Q and A - 5 February 2018

I have $1 next to an item in my plan. What does this mean?

It can mean a number of things.

  • Quote pending:
  • It may mean there is a quote pending, so the NDIS do not know how much the support will cost until they receive more information
  • it could mean an in-kind support
  • Flexibility.

Some NDIS participants are receiving services from providers which have been paid in advance. Before the NDIS was established, states and territories paid for providers to deliver services to people with disabilities. As agreed by state, territory and Commonwealth governments, they will continue to pay for these services directly, and NDIS participants will continue using these services. These pre-paid supports and services are called "in-kind".

To represent an in-kind service, the NDIS includes $1 next to the support in your plan.

This doesn't mean that you only have $1 for the support, just that the cost of the support is already covered.

For more information, visit the in-kind supports page on the NDIS website.

Some plans may have had a nominal amount of $1 put next to an item so a participant has the flexibility to spend their core budget on things to help them achieve their goals. There are a number of things to think about if you want to use your budget like this. Not always but we highly recommend you do.

It is up to you and your provider whether or not you want to have a service agreement. The NDIS recommends having a service agreement so you have in writing what services you will get; how much they will cost and when they will be delivered.

Service bookings on the other hand are compulsory. These are the individual requests for a product or service and are required to process payments in the myplace portal.

Service bookings are generally created by participants, their nominee, or their Plan Manager. A participant may be supported by an NDIA representative to complete their service bookings and can also ask a provider to do this on their behalf.

Visit the making the making a service agreement page on the NDIS website.

Is there a rule to show our plans to the service provider (along with the funding information) when beginning with a provider or signing the agreement?

No, you don’t have to share your plan or the funding information when starting with a provider or signing a service agreement.

Remember that your NDIS plan is yours. You can choose who you share the details of your plan with. You have the option to share parts of your plan with providers who have an active service booking with you. The new 'Share My Plan' option allows you to give your providers access to parts of your plan to better understand goals and tailor services.

It's important to remember, it is your decision on what you share. Visit the Privacy page on the NDIS website.

I am an NDIS provider in Victoria. When my region transitions to the NDIS, will small businesses like mine still need to go through Third Party Verification?

Yes, your State/Territory-based Quality and Safeguards arrangements still apply until your state transitions to the new NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

This means the NDIS may be available to people with disability in your area but the Quality and Safeguarding arrangements will continue to be managed by your State/Territory government for a short period of time.

The NDIS and the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Commission are two independent organisations.

Each state/territory transitions to the national NDIS Quality and Safeguards Framework at different times: See the transition dates below:

  • 1 July 2018: NSW and SA
  • 1 July 2019: ACT, NT, Qld, Tas, and Vic
  • 1 July 2020: WA

You can find out more information about the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on the Department of Social Services website (external) .

What is the Guide to Suitability and why is it important for providers?

The ‘Guide to Suitability’ is the key document to assist you to understand what supports you will be providing and what your obligations are as a provider of these NDIS supports.