How to self-manage your NDIS plan: a step-by-step guide
By Sam Fairbairn, Founder. Last updated 13 October 2026.
The short answer
Yes, most NDIS participants can self-manage some or all of their funding. Self-managing means you, your plan nominee or your child's representative choose your supports, pay providers and claim the money from the NDIA. You can ask to self-manage at any time, and there is no limit on how often you can change.
What self-management is (and how it compares)
There are three ways to manage NDIS funding. You can mix them in one plan.
| Self-managed | Plan-managed | NDIA-managed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who pays providers | You | Your plan manager | The NDIA |
| Registered providers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Unregistered providers | Yes, with some exceptions | Yes, with some exceptions | No |
| Prices | You can agree to pay less or more than the price limits | You can pay less, but providers can't claim more than the price limits | You can pay less, but not more than the price limits |
| Employ your own workers | Yes | No | No |
| Admin you do | All of it | Little | Little |
Rows 3 and 4 follow the NDIS factsheet Managing your funding (Sep 2026). The exceptions are the supports listed in Step 4 that must come from a registered provider.
Can I self-manage?
Most people can. You can self-manage your whole plan or only part of it. For example, you might self-manage core supports and have the rest plan-managed.
The NDIA can say no if:
- you are bankrupt (insolvent under administration)
- you have been convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty, or one with a sentence of 2 or more years
- it thinks self-managing would be an unreasonable risk to you
- it thinks you are unlikely to spend your funding in line with your plan
Similar rules apply to a plan nominee or child representative who wants to self-manage for you. If the NDIA has concerns, you can ask for supports in your plan that lower the risk, so you can still self-manage with help.
Step 1: Ask to self-manage
Tell your planner or my NDIS contact at your plan meeting, or any time after. If self-management is the only change, it is usually made with a plan variation. You do not need a full plan reassessment.
Step 2: Set up a bank account
The NDIA pays self-managed funding into an account managed by the person responsible for self-managing. That is you, your plan nominee, or a child representative if you are under 18. Where possible, use a separate account for NDIS money. It keeps your records clean if the NDIA ever checks your claims.
To give or change your bank details, use the my NDIS portal, call 1800 800 110, or talk to your my NDIS contact.
Step 3: Read your plan and your funding periods
Your plan shows your total budget and how it is split. Before you spend, check three things:
- Flexible supports. You can generally use your core supports budget flexibly. That can include self-management costs like bookkeeping, software and peer support memberships.
- Fixed or stated supports. These are not flexible. You can only use them for the support named in your plan.
- Funding periods. New or reassessed plans approved after 3 October 2024 may release funding in stages, called funding periods. Since 19 May 2025 these are usually three months long. Unspent funding rolls into the next funding period in the same plan. It does not roll over to your next plan. You can't bring funding forward from a later period into an earlier one, so money allocated to a future period isn't available to spend yet. The NDIA can bring funding forward at its discretion in genuinely urgent situations, but this is the exception, not something to plan around.
Try the NDIS Calculator Reading your NDIS plan Blog
Step 4: Choose your providers and workers
As a self-manager you can use registered or unregistered providers, and you can negotiate what you pay.
- Prices. The Pricing Schedule sets maximum prices for most supports. As a self-manager you can agree to pay less or more. Your funding still has to last the length of your plan.
- Service agreements. These are encouraged, not required. A service agreement is a contract under Australian Consumer Law, so it protects you and your provider.
- Invoices. Ask every provider for an invoice that shows their ABN, the support, the date, the amount and the cost. Invoices should ideally also break the cost down by line item, for example the hours or quantity and the rate per unit, not just a single total. If a provider has no ABN, they can fill in the ATO form Statement by a supplier not quoting an ABN.
- Some supports must come from a registered provider. These are specialist disability accommodation, supported independent living, specialist behaviour support (assessments and behaviour support plans), any support where the provider may need to use a restrictive practice, and NDIS digital platforms, meaning platforms that specifically provide worker linking infrastructure and payment facilities, not every digital tool a self-manager might use.
- Employing your own workers. Your budget can cover the costs to recruit staff and pay their wages, super and any insurances. You become their employer. You will usually need workers compensation insurance, and you must keep payroll records in line with your state or territory's rules. The NDIA's guide to directly engaging your own staff explains what is involved.
Step 5: Pay and claim
You can only claim after you receive a support. There are two ways to pay:
- Claim first, then pay. Claim from the NDIA when you get the invoice, then pay your provider when the money arrives.
- Pay first, then claim. Pay your provider yourself, then claim the money back.
In practice, most people pay their provider first and then seek reimbursement from the NDIA, since many providers expect payment on the day.
Claim in the my NDIS portal, the myplace portal or the my NDIS app. Payment usually reaches your account in about 2 business days. Upload your invoice with each claim, even when it is not asked for.
Claim deadlines are getting shorter.
- From 15 October 2026, claims made more than 90 days after a support get extra checks and may be held for up to 28 days.
- From 1 December 2026, claims must be made within 90 days of the support. Before this, the limit was 2 years.
Claim as soon as you can after each support, and do not save claims up.
Claim Helper is a browser extension that can speed up your claiming, by getting your invoice details ready to copy straight into the myNDIS portal.
Step 6: Keep your records
For every support, keep a record showing:
- provider name and ABN (or why there is no ABN)
- date or dates of the support
- the support category and a description
- quantity or hours, price per unit and total paid
- the invoice or receipt, and anything you signed
Digital copies are fine. Keep records for at least 3 years, or 5 years if you are a plan nominee. This has been the law since 27 August 2026. Some older NDIS pages still say 5 years for everyone. Keeping 5 years is a safe habit either way.
Self-management record keeping in 2026 Blog
Step 7: Track your budget
Your funding needs to last the whole plan, and each funding period. Check your balance in the my NDIS portal or app each time you claim, or use a tool like Hai Helper that helps you track your budget. At the end of your plan, you will need to show how your funding helped you work towards your goals.
What you can and can't buy
You can only spend NDIS funding on NDIS supports, in line with your plan. Things that are not NDIS supports include school fees, Medicare gaps, dental and hospital fees, and everyday costs like groceries, rent and utilities. If you are unsure, check the NDIS supports lists or ask your my NDIS contact before you buy. Hai Helper's in-app Companion can also help with these kinds of questions in plain English, with answers that point to their NDIS source, though it's not a substitute for checking with the NDIA when you're not sure.
What if the NDIA checks my claims?
The NDIA reviews claims before and after it pays them. If you are selected for a check, you will get a letter or email asking for evidence. If you cannot show your funding was used correctly, the NDIA may cancel payments, ask you to pay money back or limit your self-management. Good records are your protection.
Keep your contact details current
From October 2026, the NDIA can suspend a plan if you do not respond to its requests for information. Before it does, it must make reasonable attempts to contact you, your nominee or your representative at least 5 times over 3 to 4 months, using your preferred contact method.
What else is changing for self-managers
We update this guide as each change starts.
| When | Change |
|---|---|
| February 2027 | Plan renewals replace plan continuations. At renewal, unspent funds from your old plan won't carry over |
| April 2027 | The new way of planning starts. It's still being tested and finalised, so some details may change before it rolls out. |
| July 2027 | More providers must register: personal care, daily living supports and supports in closed settings. This may narrow which unregistered providers you can use |
| October 2027 | A panel of approved plan managers starts. Relevant if you are weighing self-management against plan management. Self-managing with support from a tool like Hai Helper can be a meaningful alternative to being absorbed into the plan management panel system, if you'd rather keep control yourself |
Where to get help
- Your plan. Training in self-management can be funded as capacity building if it meets the NDIS funding criteria.
- Your my NDIS contact or support coordinator.
- Peer support. Self Manager Hub and the Hai Helper community group connect you with other self-managers.
How Hai Helper makes self-managing easier
Hai Helper is an NDIS registered provider built for self-managers. It tracks your budget, keeps every invoice findable for your records, speeds up claiming with Claim Helper, and gives you a direct line to NDIS information through the Companion. You stay in control. AI helps, but never decides. As more of the scheme pushes participants toward plan management by default, this is what keeps self-managing a realistic option rather than an uphill one.
General information only. This guide explains how NDIS self-management works in general. It is not advice about your plan. NDIS rules are changing in 2026 and 2027, and we update this guide when they do.
Frequently asked questions
Can I self-manage my NDIS plan?
Yes, in most cases. You can self-manage all or part of your plan. The NDIA can refuse if you are insolvent, have certain fraud or serious convictions, or if it thinks self-managing would be an unreasonable risk to you.
Can I use unregistered providers if I self-manage?
Yes, with some exceptions. Supports like specialist disability accommodation, supported independent living and specialist behaviour support must come from a registered provider.
Do I have to stick to the NDIS price limits?
No. Self-managers can negotiate prices above or below the price limits. Your funding still needs to last the length of your plan.
How long do I have to make a claim?
From 1 December 2026, you must claim within 90 days of the support. Before then the limit is 2 years, but claims older than 90 days get extra checks from 15 October 2026.
How long do I keep receipts and invoices?
At least 3 years if you are a participant, or 5 years if you are a plan nominee. This has applied since 27 August 2026.
What is a funding period?
A funding period is the time when part of your funding becomes available. Newer plans may have them, usually three months long. Unspent funding rolls into the next period in the same plan, but not into your next plan.
Can I pay for software or bookkeeping from my plan?
Often, yes. The NDIA says core supports funding can generally be used for self-management costs like bookkeeping and software, if it is in line with your plan.
Can a parent self-manage for their child?
Yes. A child representative or plan nominee can self-manage. Similar eligibility rules apply to them.
Looking for something more specific? Browse all self-management guides, tools and help.