NDIS Plan Management: Your Guide to Budgets, Approvals, and Payments

When you book a support under plan management, a clear process kicks into gear. First, it's crucial to understand how your funding is organised. Your NDIS plan breaks your budget into specific support categories, like Core (for daily activities), Capacity Building (for skill development), and Capital (for equipment). Each category has its own funding bucket, and money generally cannot be moved between them.

Under plan management, the approval process is streamlined for you. Once you agree with a provider on a service, you don't need to seek pre-approval from the NDIA. Instead, you or your provider simply notify your plan manager of the upcoming support, often by sending a service agreement or quote. Your plan manager then checks that the support is reasonable and necessary, aligns with your plan goals, and fits within the correct funding category and available budget. This happens before the service is delivered, giving you peace of mind.

For common supports like support workers, therapy, or assistive technology, your plan manager will verify:

• The Quotation: Is the price in line with the NDIS Price Guide?
• Service Dates: Do they fall within your current plan period?
• Capacity to Charge: Is the provider registered for the correct support items?
• Funding Fit: Is the service claimed from the right category budget?