The NDIS changed the way people with a disability access services and support.
About the NDIS
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides financial support and services to people under 65 living with a disability.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is the government agency that manages the NDIS and ensures people with a disability get the support they require.
The NDIS revolutionised the way the Australian government funds support services, equipment and consumables for people living with a permanent or significant disability. Where service providers previously managed funding, the funds are now distributed directly to the person with a disability, giving them greater freedom and the flexibility to engage providers of their choice.
NDIS services and support
Each person that uses the NDIS is required to have a plan, which includes an NDIS number and a budget specific to the participant’s disability, needs and goals. If you are plan-managed (which is the case if you become a Blitzit Plan Manager participant), you can choose any provider you like that will assist you to meet your goals and NDIS would deem as reasonable and necessary; however, if you are agency-managed, your providers must be registered with the NDIS.
How plan management can assist you with the NDIS
A plan manager like Blitzit Plan Manager is a third party that manages and helps you use your NDIS plan. Above all else, plan management allows you to choose to use any provider you like, whether they are NDIS registered or not. This means you can engage any service in your local community and, in most cases, stretch your budget even further. You also have the flexibility to choose registered providers who understand NDIS price limits and price their services within those guidelines.
Blitzit Plan Manager claims and pays invoices from your allocated budget on your behalf, as well as helping you track your funds and taking care of financial reporting for you. This avoids unwanted administrative tasks and ensures you are receiving the best value for money through your plan.
Blitzit Plan Manager understands the NDIS and can help you navigate the different ways to use your plan effectively. We can recommend suitable providers and guide your use of services. In short, Blitzit Plan Manager becomes a trusted resource that you can rely on for information and advice as you journey through life.
Your goals
Goal-setting is a major component of your NDIS plan. The plan maps out what you want to achieve in your life, and the support and services that will enable you to get there. This ties into the funded support you receive. A service like Blitzit Plan Manager can help you determine if you can financially afford your goals by giving you an at-a-glance view into how you are spending your funded support (see below) and tracking expenditure accordingly.
Understanding Your NDIS Plan
Your NDIS plan outlines the types of support and services that you will receive through the NDIS. Here’s some helpful information to guide you through your plan.
A meeting with your early child early intervention (ECEI) coordinator, local area coordinator (LAC) or support coordinator kickstarts your NDIS plan. Based on this discussion, they’ll devise a plan that details information about you, your goals, the support you currently receive from family, friends and the local community, and the funded support you will be allocated.
The plan tracks your day-to-day needs, and short- and long-term goals to give you choice, control and flexibility. As well as information about your situation, it also includes the following:
Funded support
When it comes to funded support, the NDIA takes into account individual circumstances, which means everyone’s plan is different. It may also change over time as, for example, you move from childhood to adulthood.
The funding you receive is based on what’s reasonably required for your needs, and takes into account other support you may receive from family, friends, or community and government services.
Your overall budget is further broken down into three types of support:
Core supports
The aim of this support is to allow participants to be as independent as possible in their home environment and community. Depending on your plan, it may cover everyday activities and basic needs, such as household cleaning, assistive products, personal care, consumables, attending social outings and events. This funding has the most flexibility and you can move your budget from one support service to another, but some restrictions may apply.
Capacity building supports
Encompassing lifestyle, health, relationship and community factors, this is typically fixed-amount funding to help you achieve longer-term goals to build your independence and skills.
It can also include support coordination, training and development, and employment skills.
In most cases, most capacity building supports are delivered by allied health professionals – for example, in the areas of speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, psychology and other services that assist participants to work towards independent living.
Capital supports
The list of items you can purchase through capital support is comprehensive, and includes higher-cost assistive technology, mobility equipment, or modifications for your car or home, as well as any one-off purchases. Note that this budget can only be used for the specific purpose it is allocated, and these items require approval by the NDIA. You will need to submit an application for consideration to the NDIA and it will determine whether the request is ‘reasonable and necessary’.
Managing Your NDIS Plan
Under the NDIS, you can choose how you will manage your plan. Find out about your options.
There are three types of options for managing the funds allocated to you in your NDIS plan.
Plan-managed
If you request to be plan-managed, this means a third party such as Blitzit Plan Manager pays invoices and tracks the financial aspects of your plan, so you always know where your budget is at. If you’re after flexibility and the freedom to choose your own providers, whether they are registered with the NDIS or not, then we’re here to help.
An important point to remember is that there is no cost associated with managing your plan, and an option like plan management gives you the freedom to choose your own providers. Becoming plan managed is simple – just ask for this option at your planning meeting.
As a plan manager, Blitzit Plan Manager will organise payment of your invoices typically within three to five business days, and enable you to track your budget through our Blitzit Online Portal (BOP). This offers you the independence of managing your own plan, without the administrative hassle.
Self-managed
If you decide to manage your own NDIS-allocated funds, you are responsible for paying invoices from your service providers, and manually claiming those invoices through the NDIS. While some people enjoy the independence this creates, it also requires a detailed understanding of the NDIS funded support categories and codes, and is a time-consuming process.
Being self-managed means the onus is on you to provide payment on time; you must also complete additional admin tasks such as providing good records to demonstrate to the NDIA how you are using the funds for auditing purposes.
NDIA-managed (Agency managed)
You can choose to have your plan agency managed, which means that service providers you engage must be registered with the NDIS. Registered providers have their own portal, through which they process claims for services against your funding. NDIS pays providers directly from the fund. However, not all the businesses will be registered with the NDIS, which means you may have less flexibility in the service providers you can engage.
Need more help?
The list above is only a brief overview, and the NDIS goes into a lot of detail about how each category is broken down and what is included. It can be confusing, but that’s where Blitzit Plan Manager can help. We understand each type of funded support and the category codes, and can track your budget for you through our Blitzit Online Portal (BOP), making the whole process simpler and less stressful.
If you are having trouble understanding your NDIS plan, don’t believe it offers a true reflection of your planning meeting, or want to understand what’s included in funded support, your ECEI coordinator, LAC, NDIS Planner or support coordinator can help.
Or simply contact Blitzit Plan Manager – our knowledgeable staff will be able to guide you through the intricacies of the NDIS’s category options, and get you on a managed plan so you can coordinate all payments under the one easy online system.
