Once your NDIS plan has been approved, it’s time to put it into action!

Putting your NDIS plan into action – FAQs

So you’ve had your planning meeting and have now received notification that your NDIS plan has been approved. It is time to put your plan into action. Here are some key questions answered.

What do I do once my plan has been approved?

You need to activate your plan. The start of your 12 month plan is from the moment you have been notified. You need to get your support and services operating and connecting to providers. You should make sure that the support you will be receiving is what you are entitled to. As a consumer, you have rights. Do not accept anything less that what you expected. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has information for people with disability and their families to understand their rights and provide guidance on what to do if something goes wrong.

Make sure that the support you are receiving is what you expected. As a consumer, you have rights. Do not accept anything less than you expected.

What is the NDIS myplace portal?

You need to activate your account in the government’s NDIS myplace portal within 10 days of your plan commencing. Myplace is a secure website for participants or their nominee to view their NDIS plan, request payments and manage services with providers. Once your plan has been approved, you will be provided with a unique activation code to access myplace through the NDIS website or myGov.

Through myplace you will be able to:

• Create and view Payment Requests
• Create and manage Service Bookings
• View your contact details
• View messages from NDIS
• View referrals made for you
• Instant message with your linked providers
• Upload required documents
• Locate Service Providers
• View upcoming events.

The myplace portal holds relevant information about your NDIS plan, and the management of the funding within your plan.

What are the different types of supports that I should have in place?

There are three types of supports that you can surround yourself with: formal, informal and mainstream.

• Formal supports are those that are funded by the NDIS and included in your plan.
• Informal supports are made up of family members, friends and individuals and organisations within your community. You’ve probably been using these for some time.
• Mainstream supports include access to education, health and medical services and community services.

Most people have in place a mixture of these types of support. Note, that in approving your plan, the NDIA may expect some services to be delivered through informal or mainstream services, rather than be funded by the NDIS.

What if I have trouble choosing providers?

Understandably, you want to make sure you choose the best provider in your area to serve your needs. You want a provider that offers reliable, quality support. You definitely do not want to be left waiting time and time again. The NDIS has information about finding and engaging providers and we suggest starting there.

What if I have trouble with providers I have engaged?

Not everything goes according to plan. The NDIS has guidelines about cancellations and ‘no-shows’ but again, if a provider is not delivering the support you expected and agreed upon, then consider other providers to ensure you have the right to the level of support you and the provider agreed to.

Do I have to use registered providers?

It all depends on what choice you have made about the management of your plan. If you have chosen the self-managed or registered plan management provider option, then you do not have to use a provider registered with the NDIS (though of course you can if you wish). If you have chosen the NDIA managed option then you do have to use a registered provider.

How do the pricing and payments systems work?

Again, it all depends on what choice you have made about the management of your plan. If you have chosen the NDIA managed option then you will be charged the rate determined by the NDIA. If you have chosen the self-managed or registered plan management provider then you have the ability to negotiate a price. However, be aware that the ability to negotiate a price does not necessarily mean you will get support at a lower price.

In regard to payments:

• If you have chosen the self-managed option, after you have received a service from a service provider, you ask them for an invoice and send it to the NDIA. The NDIA transfers the money into your account and you pay the provider.
• If you have chosen a registered plan management provider, this provider takes care of all the paperwork regarding payments.
• If you have chosen for the NDIA managed option, the service provider submits an invoice directly to the NDIA and the NDIA pays them.

The NDIS has a section on their website that provides more information on pricing and payments.

What if I do not use all the funds in my plan?

Any unspent money in your current plan will not be rolled over to your new plan. NDIS works on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis. The new plan completely replaces the old plan. So make sure you spend your funding on support services before the current plan runs out. And if that’s not possible, then keep it in mind for the next plan. Remember that Core supports can be used flexibly so you can better meet your needs.

Where can I get more information about the NDIS?

The NDIS has a whole range of fact sheets and publications online which can be a great resource in getting all the information you need.