What self-managed funding is
Self-managed funding is when you, your plan nominee or child representative manage your NDIS funding.
What self-managed funding is for
The benefits of self-managing your NDIS funding include:
- choice to decide what NDIS supports you purchase, who provides these supports, and how they’re delivered
- flexibility to use both registered and unregistered NDIS providers that will best help you meet your needs and pursue your goals
- ability to negotiate costs of your NDIS supports above or below the NDIS pricing arrangements and price limits
- ability to directly employ or contract staff to provide your NDIS supports
- control and responsibility over your NDIS funding by managing budgets, payments for supports and record keeping.
- ability to be innovative when arranging your NDIS supports by researching which NDIS supports give you the best value and meet your needs.
What self-managed funding is like
How much of your plan is self-managed
You can self-manage all the funding in your plan if that works for you.
You can self-manage part of your plan. For example, you can ask to self-manage your core supports and have the remainder plan-managed or NDIA-managed.
When you can become a self-manager
Your NDIA planner will talk to you about how you’d like to manage your NDIS funding in your plan meeting.
You can also ask to change how you manage your NDIS funding at any time. There’s no limit on how often you can request this change.
We can typically do a plan variation without a full plan reassessment, if this is the only change you need to your plan.
Learn how to use the portal and app
Using the participant portals and the my NDIS app is a big part of self-managing your funding.
The portals and app are where you can:
- pay for your NDIS supports
- access your my NDIS contact details
- look at your plan
- keep track of your budget.
How to pay for your NDIS supports
You're responsible for paying your providers, contractors and staff when you’re self-managing your funding. We can’t pay your providers for you.
Your responsibilities
It’s your responsibility when self-managing your plan to:
- manage your funding
- make sure your funding lasts for the length of your plan
- make sure your funding is spent in line with your plan
- make clear agreements with your providers
- choosing how much to pay for your NDIS supports
- claim and pay for your NDIS supports on time
- keep your invoices and receipts as evidence
- show us how you’ve used your funding to pursue your goals when your plan ends
- let us know if you have a change of situation.
You can still self-manage your funding even if you need some help to meet these responsibilities. We can include supports or strategies in your plan that help reduce the risk.
Guide to self-management
Download the guide to self-management to learn more:
- Guide to self-management (PDF 1.68MB)
- Guide to self-management (DOCX 214.57KB)
- Guide to self-management - Easy Read (PDF 7.18MB)
- Guide to self-management - Easy Read (DOCX 60.37KB)
When can’t you self-manage
You won’t be able to self-manage any of your funding if:
- you're currently an insolvent under administration
- you’ve been convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty
- you’ve been convicted of an offence punishable by 2 or more years in prison
- we think self-managing would pose an unreasonable risk to you
- we think you’re unlikely to spend your funding on only NDIS supports and in line with your plan.
If you have a nominee or child representative, they can ask to self-manage some or all of your funding.
Your funding can’t be managed by a nominee or child representative if:
- they’re an insolvent under administration
- they’ve been convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty
- they’ve been convicted of an offence punishable by 2 or more years in prison
- we think allowing them to self-manage would pose an unreasonable risk to you
- we think it’s unlikely they’ll spend your funding in line with your plan and only on NDIS supports.
Learn more about how to self-manage your funding.