Frequently Asked Questions

People who choose Plan Management have a few distinct advantages: 

• You can buy supports from registered AND non-NDIS registered providers (such as Jim's Mowing, local community members or organisations, and Therapists who have chosen not to register)
• You don't have to use the NDIS Portal.
• You have a partner in navigating the NDIS and someone to help you make the most of your Plan
• You have most of the choice and control of Self Management, without the administrative burden

If you are a participant in the NDIS you can choose Plan Management - it's simply your choice.

Make sure you let your Local Area Co-ordinator (LAC) know you want Plan Management included when you go to your planning or review meeting, so they can include it in your plan.

Plan Managers claim directly from the budgets in your plan to pay your providers on your behalf.

As your Plan Manager, we will:

• pay your providers for the supports you purchase
• help you keep track of your funds
• take care of financial reporting for you

We don’t just take care of your invoices and payments. With TPE you get a team of experts supporting you to better manage your funds. We offer support, info and tools to easily keep track of your spending, see the status of invoices and confidently manage your funding. 

We will help you to get the most out of your NDIS plan, and help to manage your budget so that you can get the support/s you need.

Unlike other service providers, All NDIS plan managers must be Registered Providers through the NDIA.

We go through a regular and thorough audit process by the NDIA to ensure your funds are being handled by people you can trust.

The NDIA set the rules for Plan Management, and monitors Plan Managers to ensure that the strict rules and compliance requirements around invoices, payments and Plan Management are followed. This ensures that participants receive the same minimum standard of support from every Plan Manager.

The NDIA also pays a set fee to Plan Managers for the provision of their services on behalf of participants, through separate funding allocated by the NDIA.

Plan management is covered by the NDIS and is available to every NDIS participant - you just need to ask for it during your planning meeting, or contact your LAC.

There is no additional cost to you to choose plan management, and it will not affect the funding in your plan or the amount of money you have available for other supports.

The NDIA provide additional funds in your plan to pay for plan management, on top of your other funded supports.

Send your invoice to invoices@theplanexperts.com.au

Once invoices have been checked and validated, we will arrange to obtain funds from your plan and pay the supplier directly.

The strict guidelines for invoices are set by the NDIA, in line with current ATO rules.

The minimum requirements on invoices received must include the following information:

• ABN
• A unique Invoice number
• The NDIS participant’s name and NDIS number
• The date the service was provided
• A description of the service provided
• Hourly rate charged (if appropriate)
• The company’s contact details
• Banking details

We can’t process invoices which are submitted without the above information. We provide a helpful information sheet to give your regular providers which lists the invoice requirements to save you time.

Participants can forward invoices from their Service Providers to us or they can arrange to have their Service Providers email invoices directly to us.  Once we receive the invoice, we will upload it and process it.  

Following this, we make a payment request through the NDIS Portal.  When this is complete, we will make the payment to the Service Provider, and store the invoice on our secure systems for future reference.

Plan Managers claim directly from the budgets in your NDIS plan, to pay your providers on your behalf.  The same process applies in times where you may need to be reimbursed.

If you have paid for a product or service upfront using your own funds, we can process a reimbursement back to you.  For us to be able to do this we will need a copy of the tax invoice as well as a record of payment in full.

Please send the invoice and payment evidence to invoices@theplanexperts.com.au

The NDIS funds a range of supports and services which may include education, employment, social participation, independence, living arrangements and health and wellbeing.

The NDIS legislation outlines what can be funded under the NDIS. All supports need to meet the criteria in these laws before they can be funded in your plan. To find out more, check out the NDIS web info on funding criteria.

Supports need to be related to your disability, be value for money, effective and beneficial, and most appropriately funded or provided. Each support must meet the funding criteria individually, but the supports must also meet the criteria if combined as a package.

In order to be considered reasonable and necessary, a support or service:

• must be related to a participant’s disability
• must not include day-to-day living costs not related to your disability support needs, such as groceries
• should represent value for money
• must be likely to be effective and work for the participant, and
• should take into account support given to you by other government services, your family, carers, networks and the community.

A participant’s reasonable and necessary supports take into account any informal supports already available (eg informal arrangements that are part of family life or connections with friends and community services) as well as other formal supports, such as health and education.

Reasonable and necessary supports will help participants to:

• pursue their goals, objectives and aspirations
• increase their independence
• increase community and workplace participation, and
• develop their capacity to actively take part in the community

Plan Managers are a type of Financial Intermediary, which gives you the flexibility to use service providers who are both registered and not registered with the NDIS.

You can also access online stores for items like assistive technology so you don’t need to pay out of pocket first and be reimbursed.

As we are completely independent, we do not recommend any specific services. TPE ensures all clients have choice and control over the services they purchase, and we understand what works for one person may not work for another.  Every person's situation, and every NDIS plan - is unique!

The best way for you to find services is via online search, through your support co-ordinator (if y0u have one), or check out the TPE Resource Hub for links to more info.

Of course we are always happy to chat through and help if you're having trouble with your specific individual circumstances. If you're not sure just ask!

A registered provider is required to meet quality and safeguarding requirements of the NDIS Commission.

This involves adhering to strict and ongoing audit requirements.

Not all providers choose to register. By using a Plan Manager you are able to access supports from both registered and unregistered providers.

Support Coordination helps you get the most out of your NDIS plan, including finding and organising the best supports for your needs.

It’s what the NDIS calls a ‘capacity building’ support – designed to help you build the skills and confidence to manage your own supports in future.

Like Plan Management, it’s funded in addition to your other supports. The NDIS decides eligibility for Support Coordination on an individual basis, and this usually occurs as part of the planning process. 

If you would like to find out more you can speak to your LAC or check out the information available on the NDIS website.

The Plan Experts does not offer Support Co-ordination, we recognise that we can’t be the experts on everything!

We remain focused on our expertise in Plan Management.