How Are NDIS Providers Paid?

There are three ways to manage NDIS funding. Your plan can use one or a mix of them. For example, your core supports could be self-managed while your capital supports are NDIA-managed.

Think of each budget as a separate tap, and check which tap a support flows from before you book it.

Self-managed funding

You, your nominee or your representative pay providers and keep the records.

The NDIS guide to paying for supports gives you two options:

1. Claim first: Get an invoice or timesheet, make a claim, then pay your provider when the funds reach your bank account.
2. Pay first: Pay with your own money, keep the receipt, then claim the money back.

You don't have to pay from your own pocket first. You can claim through the my NDIS app or your participant portal, and you need to keep receipts for 5 years.

Plan-managed funding

Your provider sends the invoice to your plan manager, who checks it, claims the funds and pays the provider. You don't usually pay anyone yourself.

NDIA-managed funding

Your provider must be registered. They claim directly from the NDIA, which pays them from your funding, so you don't make the claim yourself.

To compare all three options in more depth, read Your NDIS Plan Explained.

A plan manager looks after the money side of your plan-managed supports. The usual steps are:

1. Support delivered: Your provider delivers the agreed support.
2. Invoice sent: The provider sends an NDIS invoice to your plan manager.
3. Invoice checked: The plan manager checks it against your plan, budget and NDIS rules.
4. Authorisation: The plan manager follows the approval arrangement you agreed.
5. Claim made: The plan manager submits a claim to the NDIA.
6. Provider paid: The plan manager pays the provider once the NDIS funds arrive.

The NDIA says plan managers should pay providers within 2 business days of receiving NDIS funds. That clock starts when the funds arrive, not when the invoice does. It is guidance, not a promise of payment by a set date.

Do I need to approve every invoice?

Not always. Your plan manager must make sure you know about and approve claims, but how that works depends on the arrangement you set up.

Some plan managers, including Kismet, let you review invoices before they are paid.

Unregistered providers can be paid from self-managed or plan-managed funding, in the same way as registered providers.

They can't be paid from NDIA-managed funding, and they can't deliver supports that need registration, such as:

• Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
• Specialist behaviour support
• Supports that involve regulated restrictive practices

Supported Independent Living (SIL) needs registration too. Some existing unregistered SIL providers can keep delivering it under transitional rules until their registration is decided. Check your provider's status.

Registration and funding are separate tests. A registered provider can still only be paid for supports that fit your plan.

An invoice is like a shop receipt for your NDIS budget, so check it before the money leaves.

• Service: Did the support happen as described?
• Price: Does the amount match your service agreement and any price limits?
• Funding: Is the support in your plan, with funds left in that budget?
• Provider: Does this support need a registered provider?
• Details: Are the dates, hours and rates correct?

Example: Your support worker helped you for two hours, but the invoice says three. Ask the provider to explain or fix it before it is paid.

The NDIS pricing schedules set maximum prices, which only apply to NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants. Self-managed participants have more pricing flexibility, but must still spend funds in line with their plan.

For plan-managed invoices, the provider needs a valid Australian Business Number (ABN). If they are exempt, they must include a statement by a supplier form from the Australian Taxation Office.

For the full list of invoice details, see what an NDIS invoice needs to include. Your service agreement shows the services and charges you agreed to.

A late payment doesn't always mean your funds have run out. Instead, the invoice may need fixing, the claim may be under review, or payment may still be on its way.

Ask whoever handles the claim:

1. Did you receive the invoice?
2. Has the claim been submitted?
3. Is it on hold, rejected or paid?
4. Do you need anything else from me?

Sending an invoice is not the same as making a claim. If the claim was rejected, read why an NDIS invoice may be rejected. For other hold-ups, see why an NDIS invoice may not have been paid.

What changes from 1 December 2026?

A new law cuts the usual time to claim from two years to 90 days after a support is provided. It starts on 1 December 2026.

This deadline is for claims, not invoices. Late claims can still be accepted in exceptional circumstances, but that is not automatic.

If you have older unpaid invoices, send them now to whoever makes your claims. Ask the NDIA if you are unsure how the change affects an older support.

Does plan management come out of my support budget?

No. If plan management is in your plan, it has its own funding and does not reduce your other supports.

What if an invoice goes to the wrong person?

Ask the provider to resend it to the right place. It should go to you if you self-manage, or to your plan manager if you're plan-managed. NDIA-managed providers claim directly, so they don't send you an invoice to pay.