One of the ways the NDIS ensures that participants are able to receive value for money is through price regulation, which is why they have a regularly updated Price Guide available on the NDIS website.  The Price Guide is meant to assist participants and disability support providers to better understand the way price controls for supports and services work in the NDIS.

Now as you go through the Price Guide, you might notice that some supports have the statement at the end that says something like, “These support items should only be used if they are stated in a participant’s plan” or “this support item is subject to quotation. It should only be used if it is a stated item in a plan.” This is because while some funding may have more flexibility to how it’s spent, other allocations are meant for very specific purposes only.

A stated item indicates a specific support or service with its own allocation in your NDIS plan. When you see a support with the description “stated supports,” it means that this support has funding that cannot be transferred or used for any other purpose other than the specified item.

A number of these stated supports require that the provider supply an exact quote, which will then be listed in your NDIS plan with that specific allocation. This not only means that you can’t swap out this support for something else, but because much consideration is required for these types of supports, even a different version of the stated item cannot be purchased with your funding without NDIS approval.

What do stated items look like?

One of the most common examples of a stated item is plan management. As we’ve mentioned in one of our previous blogs, your NDIS plan can include funds to cover the services of a plan manager like Blitzit, who will serve as your NDIS financial intermediary. This option not only helps with things like paying providers and tracking your budget, but gives you greater choice and control in utilising both registered and unregistered providers to fulfill your required services.

Hand in hand with plan management also comes support coordination, where a support coordinator helps you achieve your NDIS goals by helping you access your local community, find the best suited supports to your needs, and ensure that service agreements and service bookings are completed. At Blitzit Plan Manager, we work closely with support coordinators to make sure participants are able to get the most out of their NDIS funding.

Other stated items have more to do with daily living, like residential aged care for participants who need full-time support, or assistive technology like equipment items for mobility, personal care, communication and recreational inclusion. Here are a few more examples, which all require a quotation from your chosen provider:

If your disability has affected your ability to drive, after being assessed by a specialist driver-trained occupational therapist, driving lessons can be provided through specialised driver training support.

If driving is not an option and you need transport assistance in order to access the community, or to attend school or your job, specialised transport can be made a part of your NDIS plan.

If you are unable to prepare meals for yourself, and currently do not have other supports to assist in this area, the NDIS will cover the preparation and delivery of meals. (Please note that this does not include the cost of the actual food to be prepared and delivered.)

If you require assistance in doing your laundry, linen service will take care of the provision of clean linens.

If you need more support in accomplishing multiple tasks at home, assistance from a live-in carer is available. This support will provide for someone to help you with or supervise personal tasks, who lives with you in your home or travels with you, and who can provide assistance in developing skills towards living more independently.

What if I don’t need my stated items anymore?

For participants who want to make small changes, there is a process called a light touch review or an administrative review. This review has a limited scope and is a kind of administrative "fix" if a material error has been made, which can occur at any stage during the plan up to 100 days prior to the plan end date. If your situation has changed you can apply to NDIS for a change of circumstances. If you need a different model of the stated item, available at the same price, the light touch review might be the way to go.

Otherwise, for supports that no longer apply to your current situation or your goals, a Plan Review needs to be requested. Whether what you need is additional funding in your budgets or an entirely new support altogether, get in touch with your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) and see what your best option may be.

Need more help?

The friendly team at Blitzit Plan Manager team wants to make sure you get the most out of your NDIS plan. Give us a call at 1300 966 119, send us an email at hello@blitzit.com.au  or sign up now. For regular updates on the NDIS and what Blitzit can do for you, sign up for our newsletter here.