In-kind funding arrangements

In-kind is a temporary funding arrangement.

Under these arrangements, state, territory and / or Commonwealth governments pre-pay providers to deliver some disability-related programs.

When NDIS participants use these programs, we call the pre-paid supports they get ‘in-kind’.

Providers delivering in-kind supports have been paid in advance by the government, so must not claim payments from participants as well.

Your state, territory and / or Commonwealth government will have previously told you if you deliver in-kind supports.

Transition period

In-kind arrangements will gradually phase out.

Not all in-kind supports will transition to the NDIS at the same time; the transition will be gradual.

If you deliver any in-kind supports to participants, your government program manager will advise you when and how these in-kind arrangements will finish. Please contact them if you have any questions about these changes.

Key changes

Participants can choose their provider

Participants access in-kind supports through their existing provider.

Once the in-kind arrangement stops, participants can purchase reasonable and necessary supports directly from providers using their plan funds.

This means a participant can purchase supports from their existing provider or engage a new one.

In some cases, a participant can stop using in-kind supports before the in-kind arrangement ends. If this happens, the participant can engage a new provider and pay for supports using their plan funds.

Participants may receive different supports

Participants receive funding for reasonable and necessary supports.

You must check with each participant if they still want supports from you after the date the in-kind arrangement stops.

It’s the participant’s choice to keep using your services or not.

Some participants may use more, different or less supports than what they had before.

Providers may need to register

If you haven’t already, you need to become a registered provider to continue providing supports to participants who have NDIA-managed plans.

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission) now registers and regulates providers in all states and territories.

Providers need to claim to be paid

When pre-paid in-kind arrangements stop, you need to claim for all supports you provide to NDIS participants.

For NDIA-managed participants

You need to use the myplace provider portal to make service bookings and claim for supports delivered.

For self-managed participants

You claim payment directly from the participant.

For plan-managed participants

If a participant has a plan manager managing their support funding, you claim payment from their plan manager.

Pricing for supports after in-kind funding arrangements stop

Providers can’t charge more than the published NDIS price limits for supports they deliver to participants with an NDIA-managed plan. NDIS price limits include provision for overheads and other costs.

For more information on pricing, visit the Pricing arrangements page.

Service bookings and payment

Keep delivering the same supports to participants until your in-kind arrangement ends. You have been pre-paid to deliver in-kind supports until this date.

To make sure providers don’t claim for pre-paid supports delivered before their in-kind funding arrangements stop, the NDIA will be monitoring payment claims.

Setting up service bookings in advance

If a participant is going to start paying for your supports after the in-kind arrangements stop, you may want to get ready by setting up a new service booking.

You must make sure the service booking period starts after the date the in-kind funding arrangement ends.

For example, if the participant’s in-kind arrangements end on 30 June 2019, you must set up the service booking to start on 1 July 2019 or later.

This ensures you don’t claim payment for supports delivered before your pre-paid arrangement ends.

More information

For more information on your in-kind funding arrangement, contact your government program manager.

You can also visit the In-kind supports for participants page.