Self-management

What is self-management in the NDIS?

Self-management is the NDIS funding option where you, or your nominee, manage some or all of your plan funding yourself: you choose and pay providers, claim the money from your plan, and keep the records. It gives the most choice and control of the three options, because you can use unregistered providers, agree prices above the NDIS price limits and employ your own support workers. In return, you take on the paperwork and must be able to show your funding was spent on NDIS supports in line with your plan.

People say they are "self-managed" or that they "self-manage" a budget. Self-management can apply to your whole NDIS plan or only some budgets, with the rest plan-managed or NDIA-managed (NDIA: guide to your management options). A plan nominee or a child representative can self-manage on a participant's behalf.

How self-management works

As a self-manager you deal with providers directly. Providers invoice you rather than a plan manager or the NDIA, and you claim the money from your NDIS funding through the my NDIS participant portal or the my NDIS app. The NDIA's how to self-manage your funding page sets out the process:

Claims are subject to the same time limits as other claims. Since October 2024 you've had 2 years from the support to claim. From 1 December 2026 that falls to 90 days after the support, unless exceptional circumstances stop you claiming in time (NDIA: securing the NDIS for future generations). If you pay a provider and then forget to claim, you may not be able to recover the money.

Evidence and payment reviews

Since October 2024 the NDIA may ask self-managers to provide evidence, such as an invoice or receipt, for a claim (NDIA: self-management evidence requirements). The NDIA lists what evidence should show:

• the provider's name, and their ABN or the reason they are exempt from quoting one;
• the start and end dates of the support;
• the NDIS support category and a short description of the support;
• the amount of support (hours or quantity) and the price per hour or unit;
• the total amount paid, with a receipt or tax invoice.

Self-managers must also cooperate with payment reviews, where the NDIA asks for invoices, receipts or other records to check that funding was spent on NDIS supports in line with the plan. A claim under review is held until you provide the information.

What you can buy when you self-manage

Self-management gives you more choice about who provides supports and at what price, but not about what you can buy. Since the 2024 changes to the NDIS Act, all participants, including self-managers, can only spend NDIS funding on NDIS supports that fit their plan. The NDIA's what you can buy as a self-manager page explains the rules.

Price limits don't bind self-managed participants, which is why some therapists and specialists will only work with self-managed clients. The NDIA's pricing arrangements apply the maximum prices to NDIA-managed and plan-managed funding. A higher price still uses up your budget faster, so compare it with the limit in the NDIS price guide before you agree to it.

Who can self-manage (and who can't)

Most participants can ask to self-manage. The NDIS Act sets out a few situations where you can't. Under section 44 of the NDIS Act 2013, a participant or plan nominee must not manage funding if they are currently an insolvent under administration (for example, bankrupt), or to the extent that self-management would present an unreasonable risk to the participant. The NDIA says a risk is only unreasonable if there are no suitable safeguards or supports available to manage it, and that a bankruptcy that has ended isn't on its own a reason to refuse.

The NDIA's self-management guidance lists other situations it considers, including some criminal convictions involving fraud or dishonesty. If the NDIA refuses a request to self-manage, it should explain why, and you can generally ask for an internal review of the decision.

How to start self-managing

If you want to self-manage, the usual path is:

1. Decide which budgets you want to self-manage. Many people start with one budget, such as capacity building, and keep the rest plan-managed while they learn.
2. Tell the NDIA, at your planning meeting, at your plan implementation meeting, or by contacting them during your plan. The NDIA decides whether self-management is appropriate and records it in your plan.
3. Make sure the NDIA has the right bank account details for claims to be paid into, and set up access to the my NDIS portal or app.
4. Set up a simple system before the first invoice arrives: a folder per funding period, a spreadsheet or tracker for each budget, and a reminder to claim each week.
5. Agree supports and prices with your providers, ideally in written service agreements, and ask them to invoice you directly.

If self-managing turns out to be too much, you can ask the NDIA to change the budget to plan-managed or NDIA-managed. Changing the management type doesn't change the amount of funding for your supports.

Self-management vs plan management vs NDIA-managed funding

The main trade-off is flexibility against admin. Self-management is the only option without price limits and the only one that lets you employ workers directly, but it is also the only one where you pay, claim and keep records yourself. Plan management keeps most of the provider choice and hands the paperwork to a plan manager.

Your responsibilities as a self-manager

Self-managing is closer to running a small household budget with an audit trail. The NDIA's guidance covers the essentials:

Employing your own support workers

Self-managers can directly engage their own staff. The NDIA's guide to directly engaging your own staff (November 2025) says that when you do, you become an employer with legal responsibilities for record keeping, pay and conditions, tax and superannuation, work health and safety, insurance, and worker screening. Super guarantee contributions are generally required for eligible workers. Workers compensation rules differ between states and territories, and whether a worker counts as an employee or a contractor can also depend on where you live. These costs, including insurance, leave and entitlements, come out of your plan budget.

Check pay rates, award coverage and employment conditions with the Fair Work Ombudsman before you hire. The NDIA's guide also covers screening and clearances: many self-managers ask directly engaged workers to hold an NDIS worker screening check, and you can make that a condition of the job. If you'd rather not be an employer, you can use a registered or unregistered provider who employs the workers instead.

Recent and upcoming changes for self-managers

The 2026 amendments also bring in new record-keeping requirements from 27 August 2026. The NDIA has long told self-managers to keep invoices, receipts, payroll records and notes for 5 years; check the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's summary of the changes for the current legal minimum, and keep records for at least the longer period.

What providers should know about self-managed participants

• Invoice the participant or their nominee directly, with enough detail for them to claim and to answer an NDIA evidence request.
• Price limits don't apply, but put any agreed price in a written service agreement so it is clear what was agreed.
• A written agreement is also one of the ATO's conditions for your supplies to be GST-free (ATO: GST and the NDIS).
• Send a receipt once you're paid; the participant may need it as evidence.
• You don't need to be registered for most supports, but registration-only supports, such as SIL, still need a registered provider.
• Invoice promptly so the participant can claim within the time limit.

Common mistakes when self-managing

• Claiming without an invoice to back it up. The NDIA can ask for evidence; keep the invoice or receipt for every claim.
• Assuming any purchase is fine because you self-manage. Only NDIS supports in line with your plan can be paid for.
• Forgetting employer obligations. Directly engaged staff bring super, insurance and tax responsibilities.
• Paying above the limit without checking the budget. It is allowed, but your budget runs out sooner.
• Claiming late. From 1 December 2026 you have 90 days after the support.
• Not tracking funding periods. Many plans release funding in funding periods, so spending early can leave a gap. A simple tracker such as the NDIS budget tracker helps.