Self-management is one of the three ways to manage your NDIS funding. It gives the greatest choice and control over their NDIS plan and over who provides the support. While self-management gives you more flexibility, it also comes with more responsibilities. Here's your complete starting guide on self-management.
Self-management is one of the three ways to manage your NDIS funding. It gives people the greatest choice and control over their NDIS plan and over who provides the support. While self-management gives you more flexibility, it also comes with more responsibilities.
If you are deciding on choosing self-management or are already using it, here is your complete starter guide. It is designed to give you most of the basic information you need - from goal-setting, fund-management to NDIS reporting. Let's get into it!
Self-managing your NDIS means you would have complete control over your NDIS funds and different aspects of your support system such as choosing providers, paying for supports etc. You have the freedom of choice in employing any provider whether registered or non-registered and the flexibility to use your funds innovatively.
You don't need to justify every single purchase to someone. As long as the support is "reasonable and necessary", which can be checked by answering 6 NDIS questions (mentioned below), you can just buy it. Also, if needed you can pay more than the price guide. This might be valuable if your loved one has a high needs disability and you find it hard to find support workers for them within the NDIS price range.
Yes. absolutely. You don’t have to self-manage all of your funding. You might choose to self-manage one part of your support budget and have the rest managed by a plan manager or the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
We all have a diverse range of needs depend on our conditions and demographic backgrounds. Self-management allows you to maximise your choice and control in choosing the service that meets your needs. According to NDIS, self-management gives you 5 vital benefits -
(Note: This guide is regularly updated. So, keep checking in)
Your responsibilities for self-management can be broken down into three main categories.
This is explained in detail below.
Everything in NDIS revolves around your goals. Setting up your funds according to your goals is important.
Your goals may include becoming more independent, getting or keeping a job, learning new skills, getting education, becoming more active in your community, improving your relationships and making friends etc.
The funding you get and the support you buy from NDIS is all in line with your goals, that is why it is important to give these a decent thought. Not being clear on your goals can cause confusion and feeling of overwhelm in managing different aspects of NDIS.
TIP: Don't make your goals too narrow as this would limit the support you can buy to fulfil them.
Efficiently managing and tracking budget is important for next year's review and planning meeting, and for NDIS auditing. Here are the things you need to know about managing your NDIS fund.
Yes. This is strongly advised. The account should be in the name of the participant or the guardian of the participant child. This ensures your NDIS funding is separate from your funds.
TIP: Opt for a fee free bank account as you cannot claim bank fees under NDIS.
Your support budget is the total amount of funds allotted to you in your NDIS plan. This is divided into 3 categories
You can know about these in detail from the NDIS official site here.
Any funds received directly from the NDIA into the account are exempt from paying income tax. Although any interest earned is treated as income and should be reported to the Australian Tax Office.
A thought-out budget is recommended if you want to efficiently manage your NDIS funding and to use it creatively so it best serves your goals and needs. You should be aware of how much you are spending and where. This makes sure that you are making the most out of your plan, and that you'll be finishing exactly in time so you or your loved one doesn't miss out on any support.
TIP: You can use Humane's NDIS management app to simply plan your budget, keep track of all your spending, sessions and invoices in one place to avoid confusion and to always stay prepared for an NDIS audit. Contact us on hello@humanecare.com.au if you have any questions.
A provider is a person, business or organisation that delivers your support. You should see what budget categories you have in your plan, what services you would require and then look for providers in your area that fulfil them. It is very important to realise that NDIS provides you with choice and control. You should exercise this by shopping around for providers that provide you with best support for a reasonable price.
With self-management you have the freedom to choose any provider you wish whether they NDIA-registered or not, although make sure you are choosing someone with experience and authentic credentials for your care and safety.
Although it is not necessary to have agreements with your providers, it is highly encouraged to avoid any dispute or differences in future. Make sure you create clear agreements with your chosen providers about the supports you will receive including how and when they will be paid for. If you need a service agreement template, let us know on hello@humanecare.com.au.
One great part about being self-managed is that you do not need someone's permission to buy support. Before making a purchase, you should genuinely answer the 6 questions below.
If the support you wish to buy checks all the above points, it is likely okay to buy. If you are unsure check in with your NDIA planner or LAC to confirm it.
With self-management you have the benefit to negotiate the price of your support along with choosing the provider of your choice. Compare the prices of different providers offering similar supports and ask around in your community to make sure you choose the right option. There are some people taking advantage of NDIS participants and you should be aware of them.
Make sure your support provides
You should plan and think creatively to use your NDIS funds as this will help you have extra savings which can be redirected to meet your goal further.
The NDIS has created a price guide to help the participants, it is updated annually on 1 July. Read here to know more
Good question! Of course you must have the option to develop skills which help them to work efficiently. Some examples of supports that can help you self-manage include:
Payment slips, invoices, receipts and any other purchase made from the NDIS funds must be kept intact. It is highly recommended to do it ONLY from the separate bank account otherwise things can get out of hand in the blink of an eye.
TIP: Have digital copies for all receipts and keep them stored in a folder or even better - Google drive or other cloud-based storage. Our NDIS self-management app takes care of everything including the storage of your invoices and receipts. Give it a shot!
If NDIS finds discrepancies, or missing records, you might be required to pay for some support out of your pocket.
Make sure you make your payment requests on time to pay for your supports. You need to keep a receipt, invoice and/or timesheet etc from your provider to claim your payment from the NDIS. Make a Payment Request using the online myplace portal. Money from your NDIS plan budget will be paid into your nominated bank account within 24 to 48 hours.
You can do this in 2 ways
1. Receive funds, pay later
Make a payment request on myplace portal > show the invoice > receive funds within 24-48 hours > pay your provider
2. Pay first, receive funds later
Pay the provider using your own money > make payment request on myplace > show the receipt > receive funds within 24-48 hours
Being a self-manager, you might use a provider or in some cases you might want to employ your own staff. If you choose the latter, here is what you will need to know -
If you hire staff either to help you with NDIS-related or other activities you must keep in mind to recruit the right person for the required job. This requires creating and conducting interviews, searching in your network, being a responsible employer. Get in touch with your community to let them know you are hiring and clearly specify your needs as an employer.
You will also need to calculate and pay them PAYG tax, superannuation etc. when you employ directly. You might need to handle payslips too, just like any other employer.
After careful consideration and providing the necessary information during the initial stage, communicate clearly with your staff about shift timings, do’s and don’t’s, performance goals, expectations etc. It is common for your staff to take a few weeks to understand the participant better.
Generally, your NDIS review meeting happens at the end of your existing plan. This meeting is very important as it decides the funding for the next year. This can also be an emotional experience for many family members as they need to talk about various aspects of the disability. NDIS in the meeting will check in with you and see how you are going with your current NDIS plan, and if your circumstances have changed in the last year.
You may need to provide assessments or reports from some of your service providers for your plan review meeting. This is to show how your supports and services are helping you achieve your goals.
These reports can also make recommendations for supports and services you might need in the future. Your ECEI Coordinator, LAC or the NDIA will discuss this with you.
While plan review with NDIS is crucial, it is also important to know whether or not this plan adhered to your needs.
In the lead up to your plan review think about:
In the end it comes down your needs and ease. Any decision you make should be taken keeping the participant (you or your loved one) as the focus. If you are a planner by nature and love to take charge, self-management might be for you.
Also, always remember - you can join peer support groups, local communities etc. to get support and make the journey smoother and less stressful.
If you have any questions you can reach out to us on hello@humanecare.com.au. We’ll be happy to assist you!