Plan management

How your funding is managed and providers are paid: agency-managed, plan-managed or self-managed.

What it means

Plan management is the way your NDIS funding is looked after and the way your providers get paid. When you use your plan to buy supports, someone has to handle the invoices, keep the claims flowing and make sure the money comes out of the right budget. Plan management is simply the arrangement you choose for doing that.

In practice

There are three main options. Agency-managed (sometimes called NDIA-managed) means the NDIA pays your registered providers directly and you do not touch the money. Plan-managed means a plan manager pays your providers for you and keeps track of your budget. Self-managed means you pay providers yourself and then claim the money back from the NDIS. You can also choose a mix, using different options for different parts of your plan.

The option you choose affects who you can use and how much paperwork you do. If you are agency-managed, you generally need to use NDIS registered providers. If you are plan-managed or self-managed, you can usually choose registered or unregistered providers, which gives you more choice. You talk about how you want your funding managed during your planning meeting, and if your situation changes you can ask to change it at a plan review.

A real example

For example, Priya chose to have her core supports plan-managed so a plan manager pays her support workers, while she self-manages a small consumables budget she likes to keep an eye on herself. This mix means she gets more provider choice for her workers but does not have to handle every invoice on her own.

Plan management — FAQs

What are the three plan management options?
The three options are agency-managed, plan-managed and self-managed. Agency-managed means the NDIA pays your registered providers directly. Plan-managed means a plan manager pays your providers and handles the paperwork. Self-managed means you pay providers yourself and claim the money back. You can also choose a mix, using different options for different parts of your plan.
Can I use more than one option at once?
Yes. You can have a mix of management types in the same plan. For example, you might plan-manage most of your supports, self-manage one budget you feel confident handling, and leave another part agency-managed. Many people use a combination so they get the choice and control they want without taking on more paperwork than they are comfortable with.
How do I choose which option is right for me?
Think about how much choice and control you want and how much paperwork you are happy to do. Agency-managed is the most hands-off but limits you to registered providers. Plan-managed gives more provider choice with little paperwork. Self-managed gives the most flexibility but the most responsibility. You discuss and record your choice during your planning meeting.
Does the way my plan is managed affect which providers I can use?
Yes. If you are agency-managed, you generally need to use NDIS registered providers. If you are plan-managed or self-managed, you can usually choose registered or unregistered providers, which opens up more options. This is one of the main reasons people choose plan management or self-management, as it gives them greater choice over who delivers their supports.
Can I change how my plan is managed later?
Yes. If your situation or preferences change, you can ask to change how your plan is managed. This is usually discussed at a plan review, where you can talk through what is working and what you would like to do differently. It is a good idea to raise it early so the change can be recorded in your next plan.

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