complete a service booking for an urgent repair.
- If this doesn’t work, the provider should call the NDIS National Call Centre on 1800 800 110 to seek a pre-claim authorisation approval. Providers will need the participant’s name, NDIS number, and date of birth to gain authorisation.
- If a repair is required outside of NDIS National Call Centre hours (8am to 8pm), a repair can be made to make the AT safe and usable or an alternative support hired. Approval for further repair, and/or a pre-claim authorisation can be provided on the next business day.
Self-managed participants
- Participants should pay the provider for urgent repairs directly and then claim against their plan.
- If there isn’t sufficient funding available in their budget, call the NDIS National Call Centre on 1800 800 110 for assistance.
Plan-managed participants
- The participant’s registered plan management provider can pay the AT provider for urgent repairs and claim against the plan.
- If there isn’t sufficient funding available in their budget, call the NDIS National Call Centre on 1800 800 110 for assistance.
- Please see the latest news item for the most recent information.
Is the repair urgent?
Providers and participants should try to defer a repair until normal business hours, by using an alternate support (e.g. a backup manual wheelchair if a power wheelchair fails) if this possible to allow the repair to be deferred until normal business hours.
Urgent repairs include repairs to equipment the participant is dependent on for safety, mobility, communication, or activities of daily living (e.g. showering). Generally out of hours repairs should be limited to making the AT safe and usable.
As AT gets older, providers and participants should decide whether they should request funding at their next plan review to replace the AT rather than undertake further repairs.
The NDIS National Call Centre is available on 1800 800 110, 8am to 8pm weekdays (including Christmas day, Boxing day and New Year’s Day).