What your responsibilities are
You are responsible for making sure the supports you buy with your NDIS funds are:
- NDIS supports
- directly related to your disability and align with your plan
- not covered or delivered by another service system or organisation, for example Medicare or a private health insurer.
What your responsibilities are for
It is important to know your responsibilities so you can do the right thing. This means following the rules and standards of the NDIS and Australian laws.
Knowing your responsibilities will help make sure you use your plan in line with the NDIS rules and regulations. It also helps you protect yourself and your NDIS funding.
Your responsibilities include:
- understanding your NDIS plan
- keeping good records
- letting us know if your situation changes
- talking with your providers
- letting us know if something goes wrong.
What your responsibilities are like
Understand your NDIS plan and supports
You’ll receive a plan including funding for NDIS supports when you access the NDIS.
You can only use the funding in your plan for items that are:
- NDIS supports
- related to your disability
- in line with your plan.
It is your responsibility to understand what supports can and can’t be funded by the NDIS. These are outlined in the NDIS supports lists.
Understand your responsibilities when you self-manage your NDIS funding
When you self-manage your NDIS funding it is important to know your rights and responsibilities when you purchase supports with your NDIS funding.
You have the right to:
- choose who delivers your supports and how they do this
- pay for supports at a fair and reasonable rate
- ask if a provider has a conflict of interest
- not feel pressured to buy services or supports you don’t want or need
- decide what personal information you give to a provider so they can deliver supports.
Every time you buy an item or service you have rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Consumer rights can help make sure you get what you paid for.
Keep good records
It is your responsibility to keep records like proof of purchase for supports. This can be a receipt, a bank or credit card statement.
Whenever you buy something, keep a copy of the receipts, warranties and anything you sign. You can keep a hard copy or digital versions of your records.
Let us know if your situation changes
You need to let us know if something changes in your life. By keeping us updated on any situation that changes in your life, we can continue to make sure your plan works for you. Changes may include:
- your contact details like your address or phone number
- moving out of residential accommodation
- changes to your disability
- changes to your support network
- changes to your name, pronouns or information about your gender
- you are going overseas for more than 6 weeks
- you have received compensation.
Learn how to tell us about a change of situation.
Have conversations with your providers
When you choose your providers, you can choose:
- how you want to communicate
- what you might want to ask about
- when you might want to meet with them.
You can ask someone you trust to help you communicate with your provider and to be there any time you contact your provider. This could be a friend, family member or support person.
You might talk about your goals, how their services can help you work towards your goals and who will support you.
You need to agree on how much their service costs, how you will pay them and if you can use your plan to pay for their service.
You can ask your provider to explain things you don’t understand. For example, a document like a service agreement.
Your provider might ask personal questions to help them deliver their service. You can ask them to explain if you don’t know why they need to know something.
You don’t have to agree to a service straight away. You can ask for more information or ask someone you trust first.
Let us know if you need help
We are here to help you understand your responsibilities and do the right thing.
If you have questions about how to use your NDIS funds, your my NDIS contact can provide advice help you do the right thing.
We can also help you if something is wrong.
If you need more information or support:
- call us on 1800 800 110.
- submit an enquiry through our service hub .
- talk to your my NDIS contact or visit your local office in person.
Contact the NDIS Commission
Contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission if you don’t like how your provider is treating you, you don't feel safe or you think something is wrong.
You can contact the NDIS Commission:
- by phoning 1800 035 544
- making a complaint on their website .
If you are in immediate danger or a life-threatening situation or emergency, please call 000.