Am I allowed to change my NDIS provider?

Your NDIS plan is intended to help you to achieve your goals and your NDIS provider is there to help you to access the supports and services that are best suited to your individual circumstances. Of course, if you have a change in your circumstances or are not happy with your service provider, you may decide to change providers.

You have the right to change your NDIS disability service provider and to make direct decisions about your care that affect your life.

Your needs may differ from those of other people. It’s up to you to decide if you need support with your health and wellbeing, education or employment, or if you want help to take part in social activities or live independently.

Why should I consider changing NDIS providers?

Some situations where you might consider changing your NDIS service provider include:

• • you have moved and would prefer a provider located closer to you
  • your goals have changed and your provider doesn’t provide services and supports that meet your circumstances
  • your service provider has changed their service plans and no longer provides services and supports that fit your needs
  • you are unhappy with the way your provider delivers their services
  • your provider has changed management – in turn their customer-service models don’t match your individual requirements
  • you are unhappy with the way they communicate or inform you about the delivery of their services
  • your provider has increased the cost of delivering services and supports.

Can I change my NDIS plan?

You may find that after reassessing your situation you may not want to change your provider but instead, would like to change some of the services you receive or include other activities in your plan.

You may be able to:

• • Make changes to some areas of your plan (e.g. your NDIS consumables budget).
  • Switch your funding from one category to another
  • Reduce or increase the amount of support.

How do I change my NDIS provider?

You do not have to give any reason to your current service provider about why you want to switch to another provider.

Before you begin the process of changing your NDIS provider, you should consider looking at your NDIS service agreement. This will give you information about things such as how much notice you have to give your provider before you switch to another, or if you have to pay cancellation costs.

How do I change my NDIS provider?

Once you have decided that you are changing your NDIS provider you will need to:

• • Notify them that you would like to stop eceiving services from them – it is best to do this in writing, through the post or by email.
  • Ask for them to send you an acknowledgment of your request to stop providing services.
  • Ask for any final paperwork related to your care.
  • Ask for the provider to cancel your service bookings in the NDIS portal – your provider is allowed some time to recover outstanding costs for services they have already provided to you.

How do I change my NDIS plan manager?

You may choose to have someone deal with your provider on your behalf – an NDIS plan manager. Their role is to receive and pay invoices to your NDIS provider and send you monthly reports showing where your money has been spent and how much is left in your budget. Some plan managers also offer advice about providers and services you can access or budgets and may help you with navigating NDIS service agreements.

Sometimes you may not be happy with your plan manger and the service they provide. For example, you may not be able to get in touch with them or they don’t get back to you, or they are not sending you reports so that you know how and where your budget is being spent. You do not have to give any reason to your current plan manager about why you want to switch.

Switching to a new plan manger is not difficult, but you need to:

find a new plan manager – you will probably need to complete some paperwork
let your current plan manager know that you would like to cancel their services
inform your NDIS service provider so they know where to send their invoices – some plan mangers do this for you.

How do I complain about my NDIS service provider?

You have a right to complain about your NDIS service provider if you are not happy with their service. Your provider must have a process in place that outlines how they deal with complaints. If you are comfortable, you could speak to your provider first before considering other options.

If you are not happy with their response, you can contact the NDIS Commission.