NDIS number
An NDIS number is the unique 9-digit number the NDIA gives each NDIS participant, and it always starts with 43. It identifies the participant on plans, letters, the my NDIS app, service agreements, invoices and payment requests, and it stays the same when a new plan is made.
Also called: NDIS reference number, NDIS participant number, NDIS ID number, NDIS client number
Key takeaways
- Every NDIS number is 9 digits long and starts with 43.
- Participants can find it in the my NDIS app under the plan icon, on their NDIS plan and on NDIA letters.
- Providers need it on service agreements, invoices and every line of a bulk payment request.
- The NDIA's record keeping requirements list the NDIS number among the identifying details invoices and support records must carry.
- It identifies the participant, not a plan, a provider or a worker, so it does not change when a new plan is made.
What is an NDIS number?
An NDIS number is the unique 9-digit number the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) gives each NDIS participant, and every NDIS number starts with 43. It identifies the participant across the NDIA's systems, so it is used on plans, letters, payment requests, invoices and in the NDIS app and portals. Some people call it an NDIS reference number or NDIS participant number; they all mean the same thing.
The number belongs to the person, not to a single plan. It is how the NDIA links a participant to their NDIS plan, their budgets and every claim made against them. Providers, plan managers and support coordinators all need it to do their jobs, which is why it appears on almost every NDIS document.
In practice, you will see or be asked for the NDIS number when:
- Signing in to the my NDIS app. The NDIA says you need your NDIS number to sign in (How to use the my NDIS app).
- Agreeing supports with a provider. A service agreement normally records the participant's name and NDIS number.
- Getting paid. Payment requests to the NDIA and invoices to plan managers or self-managed participants must carry it.
- Talking to the NDIA. Having the number ready makes it quicker for the NDIA to find your record.
Where to find your NDIS number
If you are a participant, nominee or child representative, the number is already in several places you can check. The NDIA's app guidance says the NDIS number appears in the my NDIS app under the plan icon at the bottom of the screen. It is also printed on your NDIS plan and on letters the NDIA sends you, and it can be seen in the participant portal you use (see my NDIS portal).
- 1Open the my NDIS appSign in and tap the plan icon at the bottom of the screen to see your NDIS number.
- 2Check your NDIS planThe number is printed on your plan document.
- 3Look at a letter from the NDIALetters about access, plans and reassessments show your NDIS number.
- 4Sign in to your participant portalUse your own myGov account. Nominees and child representatives use their own myGov, not the participant's.
- 5Call the NDIA if you still can't find itPhone 1800 800 110 and ask for a copy of your plan. The NDIA will confirm your identity first.
If you can't find any of these, you can call the NDIA on 1800 800 110 and ask for a copy of your plan, which shows the number. The NDIA will check your identity first, so have your personal details ready. Nominees and child representatives should sign in to the participant portal with their own myGov account, not the participant's, according to the NDIA's guide to the participant portals.
When you get an NDIS number
The NDIA assigns the number as part of becoming a participant, after an access request. Because it identifies the person rather than a plan, it carries over when a plan reassessment produces a new plan. If your details look wrong, or you think you have been given two numbers, contact the NDIA rather than using a different number on claims.
How providers use the NDIS number
For providers, the NDIS number is the key that connects delivered support to funding. The NDIA rejects claims where the number doesn't match a participant, so getting it right at intake saves rework later.
Claims and invoices
For agency-managed (NDIA-managed) funding, registered providers lodge payment requests through the myplace provider portal, either one by one or as a bulk payment request file. In the bulk file, the NDISNumber column must hold the participant's number: 9 digits, starting with 43, with no spaces (myplace provider portal and resources; How to make a payment request).
For plan-managed and self-managed funding, you invoice the plan manager or participant instead. The NDIA's record keeping requirements list the participant's name and NDIS number among the details an invoice must include, alongside dates, support item numbers, amounts and your ABN. The free NDIS invoice generator includes a field for it.
Records and case notes
The same record keeping page lists minimum identifying information for records of support: the participant's name, NDIS number, date, amount or hours, and support type. That is why progress notes, rosters and timesheets usually carry the number, so an auditor or the NDIA can match a note to a claim.
| Document | Why the NDIS number is on it |
|---|---|
| Service agreement | Identifies which participant the agreed supports are for |
| Bulk payment request (agency-managed) | Tells the NDIA which participant's plan to pay from; a wrong number rejects the line |
| Invoice (plan-managed or self-managed) | Required identifying detail so the plan manager or participant can match and pay it |
| Progress or case notes | Part of the minimum identifying information for records of support |
| Quotes and reports to the NDIA | Lets the NDIA attach the document to the right participant record |
NDIS number vs other NDIS numbers
The NDIS uses several numbers that look similar, and mixing them up is a common reason for rejected claims. The NDIS number identifies a participant; it never identifies a provider or a worker.
| Number | Who it identifies | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| NDIS number | A participant (9 digits, starts with 43) | Plans, NDIA letters, the my NDIS app, service agreements, invoices, payment requests |
| Provider registration number | A provider organisation in the NDIA's systems | The provider's portal profile and the RegistrationNumber column of a bulk payment request |
| Support item number | A type of support in the NDIS pricing schedule | Invoices, quotes and each line of a payment request |
| NDIS worker screening clearance | An individual worker who has passed a worker screening check | Worker records and the worker screening database |
| ABN | A business for tax purposes | Provider invoices and service agreements |
- The person the number identifies
- Every claim line must carry the participant's number
- Identifies the support, while the NDIS number identifies the person
- Linked to the participant through the number; a new plan keeps the same number
- Invoices to plan managers and participants must show it
- Where participants can see their number and plan
Who else uses the NDIS number
The number follows the participant through every way their funding can be managed. Who handles it depends on the plan management type:
- Self-managed participants use it to sign in to the app and portal, and they claim from their own budget against their own number.
- Plan managers match every invoice they receive to the right participant by name and NDIS number before paying it from the plan, and use the number when they make payment requests to the NDIA.
- Support coordinators quote it on reports, referrals and correspondence with the NDIA so documents land on the right record.
- Nominees and child representatives use it when acting for the participant, but sign in to the portal with their own myGov account.
If a claim is rejected because the number doesn't match, don't guess a correction. Check it against the participant's plan or ask the participant, fix the line, and resubmit only that line, so you don't risk a duplicate claim.
Keeping the NDIS number private and accurate
An NDIS number on its own reveals that someone is an NDIS participant, which is information about their disability. Treat it as sensitive personal information. Organisations covered by the Privacy Act must take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access under APP 11 of the Australian Privacy Principles.
Good practice for providers includes:
- Collect it once, from the source. Copy it from the participant's plan or a document they give you, not from memory or an email signature.
- Check the format at intake. 9 digits, starting with 43, no spaces or letters.
- Store it in one place. Keep it on the participant's record and pull it into claims and notes from there, so a typo is fixed once.
- Limit who sees it. Support workers rarely need it on screen; finance and coordination staff do.
- Don't send it in bulk by unsecured email. Share lists through a secure system.
Common mistakes with NDIS numbers
- Using the provider registration number in the participant column. The bulk payment file has separate columns for each.
- Typos and transposed digits. A number that isn't 9 digits or doesn't start with 43 will fail, and a valid-looking wrong number may match nobody or the wrong person.
- Spaces or formatting. Spreadsheets sometimes add spaces or turn long numbers into scientific notation. Store the column as text.
- Duplicate participant records. Two records with the same number in your system usually means duplicated claims are waiting to happen.
- Assuming a new plan means a new number. The number stays the same; it is the plan dates and budgets that change.
- Asking the participant every time. Keep it securely on file instead of collecting it again for each form.
Example
Illustrative example (fictional). Mia's father, who is her child representative, signs a service agreement with a speech pathology practice. The intake coordinator copies Mia's NDIS number from her plan and saves it on her participant record, noting that Mia's funding is plan-managed.
At month end, the practice's invoice to the plan manager shows Mia's name, NDIS number, the session dates, support item numbers, hours, price and the practice's ABN. The plan manager matches the invoice to Mia's plan and pays it within the week.
Later, Mia gets a new plan after a reassessment and the funding becomes agency-managed. Her NDIS number doesn't change, but the practice now claims through the myplace provider portal. When a line in its first bulk payment request is rejected, the finance officer finds that a space had crept into the NDISNumber column during a copy and paste. She removes it, resubmits only that line, and changes the spreadsheet column to text so it can't happen again.
Frequently asked questions
What does an NDIS number look like?
An NDIS number is 9 digits long and always starts with 43. It has no letters or spaces. Providers enter it in exactly this format on bulk payment requests, invoices and service agreements.
Where can I find my NDIS number?
Your NDIS number is in the my NDIS app under the plan icon, on your NDIS plan and on letters from the NDIA. You can also see it in your participant portal, or call the NDIA on 1800 800 110 to ask for a copy of your plan.
Is an NDIS number the same as an NDIS reference number?
Yes. People use NDIS number, NDIS reference number and NDIS participant number to mean the same 9-digit number the NDIA gives each participant. It is different from a provider's registration number.
Does my NDIS number change when I get a new plan?
No. Your NDIS number identifies you, not a particular plan. When a plan reassessment creates a new plan, the plan dates and budgets change but your NDIS number stays the same.
Do providers need my NDIS number?
Yes. Providers use it on service agreements, records of support, invoices and NDIA payment requests. The NDIA's record keeping requirements list the participant's name and NDIS number among the details an invoice must include.
Do I need my NDIS number to use the my NDIS app?
Yes. The NDIA says you need your NDIS number to sign in to the my NDIS app. Once signed in, the number is shown under the plan icon at the bottom of the screen.
Is an NDIS number confidential?
Treat it as sensitive personal information, because it shows that someone is an NDIS participant. Providers covered by the Privacy Act must protect it under APP 11 and should only share it with people who need it.
Related terms
- NDIS invoiceAn NDIS invoice is a bill for disability supports delivered to one NDIS participant, listing their name and NDIS number, dates, support item numbers, claim types, quantities, prices, GST and the provider's ABN. It goes to a plan manager or self-managed participant; NDIA-managed supports use a payment request.
- NDIS participantAn NDIS participant is a person with disability who has been accepted into the National Disability Insurance Scheme because they meet the age, residence and disability or early intervention requirements. Participants receive an NDIS plan, choose how their funding is managed and choose their own providers.
- NDIS planAn NDIS plan is the document the NDIA approves with a participant that sets out their goals and the funding the NDIS will provide for disability supports. It splits the funding into support budgets, says how it is managed and released in funding periods, and says when the plan will be reassessed.
- Payment requestAn NDIS payment request is a claim for payment lodged with the NDIA for a support delivered to a participant. Registered providers lodge them for NDIA-managed supports and plan managers for plan-managed supports, through the myplace provider portal, often as a bulk upload file.
- Plan managerAn NDIS plan manager is a registered NDIS provider that pays a participant's providers from their plan-managed funding, checks invoices against the price limits and claiming rules, and keeps the financial records. Plan managers are funded separately in the plan and do not find or coordinate supports.
- Service agreementAn NDIS service agreement is an agreement between a participant and a provider that sets out the supports to be delivered, how and when, what they cost and each party's responsibilities. Written agreements are mandatory for SDA, expected of registered providers and needed for GST-free supplies.
- Support item numberA support item number, often called an NDIS line item, is the unique code for a specific NDIS support, such as 01_011_0107_1_1. Its parts show the support category, item sequence, registration group, outcome domain and support purpose, and every NDIS claim and invoice line must use one.
- my NDIS portalThe my NDIS portal is the NDIA's secure online portal for NDIS plan information. Participants use the my NDIS or older myplace participant portal through myGov, or the my NDIS app; providers use the myplace provider portal for claims and the my NDIS provider portal for reports, signing in with myID.
Go deeper
Sources
- ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-funding/using-portal-and-app/how-use-my-ndis-app
- ndis.gov.au/providers/working-provider/myplace-provider-portal-and-resources
- ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-and-payments/payments/how-make-payment-request
- ndis.gov.au/providers/working-provider/reporting-and-recording-keeping/what-are-record-keeping-requirements
- ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-funding/using-portal-and-app/how-use-participant-portals
- oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles
General information, not legal, clinical or financial advice. NDIS rules change — check the official source before you act.
Suppora editorial team
NDIS operations and compliance writers
The Suppora editorial team writes practical guides for NDIS providers, checked against the NDIS Commission, NDIA and Fair Work sources cited on each page.
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